SPEAKER12.88 -2.88 Yeah.2.88 Right.3.2 Exactly.3.44
15.13 REP15.13 FERRANTE15.13 -15.13 Thank15.13 you,15.37 Anthony.15.61 Thank16.4 you.16.64 Thank17.61 you.17.84 And,18.09 to18.56 the18.8 members,18.89 thank19.29 you19.45 for19.68 being19.84 so20.09 efficient20.4 this21.2 morning.21.36 I21.77 know21.84 there's22 so22.24 many22.4 of22.64 us22.8 here.23.77 And24 I24 wanna24.16 thank24.4 you24.64 all24.8 for25.04 coming25.29 up25.52 and25.77 taking25.93 the26.16 ride26.32 to27.24 Gloucester27.4 both27.96 for28.36 the28.92 hearing29.08 and29.4 the29.56 important29.72 business30.12 that30.44 we're30.6 going30.84 to31.08 do31.16 today,31.32 but32.04 also,32.36 for33.56 coming33.8 up34.04 to34.28 my34.68 district34.92 and35.32 Senator35.56 Tarr's35.96 district,36.36 and37.24 getting37.48 a37.8 chance37.96 to38.28 see38.52 our38.84 hometown39.48 up40.2 close40.44 and40.92 personal.41.16 Today,42.4 we're42.64 here42.95 in43.12 Gloucester44.64 to45.91 host46.48 the46.88 first47.03 of47.44 what47.59 are47.76 gonna47.91 be48.23 a48.8 number48.95 of49.59 subject49.99 matter51.03 Ways51.27 and51.27 Means51.44 hearings51.76 to52.16 discuss52.32 the52.64 governor's52.8 budget.53.27 We54.08 choose,54.32 as54.72 a54.88 committee,54.95 to55.44 bring55.59 these56.32 committee56.64 hearings57.12 to57.96 various58.36 corners58.92 of59.48 the59.64 state59.8 and60.12 throughout60.36 the60.76 state60.92 in61.48 order61.72 that62.04 we63.8 can63.96 transparently64.28 show65 our65.72 constituents66.2 and67.08 the67.24 citizens67.4 how68.2 it68.44 is68.6 that68.84 we69.16 examine,69.8 review,70.84 and71.72 question,71.96 the73.19 budget,73.34 and73.67 how73.83 we74.06 proceed.74.31
75.42 So75.42 in75.91 that,76.14 vein,76.7 I'd77.03 like77.19 to77.42 kick77.58 off77.75 this78.55 morning's78.86 hearing,79.58 by81.19 saying81.5 that,82.06 1,83.27 I'm83.58 glad83.75 to84.06 have84.14 my84.78 colleagues85.03 here,85.58 and86.45 2,86.85 to87.49 ask87.65 the88.05 public88.21 to88.69 participate89.01 as89.81 much91.73 as91.97 you92.21 possibly92.53 can93.01 to93.33 see93.41 what93.57 we93.81 do.93.97 In94.45 addition94.69 to95.25 the95.89 district96.37 hearings96.85 that97.25 we97.41 have,97.65 our98.21 hearings98.45 are98.93 also99.09 online99.65 at100.77 malegislature.gov.102.42 You105.38 can105.53 go105.7 there105.86 and106.02 you106.17 can106.34 watch106.66 each106.98 of107.14 the107.3 hearings107.45 either107.94 live108.26 or108.66 they're108.9 archived109.14 as110.34 well.110.66 With112.9 that,113.22 I113.94 wanna114.09 turn114.5 it114.73 to114.98 my115.3 Senate,117.03 for118.07 this118.31 hearing,118.63 Jake119.75 Oliveira,120.15 to120.79 give120.95 some121.27 opening122.31 remarks.122.71 And123.91 after124.31 that,124.63 I'll124.95 be125.11 turning125.27 to125.75 my126.07 legislative126.95 partner,128.71 Senator129.19 Bruce129.51 Tarr,129.91 to130.39 give130.47 some130.71 brief131.43 remarks.132.72 And,133.93 and134.41 then134.56 after134.88 that135.21 we135.53 will135.69 do135.84 committee136.08 introductions.136.49
140.41 SEN140.41 OLIVEIRA140.41 -140.41 Thank144.5 you,144.74 Chair146.5 Ferrante.146.82 And146.82 it's146.82 an147.06 honor147.22 to147.54 be147.7 here147.94 on148.26 Cape148.5 Ann.148.74 We149.54 hear149.7 a149.94 lot150.02 about150.26 Cape150.5 Ann150.74 in150.98 the151.14 Senate151.3 side151.7 from152.02 the152.26 minority152.5 leader,153.06 so153.46 it's153.7 nice153.86 actually154.18 to154.5 see154.58 it154.74 firsthand.154.98 The156.18 business156.26 that156.58 we156.74 have156.9 today,157.14 as158.1 Chair158.34 Ferrante158.34 mentioned,158.9 deals159.85 with160.18 a160.41 lot160.5 of160.66 the160.9 economic161.06 drivers161.46 here161.78 in162.01 the162.09 Commonwealth162.25 of162.66 Massachusetts.162.9 When163.94 you164.18 look164.25 at164.5 housing,164.81 economic165.46 development,165.94 labor166.74 and167.06 workforce,167.29 division168.18 of168.57 insurance,168.81 the169.69 areas169.85 in170.18 which170.34 we're170.5 gonna170.74 be170.97 hearing171.13 from171.47 first,171.87 including172.35 a172.75 lot172.83 of172.99 the173.07 boards173.23 and173.47 commissions173.63 that174.59 run174.83 our175.07 economy175.31 here175.87 in176.11 Massachusetts.176.27 I177.23 think177.39 it's177.55 important177.79 for178.19 us178.35 to178.59 hear178.75 directly178.99 from179.39 these179.55 stakeholders179.87 as180.75 we180.91 begin181.23 to181.55 prepare181.71 our182.11 own182.27 budgets182.43 in182.83 both182.99 the183.15 House183.41 and183.56 the183.65 Senate.184.44 And184.69 to184.69 ensure184.84 that185.32 the185.49 public185.65 has186.04 an186.21 opportunity186.37 to187.41 show187.49 us187.72 in188.21 the188.44 various188.6 different189 regions189.32 of189.72 the189.81 Commonwealth.190.04 So190.93 on191.16 behalf191.32 of191.65 the191.81 Senate191.88 side,192.28 I192.53 wanna192.69 thank,192.93 my193.72 cochair194.04 for194.53 today194.69 for195.16 hosting195.32 this195.81 in196.04 her196.21 hometown,196.44 steps197.45 away197.85 from198.09 where198.33 she198.65 lives.198.89 It199.77 was199.93 an200.09 easier200.33 commute201.05 from201.37 all201.61 of201.77 us201.93 that202.17 come202.25 from202.49 across202.65 Massachusetts.203.85 It's204.01 an204.01 honor204.25 to204.49 be204.57 here204.73 today.204.97 Thank205.21 you,205.37 madam205.53 chair.205.85
210.71 SPEAKER1210.71 -210.71 Senator210.71 Taar?211.19
215.34 SEN215.34 TARR215.34 -215.34 Well,215.34 thank215.66 you,215.82 Madam216.31 Chair,216.47 and216.47 good216.63 morning.216.78 I217.03 first217.19 wanna217.43 begin217.75 by218.06 thanking218.22 you218.63 for219.19 arranging219.34 this219.75 hearing219.91 once220.22 again220.38 in220.71 Gloucester.220.86 It's221.34 important221.99 to222.47 have222.63 all222.86 of223.03 our223.1 colleagues223.26 here223.75 and223.91 have224.06 this224.47 part224.71 of224.94 the225.03 democratic225.19 process225.82 be226.84 brought227 to227.32 a227.48 community227.64 like227.96 Gloucester,228.28 which229.32 reflects229.64 so230.12 many230.28 of230.52 the230.68 issues230.84 that231.16 so231.4 many231.56 communities231.88 face232.36 all232.6 across232.84 the233.04 state.233.24 So233.56 thank233.88 you234.04 for234.2 that.235 And235.24 thank235.24 you235.48 to236.04 Senator236.84 Oliveira237.4 for237.4 coming237.56 to,237.88 also238.52 hold238.84 the239.08 gavel239.16 at239.56 this239.72 hearing.240.2 And240.36 thank240.36 you240.52 to240.76 all240.92 of241.08 our241.24 colleagues.241.4 We242.42 know242.57 that242.66 for242.81 many243.06 of243.18 you243.29 it's243.46 a243.69 long243.85 distance244.18 to244.57 get244.74 here.245.62 But245.69 it245.69 is245.85 so246.01 impressive246.25 to246.81 see246.97 the247.22 number247.38 of247.78 members247.94 of248.74 the249.06 committee249.29 that249.78 have249.94 shown250.18 up250.42 of250.57 each250.81 committee250.97 of251.38 Senate251.46 and251.78 House252.18 Ways252.42 and252.42 Means.252.57
253.38 We253.38 are253.53 deeply253.78 grateful254.09 for254.57 you254.74 making254.9 the255.22 trip255.38 here255.62 today255.85 and256.49 coming256.65 to256.89 hear257.05 from257.37 the257.61 folks257.77 that258.09 have258.25 been258.33 invited258.57 to258.97 testify,259.13 but260.01 to260.17 do260.33 it260.49 in260.65 the260.81 context261.05 of261.85 this262.09 community.263.05 And263.29 to263.29 see,263.45 I've263.69 heard264.81 a264.93 lot265.05 of265.21 comments265.29 about265.69 our265.85 beautiful266.01 city266.49 hall266.73 and267.13 our267.37 beautiful267.45 city,267.85 and268.17 we268.43 appreciate268.66 that.268.9 And269.14 we269.38 would269.46 encourage269.7 you270.1 to270.82 come270.99 back,271.14 not272.02 only272.26 for272.43 the272.58 Ways272.75 and272.9 Means273.06 hearing,273.31 but273.54 whenever274.02 you274.35 have274.43 the274.58 opportunity.274.82 I275.63 also275.78 wanna276.1 thank,276.43 mayor276.99 Verga277.31 and277.7 his277.87 administration278.1 for278.75 hosting278.99 us279.38 here279.54 at279.7 City279.94 Hall.280.19 And280.82 I281.31 would281.38 just281.54 suggest281.78 that,282.26 it283.11 is283.27 important,283.43 as283.83 you284.07 suggested,284.23 madam284.79 chair,285.11 that285.43 we286.07 do286.23 have286.39 a286.63 transparent286.79 process.287.43 We287.83 do287.99 have288.15 an288.39 interactive288.63 process.290.07 And290.31 we290.31 do290.55 have290.71 a290.87 process291.03 that291.59 understands292.15 and292.71 is292.95 responsive293.19 to294.31 the294.47 priorities294.71 of295.19 the295.35 people295.43 in295.75 our295.91 communities.296.07 And296.87 having297.1 hearings297.35 like297.82 this297.99 in298.14 the298.31 field298.38 give299.1 us299.35 an299.5 opportunity299.75 contextually300.46 to301.58 understand301.82 what302.38 those302.63 things302.87 are.303.19 So303.82 we304.14 are304.38 gonna304.54 face,304.87 clearly305.43 a305.82 very305.99 challenging,306.31 fiscal307.35 year307.75 ahead.308.22 And308.46 putting308.46 together308.79 that309.19 budget309.35 is309.75 gonna309.9 require310.22 the310.54 very310.79 best311.02 from311.58 all311.99 of312.14 us.312.22 And312.84 we312.92 are313.16 at313.32 our313.56 very313.8 best314.12 when314.84 we315.08 are315.32 interacting315.48 frequently316.44 with317.16 the317.32 people317.48 we317.72 represent.317.96 So318.68 thank318.92 you319.08 very319.24 much.319.48
320.76 SPEAKER1320.76 -320.76 Thank320.76 you,321 senator.321.16 A322.76 couple322.92 of323.24 housekeeping323.4 notes324.04 before324.44 we324.76 start.325 If327.35 anybody327.67 needs328.15 to328.38 use328.55 the328.71 restroom,328.94 there329.67 are329.9 2330.06 restrooms330.31 right330.94 through331.19 the331.35 door331.5 on332.23 my332.38 right.332.63 If333.11 for333.26 some333.5 reason333.67 those333.99 are334.31 occupied,334.46 if335.35 you335.5 go335.67 down335.82 to336.06 the336.23 First336.38 Floor336.63 Level,336.94 there337.26 are337.5 additional,337.67 bathrooms339.35 as339.9 well.340.06 In341.1 terms341.26 of341.74 schedule,341.98 what342.54 I'd342.78 like342.94 to343.18 do343.34 is343.82 start344.14 with,344.54 the345.42 boards345.66 and345.98 commissions.346.14 At347.58 01:00,347.74 I348.54 expect,348.7 secretary349.74 Jones350.22 at351.1 between351.66 2352.06 and352.22 3,352.46 I352.7 expect352.86 secretary353.34 Augustus.353.82 And354.75 after354.91 Secretary355.31 Augustus,355.79 we'll356.19 have356.44 Secretary356.83 Al.357.79 So358.35 that358.6 should358.83 be359 how359.15 the359.24 day359.39 unfolds359.63 today.360.19 There'll361.39 be,361.71 somewhere362.51 around363.15 11363.79 quarter365.07 of365.47 12365.63 and366.03 12:30,366.35 there'll367.24 be367.47 a367.63 lunch367.71 break368.03 until368.27 1368.6 when369.48 Secretary369.64 Jones370.84 comes.370.92
373.48 And373.48 on373.8 the373.96 First374.2 Floor,374.6 I374.92 know375 many375.16 of375.4 you375.48 are375.64 impressed375.8 with376.2 the376.44 building.376.6 Just377.16 a377.4 couple377.48 comments377.8 about378.2 this378.44 building.378.6 If379.64 it379.8 reminds379.96 you380.36 in380.52 the380.68 exterior380.92 of381.8 Independence382.04 Hall382.76 in383.5 Philadelphia,383.81 it's384.62 the384.77 same384.94 architect385.25 that385.81 did386.3 Independence386.77 Hall387.25 that387.5 did387.65 Gloucester387.9 City388.38 Hall.388.69 At389.25 the389.42 time,389.57 Gloucester390.13 was390.77 1391.42 of391.65 the,391.74 wealthiest392.3 cities392.86 on393.18 the393.34 Eastern393.5 Seaboard393.81 because394.3 of394.54 its394.69 fishing394.86 industry.395.25 And396.25 in396.49 order396.57 to397.05 have397.13 the397.53 steeple398.33 in398.73 the398.89 tower399.05 that399.37 mariners399.61 could400.17 see400.41 coming401.21 into401.45 the401.85 Port401.93 Of402.17 Gloucester,402.33 Gloucester403.61 invested,405.69 I407.37 don't407.53 wanna407.77 say408.01 extravagantly,408.25 but409.05 extravagantly409.37 to410.56 have410.81 a411.05 showpiece411.29 that411.85 people412.25 would412.49 see412.56 as412.81 they412.96 were413.05 coming413.21 in413.44 from413.69 the413.85 water,414 not414.56 so414.81 much414.96 from415.37 the415.61 land.415.69 If416.64 you416.81 go416.88 down417.05 to417.37 the417.52 First417.69 Floor418 and418.25 if418.4 you418.56 look418.64 at418.88 the419.05 painting419.29 and419.69 the419.85 mural419.93 that's420.32 behind420.56 me,420.88 those421.44 are421.76 WPA421.93 paintings423.05 and423.69 Gloucester,423.93 the425.36 City425.52 Of425.68 Gloucester425.92 and426.16 Gloucester426.4 City426.88 Hall427.12 houses427.68 the428.08 largest428.24 collections428.72 of429.36 them.429.6 So430.4 if430.64 you430.8 have430.96 a431.12 chance431.2 when431.44 you're431.68 on431.84 the431.92 First432.08 Floor,432.32 it432.56 may432.72 seem432.96 commonplace433.2 because433.68 the433.92 paintings434.16 are434.48 so434.72 big.434.88 But435.52 they're435.84 actually,436.24 noted438 and,438.56 renowned439.36 paintings439.92 throughout441 the441.31 WPA441.71 period.442.68 So443.15 take443.31 a443.48 look443.56 at443.79 those443.88 as444.12 well.444.27 Just445.07 a445.39 comment445.56 about445.95 our446.27 microphones.446.6 If447.15 you447.31 are447.48 not447.63 using447.88 the448.27 microphone,448.44 have449.07 it449.24 stand449.47 up449.71 straight.450.04 If450.68 you450.83 put451 it451.15 down,451.39 there's451.71 going452.12 to452.27 be452.35 feedback.452.68 And453.77 just454.01 remember454.41 that454.89 these,455.45 unlike456.17 the456.57 microphones456.73 at457.37 the457.53 statehouse,457.69 these458.57 are458.73 voice458.89 activated.459.37 So460.25 if460.57 it's460.73 close460.97 to461.21 you461.37 and461.61 you461.77 start462.01 to462.33 whisper462.49 or462.89 talk,463.13 it463.37 will463.53 pick463.69 up463.93 your464.09 voice.464.41 So464.81 if465.05 you465.21 don't465.29 want465.61 your465.77 voice466.01 to466.33 be466.49 picked467.25 up,467.5 then467.65 just468.06 slide468.21 the468.53 microphone468.69 back469.18 a469.5 little469.57 bit469.74 so470.21 that470.45 it's470.62 not470.85 too471.18 close,471.33 to472.45 you.472.53 Okay.473.57
473.89 FERRANTE473.89 -473.89 With473.89 that,474.13 in474.62 terms474.77 of475.01 member475.25 introductions,475.74 I'd476.38 like476.62 to476.77 start477.1 with477.41 introducing478.21 my478.85 assistant479.01 vice479.5 chair479.74 here,479.97 Kip480.21 Diggs.480.45 And480.77 what480.85 we're481.01 gonna481.18 do481.41 is481.57 we're481.74 gonna481.89 go482.19 along482.67 the482.99 right483.23 hand483.47 side483.79 first.484.43 And485.63 I486.03 want486.27 everybody486.59 to487.23 introduce489.15 themselves.489.71 And490.51 in490.75 addition490.91 to491.55 that,491.87 let492.75 everybody492.99 know,493.63 which494.63 towns495.03 you495.59 represent495.91 so496.47 people496.71 can496.95 have497.12 an497.27 appreciation497.44 for498.39 the498.56 full498.71 breadth498.95 of499.68 what500.24 this500.56 committee500.79 represents501.35 in501.91 terms502.07 of502.79 cities502.95 and503.44 towns.503.68 If504.31 I504.47 haven't504.63 said504.88 it505.03 yet505.19 already,505.35 I'm505.68 Ann505.91 Margret506.07 Ferrante,506.56 the507.44 vice507.59 chair507.91 of509.09 this509.25 committee.509.41 I509.81 represent509.97 Gloucester,510.45 Rockport,511.01 Essex,511.65 and512.05 Manchester.512.93 And514.53 Kip,515.57 I'm515.89 gonna516.05 turn516.21 it516.37 over516.53 to516.77 you.516.93
517.17 REP517.17 DIGGS517.17 -517.17 Thank517.17 you517.33 very517.49 much,517.73 Madam518.29 Chair.519.01 I'm519.01 honored519.25 to519.57 be519.65 here.519.81 I'm520.05 representing520.3 Kip520.78 Diggs520.94 from521.18 the521.58 Second521.66 Barnstable521.99 District,522.54 which522.87 is523.26 Cotuit,524.14 Osterville,524.78 Centerville,524.78 Hyannis,525.58 Barnstable526.38 Village526.94 and527.5 West527.75 Yarmouth.527.99 So528.38 to529.18 see529.35 another531.26 Cape,531.66 it's532.23 awesome532.46 to532.87 be533.02 here.533.35 And533.5 seeing533.5 all533.82 this533.99 ocean,535.42 it's535.66 truly535.98 an536.38 honor.536.86 And537.74 we537.74 can537.9 relate538.14 to.538.54 we539.42 have539.66 a539.82 lot539.9 of540.22 Cape540.54 centric540.86 areas541.34 and541.9 issues,542.22 that543.42 we543.66 can543.82 help544.3 each544.46 other544.7 on.545.02 And545.18 I545.66 look545.82 forward546.06 to546.3 working546.94 with547.34 my,548.3 assistant,549.11 vice550.14 chair550.55 Ann550.95 Margaret551.11 and551.5 others552.14 in552.79 whatever553.02 we553.43 can553.5 do553.75 to553.9 help554.07 our555.5 district555.75 because556.07 that's556.3 what556.38 we're556.63 all556.87 about557.02 and557.35 helping557.5 Massachusetts.557.83 So558.71 thank558.87 you.559.11
562.54 REP562.54 SMOLA562.54 -562.54 Thank562.54 you562.7 very562.86 much.563.02 I'm563.26 Todd563.42 Smola,563.74 first564.62 Hamden564.94 District.565.34 I'm565.82 the565.98 ranking566.14 member566.38 of566.62 the566.7 committee.566.78 I567.18 represent567.34 the567.66 towns567.74 of567.98 Brimfield,568.14 Holland,568.62 Palmer,569.02 Sturbridge,569.42 Wales,569.9 Warren.570.46 That's571.1 in571.34 Western571.5 Massachusetts571.9 primarily.572.54 Three573.1 separate573.34 counties,573.66 Hamden,574.14 Hampshire,574.46 and574.86 Worcester575.02 County.575.5 And,575.9 Mr.576.5 Mayor,576.75 thank576.75 you576.99 for577.07 having577.14 us577.38 here577.46 in577.58 your577.7 beautiful577.87 city578.18 today,578.42 and578.58 we578.75 appreciate578.99 it.579.38
582.11 TARR582.11 -582.11 Good582.11 morning.582.35 I'm582.58 delighted582.75 to582.94 have583.14 a583.3 second583.46 chance583.63 at583.87 the584.02 microphone584.18 so584.66 quickly.584.75 State585.87 Senator586.26 Bruce586.66 Tarr,586.9 the587.23 minority587.3 leader587.78 of588.02 the588.18 Senate.588.26 I588.58 represent588.75 the589.23 First589.38 Essex589.63 And590.02 Middlesex590.18 District,590.75 which591.5 are591.66 19591.82 of592.22 the592.38 finest592.46 communities592.86 in593.42 Northeastern593.58 Massachusetts.594.14 I595.26 won't595.34 go595.58 through595.74 all595.9 of596.06 them596.14 because596.3 it596.54 would596.7 be596.78 time596.94 for597.1 the597.26 lunch597.42 break597.58 if597.9 I598.06 did598.14 that.598.3 But599.02 I599.26 represent599.9 from600.46 Manchester601.02 By601.5 The601.66 Sea601.82 to602.06 the602.22 New602.3 Hampshire602.46 border,602.86 and603.5 then603.66 West603.9 to604.22 North604.38 Andover604.7 and605.18 then605.42 Southwest605.66 to605.66 the606.84 town607 of607.32 North607.48 Reading.607.72 So608.6 happy608.84 to609.15 be609.32 here609.48 with609.63 all609.88 of610.03 you610.12 and610.27 happy610.75 to611.15 share,612.27 this613.15 experience613.39 of613.88 listening614.03 to614.43 what614.6 is615.08 in615.24 front615.39 of615.51 us615.63 and615.88 for616.03 the616.2 Commonwealth616.27 of616.75 Massachusetts616.91 in617.55 the617.72 coming617.79 year.618.12
622.81 SEN622.81 DOONER622.81 -622.81 Kelly622.81 Dooner,623.21 state623.77 senator624.09 for624.49 the624.73 Third624.81 Bristol625.13 And625.61 Plymouth625.93 District626.41 and626.97 assistant627.21 minority627.77 leader.628.33 I628.57 will628.73 also628.97 spare629.37 you629.69 the629.93 long630.17 list630.41 of630.81 towns631.05 that631.37 I631.53 have,631.69 but631.85 just632.09 know632.33 it's632.57 from632.73 the632.97 Rhode633.13 Island633.29 border633.61 basically634.09 to634.57 the634.81 gateway634.97 to635.37 the635.53 Cape,635.69 and636.01 honored636.33 to636.65 be636.81 here.636.97 Thank637.29 you.637.53
639.48 REP639.48 MCKENNA639.48 -639.48 Good639.48 morning,639.63 representative639.95 Jill640.51 McKenna,640.91 Southern641.39 Worcester641.79 County,642.2 towns642.75 of643 Webster,643.15 Douglas,643.55 Sutton,643.95 Oxford,644.43 and644.83 Uxbridge.645 So645.79 my645.95 district646.2 borders646.6 both647 Connecticut647.24 and647.71 Rhode647.88 Island.648.2
652.55 REP652.55 SULLIVAN-ALMEIDA652.55 -652.55 Good652.55 morning.652.71 State653.43 representative653.75 Allison654.23 Sullivan-Almeida,655.11 and655.51 I655.75 come655.91 from656.07 the656.39 South656.55 Shore,656.87 which657.27 is657.51 Arlington,657.75 Whitman,658.39 East658.71 Bridgewater.659.03
661.83 REP661.83 GARCIA661.83 -661.83 Good661.83 morning,662.15 everyone.662.47 Judith662.95 Garcia,663.43 and664.23 I664.39 proudly664.55 represent665.11 Chelsea665.75 and666.23 Everett.666.47
668.84 REP668.84 ARRIAGA668.84 -668.84 State668.84 Representative,669.15 Shirley669.72 Arriaga.670.12 I670.6 represent670.84 the671.39 great671.48 city671.63 of671.88 Chicopee,672.04 Eighth672.51 Hampden672.68 District.673.08
681.35 REP681.35 KASNER681.35 -681.35 Hello,681.35 representative681.75 Kristen682.55 Kasner.682.87 I683.27 represent683.51 the683.99 Second684.23 Essex684.55 District,684.95 which685.35 is685.51 Hamilton,685.75 Ipswich,686.15 Raleigh,686.55 Newbury,686.95 Georgetown,687.83 and688.31 Topsville688.47 Precinct688.95 1.689.35 Thank689.83 you690.07 for690.23 having690.55 us.690.87
693.42 REP693.42 TYLER693.42 -693.42 Good693.42 morning,693.67 everyone.693.9 Thank694.3 you694.47 so694.63 much694.71 for694.95 showing695.11 up.695.35 I695.59 am695.75 representative695.9 Chynah696.47 Tyler.696.79 I697.42 have697.59 the697.75 honor697.9 of698.3 representing698.54 parts698.95 of699.18 Boston,699.35 neighborhoods699.83 that700.23 you700.3 probably700.47 all700.79 visited700.95 and701.35 love,701.5 which701.9 include702.14 Roxbury,702.63 my703.11 hometown,703.26 just703.75 for703.9 namesake,704.07 Fenway705.25 and705.57 Mission705.81 Hill.706.13 Honored706.69 to707.01 be707.09 here.707.25 I'm707.57 a707.73 big707.89 fan708.05 of708.37 madam708.85 chairwoman710.45 and710.61 Gloucester.710.61 We711.17 have711.33 a711.57 lot711.65 of711.81 work712.29 in712.53 common.713.49 And713.73 this713.73 is713.97 my714.05 second714.21 time714.45 actually714.69 visiting714.93 Gloucester,715.17 so715.57 I'm715.65 happy715.81 to716.05 be716.21 back.716.29 Thank716.61 you.716.77
720.11 REP720.11 PEASE720.11 -720.11 State720.11 representative720.35 Kelly720.99 Pease.721.38 I721.78 represent721.95 the722.42 Fourth722.58 Hamden722.9 District,723.38 which723.87 is724.02 Westfield724.35 and725.07 Southampton.725.95 So727.23 a727.54 little727.63 bit727.78 further728.02 west,728.42 but728.75 it's729.3 a729.54 pleasure729.71 to730.11 come730.26 out730.42 here730.66 and730.9 see731.54 this731.78 beautiful731.95 community.732.42
734.79 REP734.79 KEARNEY734.79 -734.79 Good734.79 morning,735.03 everyone.735.27 Representative735.83 Patrick736.39 Kearney736.71 from737.03 Marshfield,737.27 Scituate,737.83 and738.23 Norwell.738.39
741.11 REP741.11 CHAISSON741.11 -741.11 Good741.11 morning,741.35 Representative741.99 Michael742.47 Chaisson742.79 from743.27 the743.51 First743.59 Bristol,743.83 Foxborough,744.39 Mansfield,744.87 and745.67 Norton.746.95
750.65 REP750.65 MARSI750.65 -750.65 Good750.65 morning.750.89 State751.22 representative751.54 John752.1 Marsi752.34 from752.74 the752.89 Sixth753.06 Worcester753.38 District,753.77 which754.18 is754.42 on754.58 the754.65 Connecticut754.82 line,755.3 towns755.86 of756.1 Dudley,756.34 Southbridge,756.98 Charlton,757.86 and758.5 Precinct758.74 1759.13 in759.46 Spencer,759.62 but760.34 I'm760.58 originally760.74 from761.22 Wilmington761.54 close762.18 to762.42 North762.5 Shore.762.82
764.9 REP764.9 XIARHOS764.9 -764.9 Thank764.9 you,764.98 sir.765.22 Good765.46 morning,765.7 everybody.766.02 My766.42 name766.58 is766.74 Steven766.98 Xiahros.767.3 I768.5 represent768.74 the769.22 fighting769.38 Fifth769.7 Barnstable770.02 District770.66 on771.38 Cape771.62 Cod,771.94 which772.74 is773.06 Barnstable,774.9 Bourne775.14 and775.14 Sandwich.775.14 I776.1 was776.18 born776.42 and776.66 raised776.82 in777.06 the777.14 city777.3 of777.54 New777.7 Bedford,777.78 and778.7 this778.93 feels779.17 a779.58 lot779.65 like779.89 that.780.13 So780.54 thank780.86 you,781.1 madam,781.34 for781.74 having781.98 us.782.22 Beautiful.783.34
787.42 SPEAKER1787.42 -787.42 Thank787.42 you.787.65 And787.89 now788.05 let's788.3 go788.62 to788.86 the789.1 left789.25 and789.58 start789.74 with790.05 senator790.3 Olivera.790.93
794.23 OLIVEIRA794.23 -794.23 Thank794.23 you.794.55 Jake795.67 Oliveira.795.99 I'm796.47 the796.63 state796.79 senator797.03 for797.35 the797.51 Hamden,797.67 Hampshire,798.07 and798.47 Worcester798.63 District,799.03 which799.75 is799.91 12800.23 communities800.55 in801.03 the801.19 western801.27 part801.67 of801.91 the802.07 state802.23 in802.71 and802.87 around803.11 the803.35 Greater803.43 Springfield803.75 area.804.23
807.49 SEN807.49 COMERFORD807.49 -807.49 Good807.49 morning,807.64 everyone.808.05 Thank809.09 you,809.33 chair809.97 Ferrante810.29 for810.69 hosting810.93 us811.25 and811.4 Senator811.64 Tarr,812.13 and812.93 thank813.17 you813.33 to814.61 Senator815 Oliveira815 for815.57 cochairing.815.73 My816.52 name816.69 is816.85 Jo817 Comerford.817.25 I817.97 represent818.05 the818.52 Hampshire818.61 Franklin819.09 Worcester819.49 District819.97 in820.71 the820.87 state820.95 senate.821.19 That's821.59 25821.83 cities822.39 and822.63 towns822.79 starting823.11 in823.35 about823.59 Northampton823.91 and824.79 climbing825.03 up825.35 the825.51 Connecticut825.67 River826.47 to827.19 the827.27 border827.43 of827.83 New827.99 Hampshire828.15 and828.47 Vermont.828.63 Very829.59 glad829.91 to830.15 be830.23 here.830.39
832.55 SEN832.55 GOMEZ832.55 -832.55 Thank832.55 you.832.96 My833.04 name833.13 is833.2 Adam833.61 Gomez.833.92 Excuse835.28 me.835.68 My836.88 name837.04 is837.2 senator837.37 Adam837.68 Gomez.837.92 I838.32 represent838.49 the838.8 Hampton838.96 District,839.37 the839.76 city839.85 of840.16 Springfield,840.32 and841.04 also841.2 the841.52 city841.68 of841.92 Chicopee.842.08
846.45 SEN846.45 PAYANO846.45 -846.45 Good846.45 morning,846.77 everyone.847.17 Senator847.97 Pavel848.45 Payano848.85 representing849.41 the849.89 First849.97 Essex850.29 District.850.77 I852.13 represent852.45 three853.09 incredible853.41 cities853.97 that854.29 sit854.45 on854.61 the854.77 Merrimack,854.85 Haverhill,855.57 Lawrence,856.29 and857.01 Methuen,857.25 and857.73 I'm857.89 also858.05 the858.29 chair858.45 of858.69 consumer858.77 protection,859.25 cochair859.98 of860.21 consumer860.46 protection860.86 and861.58 professional861.82 licensure.862.29
864.77 SEN864.77 MORAN864.77 -864.77 Morning,864.77 everyone.865.17 John865.58 Moran865.89 from866.38 the866.7 Ninth866.86 Suffolk867.34 District,867.74 which868.13 is,868.38 parts868.93 of869.17 Boston,869.34 which869.65 include869.89 most870.38 of870.62 the870.7 South870.86 End,871.1 parts871.41 of871.74 Back871.89 Bay,872.22 Dorchester,872.93 and873.57 Lower873.81 Roxbury.874.13 I'm874.77 very875.09 happy875.33 to875.57 be875.65 here.875.81 Thank876.21 you.876.37
877.41 REP877.41 HOWARD877.41 -877.41 Good877.41 morning.877.65 My877.97 name878.05 is878.21 Vanna878.45 Howard.878.77 I879.17 am879.25 a879.41 state879.49 representative879.81 representing880.37 the880.85 17881.09 Middlesex881.49 District.882.13 That's882.69 Lowell883.09 and883.49 Tewkesbury.883.65 And884.77 so885.01 great885.25 to885.49 be885.57 back,885.81 to886.29 Gloucester.886.45 This887.01 is887.17 my887.33 fifth887.81 times,888.38 back888.86 here.889.17 So889.5 thank889.82 you,889.98 madam890.54 chair,890.77 for890.77 hosting891.01 us891.34 again.891.58
893.42 REP893.42 BIELE893.42 -893.42 Good893.42 morning,893.65 everyone.893.98 My894.46 name894.62 is894.77 David895.17 Biele.895.5 I'm895.74 the895.89 state896.05 representative896.29 of896.86 the896.93 Fourth897.1 Suffolk897.34 District,897.65 which898.38 includes898.62 South899.01 Boston899.17 and899.5 the899.65 city899.74 of899.98 Boston.900.05 Appreciate900.38 the900.77 hospitality900.93 and901.42 look901.58 forward901.74 to901.98 a902.13 productive902.22 day.902.7
906.31 REP906.31 HAWKINS906.31 -906.31 I'm906.31 Jim906.55 Hawkins,906.87 state907.43 rep907.67 second908.23 Bristol908.55 from909.03 Attleboro,909.27 and909.75 thank909.99 you910.07 again910.23 to910.47 Chair910.63 Ferrante.910.95 This911.35 is911.51 a911.67 treat911.75 to911.99 visit912.15 Gloucester,912.47 so912.87 thank913.03 you.913.19
916.1 REP916.1 SABADOSA-916.1 Good916.1 morning.916.25 My916.74 name916.89 is916.98 Lindsay917.21 Sabadosa.917.53 I'm918.1 the918.25 state918.41 representative918.57 for919.13 the919.29 First919.38 Hampshire919.62 District.920.1 I920.98 represent921.21 the921.62 city921.7 of921.93 Northampton922.17 and923.53 eight923.77 more923.77 rural924.01 communities,924.33 Chesterfield,924.89 Covington,925.45 Goshen,926.01 Hatfield,926.5 Plainfield,927.05 Williamsburg,929.06 Westhampton,929.78 and930.26 Worthington.930.34 Almost930.82 got931.06 those931.14 in931.3 alphabetical931.46 order.931.94 But932.42 I'd932.58 also932.74 like932.98 to933.22 extend933.3 my933.46 thanks933.62 to933.78 Chair933.86 Ferrante934.1 for934.5 inviting934.74 us935.06 to,935.3 my935.7 favorite,935.86 seaside936.66 community937.14 in937.46 Massachusetts.937.7 Wonderful938.34 to938.74 be938.9 here939.06 today.939.22
943.95 REP943.95 VAUGHN943.95 -943.95 Good943.95 morning,944.26 everyone.944.59 Marcus945.54 Vaughn,945.95 ninth946.35 Norfolk946.59 District947.07 representing947.87 the948.5 towns948.75 of948.99 Wrentham,949.23 Norfolk,949.95 Plainville,950.5 Millis,951.47 Medfield,951.87 and952.35 Walpole.952.59 Thank953.07 you,953.3 madam953.47 chair.953.78
958 REP958 HOLMES958 -958 Good958 morning,958.16 everyone.958.48 I'm958.88 Russell959.12 Holmes.959.6 I960 represent960.56 portions960.96 of961.28 Boston,961.44 Mattapan,962 Dorchester,962.48 High963.04 Park,963.28 Roslindale,963.76 and964.24 JP.964.4
967.04 REP967.04 RAMOS967.04 -967.04 Morning,967.04 everyone.967.44 State967.84 representative,968.08 Rolando968.56 Ramos968.96 from969.28 the969.44 city969.52 of969.76 Springfield,969.84 birthplace970.24 of970.8 basketball.970.96
975.03 REP975.03 KEARNS975.03 -975.03 Good975.03 morning,975.27 everyone.975.6 My976.08 name976.15 is976.32 Sally976.55 Kearns.976.88 I'm977.27 a977.43 North977.6 Shore977.84 gal.978.24 I978.63 represent,978.88 a979.91 few980.08 towns980.39 down980.79 the980.96 line,981.12 Danvers,981.51 Peabody,981.84 Middleton,982.32 Topsfield,983.2 and983.51 Wenham.983.6 Always984.48 great984.88 to985.2 be985.27 in985.43 Gloucester.985.67 So986.39 thank986.72 you,986.96 madam987.12 chair987.43 and988.5 my988.58 colleagues.988.82
991.06 REP991.06 HAMILTON991.06 -991.06 Good991.06 morning,991.3 everyone.991.62 State992.02 Representative992.26 Ryan992.9 Hamilton.993.3 I993.78 represent993.94 two994.34 cities994.5 up994.82 in994.9 the995.06 Merrimack995.22 Valley,995.54 Methuen996.02 and996.58 Haverhill.996.82
1002.13 REP1002.13 SOUSA1002.13 -1002.13 Good1002.13 morning,1002.38 everyone.1002.62 Priscila1003.74 Sousa1004.22 represent1004.22 61004.7 Middlesex1004.93 District,1005.42 MetroWest.1005.89 It's1006.93 about1007.1 60%1007.42 of1007.89 Framingham.1008.05 South1008.77 Side,1008.93 the1009.25 best1009.42 side.1009.65 Don't1012.13 tell1012.38 Jack.1012.54
1018.23 SPEAKER11018.23 -1018.23 Thank1018.23 you,1018.47 everyone.1018.71 Next,1019.59 I'd1019.91 like1020.15 to,1020.31 thank1021.19 and1021.59 welcome1021.83 mayor1022.71 Greg1023.11 Verger,1023.35 the1023.67 mayor1023.83 of1024.07 Gloucester,1024.23 to1024.79 come1024.95 up1025.11 and1025.35 to1025.75 give1025.99 us1026.23 some1026.47 welcoming1026.95 remarks.1027.67
1033.4 GREG1033.4 VERGA1033.4 -1033.4 CITY1033.4 OF1033.4 GLOUCESTER1033.4 -1033.4 Thank1033.4 you,1033.57 Rep1033.81 Ferrante.1033.96 And1034.53 to1035.09 all1035.33 your1035.48 colleagues,1035.72 thank1036.13 you1036.29 for1036.45 being1036.61 here1036.92 today.1037.16 And1037.72 as1037.96 we've1038.21 heard,1038.37 pretty1038.92 much1039.09 every1039.4 section1039.88 of1040.37 the1041.16 state1041.33 is1041.9 represented1042.14 here1042.62 today,1042.86 which1043.1 is1043.34 important.1043.42 You1044.14 guys1044.3 are1044.54 doing1044.62 the1044.94 important1045.1 work,1045.58 which1045.9 I1046.14 think1046.22 you1046.38 referred1046.54 to1046.78 last1046.94 year1047.1 as1047.26 the1047.42 sausage1047.58 making,1047.9 and1048.54 it's1048.78 great1049.02 that1049.26 the1049.5 public1049.58 is1049.9 here1050.06 to1050.3 see1050.46 it.1050.62 So1051.1 welcome1051.42 to1051.82 all1051.98 of1052.14 you1052.3 to1052.62 being1052.94 here1053.18 at1053.42 Gloucester1053.58 and1054.14 most1054.74 specifically,1054.98 our1055.63 historic1055.87 city1056.18 hall,1056.51 and1057.14 definitely1057.38 check1057.87 out1058.11 the1058.27 WPA1058.42 murals.1058.98 And1059.55 we1059.71 do1059.87 have1060.03 our1060.18 full1060.35 art1060.59 inventory1060.83 available1061.38 on1061.71 our1061.79 city1061.87 website1062.18 if1062.74 you1062.9 don't1062.98 get1063.23 to1063.38 see1063.47 it1063.63 all.1063.79 But1064.18 I1064.42 just1064.51 wanna1064.74 thank1064.98 you1065.23 here.1065.38 I1065.79 know1065.95 you1066.03 have1066.18 a1066.27 challenge1066.35 ahead.1066.74 We've1067.07 got1067.23 a1067.38 lot1067.47 of1067.63 uncertainty1067.87 coming1068.51 out1068.74 of1068.98 the1069.07 federal1069.82 government1070.14 in1070.54 terms1070.78 of1071.02 how1071.18 much1071.34 aid1071.66 we1071.9 might1072.14 be1072.3 seeing1072.38 to1073.18 state1073.5 budget,1073.82 which1074.62 obviously1074.86 is1075.26 a1075.42 fear1075.58 that1075.82 we1075.98 have1076.14 in1076.3 the1076.38 cities1076.54 and1076.78 towns.1076.94 So,1077.66 again,1078.3 you've1078.62 got1078.94 a1079.02 challenge1079.1 ahead.1079.74 And1079.9 I1079.9 think1079.98 you're1080.22 all1080.38 up1080.54 to1080.7 the1080.78 task.1080.94 Thank1081.42 you1081.66 for1081.82 being1081.98 here,1082.14 and1082.3 thank1082.38 you1082.54 for1082.7 putting1082.86 in1083.1 the1083.18 work.1083.34
1095.04 SPEAKER11095.04 -1095.04 Thank1095.04 you.1095.28 Okay.1095.61 Let's1096.01 let's1097.37 begin1097.76 today's1098.09 testimony,1098.48 with1100.57
1103.34 the1103.34 board1103.66 of1104.22 library1104.62 commissioners.1105.18
1131.71 MAUREEN1131.71 AMYOT1131.71 -1131.71 MLBC1131.71 -1131.71 Good1131.71 morning,1131.87 everyone.1132.19 I'm1132.59 Maureen1132.91 Amyot,1133.39 the1134.67 new1134.91 director1135.55 at1136.03 the1136.19 Massachusetts1136.35 Board1136.99 of1137.23 Library1137.31 Commissioners.1137.71 So1138.19 this1138.43 is1138.59 my1138.75 first1138.91 time1139.15 at1139.95 a1140.6 Ways1140.76 and1140.91 Means1142.2 hearing1142.67 and1142.67 I'm1142.91 so1143.08 excited1143.39 to1143.8 be1143.96 here,1145.32 so1145.48 thank1145.48 you1145.72 for1145.88 having1146.04 us.1146.28 I1147.24 didn't1147.39 realize1147.8 we1148.12 were1148.28 gonna1148.43 get1148.76 the1148.91 honor1149.08 of1149.32 being1149.48 first.1149.8 So,1150.36 so1151.8 yay1152.12 us.1152.43 I1153.86 wanna1154.02 thank1154.26 you1154.5 for1154.74 the1155.22 opportunity1155.46 to1156.18 present1156.42 testimony1156.82 today1157.94 about1159.22 the1159.54 importance1159.62 of1160.1 statewide1160.42 library1161.06 programs1161.54 and1162.26 services1162.5 administered1163.22 by1163.78 the1163.94 Massachusetts1164.1 Board1164.82 of1165.06 Library1165.14 Commissioners,1165.54 or1166.02 you'll1166.26 hear1166.42 me1166.58 refer1166.82 to1167.14 us1167.3 as1167.62 MBLC.1167.94 We1170.23 thank1170.47 you1170.63 all1170.88 for1171.19 your1171.43 ongoing1171.67 commitment1172.15 to1172.71 libraries1172.88 and1173.52 library1173.76 services1174.23 in1175.03 your1175.28 individual1175.52 districts1176.32 and1176.95 statewide.1177.19
1178.71 The1178.71 Massachusetts1179.19 Board1179.91 of1180.15 Library1180.23 Commissioners1180.63 was1181.28 the1181.52 first1181.76 state1182.72 library1182.96 agency1183.52 in1184.32 the1184.4 nation.1185.68 And1185.92 is1185.92 the1186.16 agency1186.32 of1187.2 state1187.44 government1187.76 with1188.24 the1188.4 statutory1188.56 authority1189.36 and1190 responsibility1190.24 to1191.2 organize,1191.36 develop,1192.48 coordinate,1193.12 and1193.84 improve1194.08 library1194.64 services1195.12 throughout1195.76 the1196.16 Commonwealth.1196.32 Our1197.8 doors1198.04 are1198.36 open1198.52 every1199.48 day1199.8 to1200.43 everyone.1200.67 Massachusetts1202.12 public1202.91 libraries1203.24 are1203.88 busy.1204.04 In1205.24 fact,1205.39 more1205.8 than1205.96 281206.28 million1207.88 people1207.88 visited1208.52 the1208.99 Commonwealth's1209.08 libraries1209.96 in1210.84 person1211.08 last1211.63 year.1211.96 That's1212.86 not1213.18 counting1213.26 the1213.82 millions1213.98 who1214.46 access1214.7 our1215.42 online1215.9 resources1216.54 like1217.66 ebooks,1218.06 classes,1219.02 and1219.82 research1220.14 resources.1220.7 At1222.14 281223.82 million1224.14 we're1224.14 more1224.54 popular1224.7 than1225.42 the1225.66 Magic1225.82 Kingdom1226.22 at1226.78 Disney1227.02 World.1227.42 Our1229.43 commitment1229.67 to1230.23 serving1230.39 all1230.96 is1231.36 not1231.6 new,1231.91 and1232.56 we've1232.71 been1232.96 doing1233.2 it1233.43 since1233.67 1890.1234.23
1235.84 The1235.84 MBLC1235.99 strives1236.8 to1237.2 provide1237.36 every1237.84 resident1238.15 of1238.63 the1238.71 Commonwealth1238.88 with1239.6 full1239.91 and1240.23 equal1240.47 access1240.96 to1241.36 library1241.6 information1242.15 resources1242.8 regardless1244.06 of1244.54 their1244.7 geographic1245.02 location,1245.58 social1246.94 or1247.34 economic1247.58 status,1248.3 age,1249.26 level1250.14 of1250.46 physical1250.62 ability,1251.1 or1251.98 intellectual1252.3 ability,1252.94 or1253.66 cultural1253.9 background.1254.46 Many1255.99 of1256.23 the1256.56 programs1256.8 and1257.36 services1257.67 library1258.32 patrons1258.88 enjoy1259.43 today1260.15 can1260.63 be1260.8 traced1261.04 back1261.36 to1261.67 the1261.84 work1261.91 of1262.32 the1262.47 first1262.63 serving1263.19 commissioners1263.67 1301265.36 years1265.67 ago.1265.91 We're1267.43 efficient1267.76 and1268.32 effective.1268.56 Under1270.08 the1270.32 direction1270.56 of1270.96 the1271.04 MBLC,1271.28 library1272.24 services1272.8 have1273.28 been1273.52 automated1273.84 and1274.4 streamlined.1274.64 Cooperative1275.84 purchasing1276.56 agreements1277.12 have1277.76 been1277.92 established,1279.36 resources1280 have1280 been1280.16 digitized,1280.48 and1281.28 many1281.52 needs1281.84 of1282.24 local1282.32 libraries1282.8 and1283.36 residents1283.6 are1284.16 met1284.4 through1284.56 statewide1285.21 contracts,1285.86 services,1286.97 and1287.69 grants1287.93 that1288.58 not1288.89 only1288.97 save1289.38 time1289.78 and1289.93 money,1290.17 but1290.82 increase1291.13 residents'1291.62 access.1292.17
1293.86 We're1293.86 providing1294.17 services1295.38 in1296.1 a1296.26 climate1296.41 of1296.82 increasing1297.21 stress.1297.93 Attempts1299.33 to1299.57 ban1299.97 books,1300.29 programs,1301.09 and1301.73 other1301.89 library1302.21 services1302.77 continue1303.49 to1304.05 increase1304.21 in1304.69 Massachusetts.1304.85 Historically,1306.53 there1307.17 have1307.41 been1307.57 less1307.81 than1308.13 four1308.45 challenges1308.77 a1309.65 year1309.81 to1310.13 materials1310.37 in1311.01 Massachusetts1311.25 public1311.97 libraries,1312.45 with1313.28 some1313.52 years1313.68 recording1314.16 01314.88 challenges.1315.28 FY1317.37 '24,1317.68 public1318.8 libraries1319.2 experienced1320.09 401321.04 formal1321.61 challenges.1322.16 In1323.28 FY1323.52 '23,1324.01 there1324.72 were1324.96 221325.13 formal1325.77 challenges.1326.24 This1327.61 follows1327.85 the1328.25 national1328.49 trend.1328.97 And1329.53 since1330.01 nationwide,1330.41 44%1331.37 of1333.13 challenges1333.37 included1334.09 characters1334.73 or1335.37 people1335.61 of1335.85 color,1336.09 and1337.53 39%1338.09 included1339.37 LGBTQ1340.17 plus1341.83 characters1342.54 or1343.18 people.1344.38 This1344.54 is1344.54 a1344.7 bigger1344.78 issue1345.18 than1345.51 book1345.74 challenges.1345.98 Attempts1347.42 to1347.83 restrict1348.07 access1348.54 are1349.11 acts1349.35 of1349.74 intolerance1350.07 and1350.78 exclusion1351.03 intended1351.98 to1352.46 silence1352.7 diverse1353.74 voices1354.22 and1354.87 views.1355.03
1356.98 We1356.98 depend1357.3 on1357.62 federal1357.94 funding1358.34 to1358.82 provide1358.98 services,1359.46 and1360.02 our1360.26 federal1360.42 dollars1360.98 pay1361.38 for1361.62 many1361.86 of1362.1 our1362.26 statewide1362.5 services.1363.06 For1364.18 example,1364.34 they1364.9 fund1365.22 the1365.7 statewide1365.86 database1366.5 program,1367.14 which1367.94 provides1368.26 critical1368.82 access1369.46 to1370.02 research1370.17 databases1370.74 that1371.46 no1371.78 community1372.02 or1372.58 school1372.82 system1373.13 could1373.54 afford1373.78 to1374.1 purchase1374.26 on1374.65 its1374.82 own.1375.06 On1376.1 average,1376.34 60%1376.89 of1377.54 database1377.78 usage1378.26 comes1378.82 from1379.06 schools1379.38 where1380.26 teachers1380.5 use1380.89 them1381.13 as1381.38 part1381.54 of1381.7 their1381.86 course1382.02 curriculum,1382.41 giving1383.3 students1383.62 access1384.26 to1385.15 millions1385.31 of1385.71 articles1385.87 from1386.99 trusted1387.31 sources1387.87 on1388.43 a1388.59 variety1388.75 of1389.15 subjects,1389.39 including1389.87 science,1390.59 health,1391.47 biographies,1392.35 history,1393.47 literature,1394.35 culture,1395.71 arts,1396.51 and1396.99 more.1397.23 Usage1398.38 of1398.62 our1398.86 statewide1399.1 research1399.89 databases1400.38 has1401.26 increased1401.49 12%1402.21 in1403.1 just1403.34 one1403.65 year.1403.82 Federal1405.34 funds1405.73 also1406.13 support1406.54 our1407.1 statewide1407.34 ebook1407.89 program.1408.38 Usage1409.73 of1410.21 that1410.54 program1410.7 has1411.17 increased1411.49 19%1412.38 in1413.54 just1413.78 the1413.9 last1414.02 year.1414.5
1415.54 They1415.54 also1415.78 support1416.1 literacy,1416.58 early1417.46 literacy,1417.7 and1418.34 increased1418.58 accessibility1419.06 for1419.86 people1420.02 with1420.34 vision1420.66 loss.1421.86 And1422.02 they1422.02 fund1422.26 some1422.66 of1422.82 the1422.9 MBLC1423.06 staff1423.86 who1424.18 use1424.42 their1424.66 expertise1424.9 to1425.62 provide1425.78 support1426.53 to1426.85 librarians1427.16 and1428.13 statewide1428.37 services1428.92 every1429.64 day.1429.88 They1431.01 fund1431.4 services1431.88 that1432.44 are1432.61 crucial1432.92 to1433.57 public1433.8 libraries1434.29 and1435.09 are1435.33 not1435.48 funded1435.72 in1436.44 any1436.61 other1436.85 way,1437.16 and1438.2 take1438.53 the1438.68 burden1438.85 off1439.24 of1439.48 local1439.64 libraries.1440.05 The1442.24 commissioners1442.48 and1442.96 the1443.12 Massachusetts1443.36 library1444 community1444.4 are1444.8 emphasizing1445.12 three1446.48 budget1447.04 lines1447.44 in1448.24 our1448.56 FY1449.2 261449.36 legislative1450.16 agenda1450.8 request.1451.28 7000-9101,1454.64 our1455.6 which1455.84 is1456 our1456.39 agency's1456.88 administrative1457.6 line,1461.12 7000-9501,1461.84 which1461.84 is1462.15 state1462.56 aid1462.96 to1463.2 public1463.36 libraries,1465.36 and1467.84 7000-9508,1467.84 the1467.84 Massachusetts1468.08 Center1468.8 for1469.12 the1469.28 Book.1469.43 We're1470.48 requesting1470.72 an1471.84 increase1472.08 of1472.48 $21472.72 million1473.84 for1473.84 state1474.08 aid1474.4 to1474.64 public1474.72 libraries1475.12 and1476.16 smaller1476.4 increases1476.96 of1478 around1478.24 414,0001478.64 for1480.24 our1480.48 administrative1480.64 line1481.36 and1481.84 130,0001482.16 for1483.6 the1483.76 Center1483.92 for1484.24 the1484.4 Book.1484.48
1485.38 We're1485.38 requesting1485.62 cost1486.34 of1486.65 living1486.82 increases1487.3 for1487.86 our1488.1 other1488.34 four1488.65 budget1488.97 lines.1489.3 Our1490.34 total1490.58 requested1491.21 increase1491.86 for1492.34 all1492.58 seven1492.82 lines1493.13 is1494.02 just1494.17 over1494.49 $41494.82 million.1496.89 We've1496.89 created1497.31 a1497.63 website1497.79 for1498.35 our1498.59 legislative1498.83 agenda1499.47 that1499.87 is1500.03 available1500.27 at1500.99 www.mblclegislativeagenda.com.1501.55 It's1507.47 a1507.55 long1507.71 one.1507.95 But1509.71 it1509.95 includes1510.03 information1511.12 about1511.52 library1511.91 legislation1512.32 regarding1513.12 ebook1513.76 pricing,1514.15 freedom1514.95 to1515.36 read,1515.52 and1515.91 school1516.15 libraries.1516.56 We1517.99 also1518.23 included1518.47 on1519.04 the1519.19 website1519.36 a1519.84 Massachusetts1520.08 library1520.88 funding1521.43 organizational1522.15 chart1523.12 that1524.18 displays1524.58 how1525.14 the1525.46 MBLC1525.62 supports1526.26 libraries1526.82 and1527.7 library1527.94 organizations1528.5 in1529.38 the1529.62 Commonwealth1529.78 with1530.42 state1530.74 and1531.14 federal1531.38 funds.1531.86 So1534.98 our1535.3 three1535.62 priority1535.94 lines,1536.42 first,1537.3 the1537.7 MBLC1537.86 administrative1538.5 line,1538.74 7000-9101,1549.38 funds1549.93 the1549.93 staff1549.93 that1549.93 administers1549.93 the1549.93 state1549.93 aid1549.93 to1549.93 public1551.54 libraries1551.94 and1551.94 the1551.94 Massachusetts1551.94 Public1551.94 Library1551.94 construction1551.94 programs.1551.94 Provides1551.94 advisory1551.94 and1552.42 technical1552.66 support1553.14 to1553.46 library1553.7 directors,1554.18 trustees,1555.22 and1556.26 friends1556.5 of1556.82 libraries1556.98 across1557.62 the1558.02 state,1558.18 and1559.06 works1559.3 to1559.7 raise1560.26 awareness1560.58 about1561.46 the1561.7 availability1561.86 and1562.66 value1562.82 of1563.22 libraries1563.46 and1563.94 library1564.18 services.1564.66
1566.32 Librarians1566.32 across1566.79 the1567.12 Commonwealth1567.27 are1567.84 reckoning1567.99 with1568.39 fallout1568.63 from1569.12 an1569.36 unprecedented1569.76 period1570.55 marked1571.43 by1571.76 increased1572.15 service1572.79 demands1573.27 along1573.84 with1574.15 a1574.39 record1574.55 number1575.03 of1575.43 book,1575.67 program,1576.15 and1576.55 intellectual1576.79 freedom1577.36 challenges.1577.84 Today,1579.3 libraries1579.62 are1580.18 often1580.5 understaffed,1580.9 and1582.1 library1582.34 workers1582.9 are1583.3 under1583.54 stress1583.86 from1584.34 work1584.58 environments1584.9 that1585.54 are1585.7 increasingly1585.94 confrontational1586.82 and1588.18 sometimes1588.34 dangerous.1588.98 Increased1590.82 funding1591.22 to1591.62 the1591.78 7000-91011593.86 Board1594.1 of1594.1 Library1594.26 Commissioners1595.36 strengthens1595.84 the1596.39 MBLC's1596.56 support1597.36 and1597.99 services1598.23 to1598.95 our1599.12 libraries1599.43 and1600.15 their1600.39 patrons.1600.56 State1602.56 aid1602.88 to1603.04 public1603.19 libraries,1604.39 7000-9501,1606.97 is1606.97 local1607.29 aid1607.61 for1608.01 libraries1608.25 that1609.13 may1609.37 be1609.53 used1609.69 only1610.17 by1610.41 the1610.65 library1610.81 in1611.77 any1612.01 way1612.25 that1612.49 supports1612.81 the1613.29 library.1613.45 Local1615.13 libraries1615.53 use1616.17 these1616.65 funds1616.89 to1617.29 keep1617.45 the1617.69 doors1617.85 open,1618.17 purchase1619.17 materials,1619.89 improve1620.62 technology,1621.34 and1622.06 more.1622.3
1623.26 They're1623.26 doing1623.5 amazing1623.89 and1624.46 innovative1624.62 programs1626.13 only1627.41 possible1627.74 because1628.3 of1628.7 the1629.02 state1629.26 aid1629.58 funds,1629.82 including1630.78 providing1631.76 library1632 services1632.56 to1633.04 incarcerated1633.36 patrons1634.16 by1634.8 teaching1634.96 them1635.36 how1635.76 to1636 read1636.08 books1636.4 to1636.8 their1636.96 own1637.2 children,1637.44 partnering1639.04 with1639.52 the1639.68 trial1639.84 court1640.24 to1640.72 provide1640.88 free1641.36 equal1642 access1642.4 to1642.88 the1643.12 court1643.28 system1643.52 for1644.08 the1644.24 public,1644.4 and1645.51 providing1645.83 English1646.31 classes1646.71 and1647.27 conversation1647.59 circles1648.31 for1649.35 those1649.51 new1649.99 to1650.23 our1650.31 country.1650.55 Teen1652.07 programs1652.47 are1653.11 flourishing,1653.35 providing1654.14 teens1654.71 with1655.03 an1655.27 opportunity1655.42 to1656.23 create1656.38 human1656.87 connections1657.27 and1658.14 overcome1658.47 social1659.11 isolation.1659.51 Because1661.22 libraries1661.7 are1662.26 viewed1662.42 as1662.82 a1662.98 safe1663.22 space,1663.54 residents1664.34 at1664.82 risk1664.98 come1665.54 to1665.78 the1665.94 library1666.18 for1666.66 help1666.82 when1667.62 they're1667.86 in1668.1 crisis.1668.34 Urban1669.78 libraries1670.18 are1670.82 adding1670.98 social1671.3 workers1671.7 to1672.26 their1672.5 staff1672.74 using1673.14 state1673.54 aid1673.86 funds.1674.1 This1675.1 line1675.41 makes1675.65 a1676.05 huge1676.29 impact1676.86 on1677.58 the1677.73 libraries1677.97 and1679.17 their1679.34 residents.1679.58
1682.53 Also1682.53 notable1683.02 about1683.82 state1684.29 aid,1684.62 it's1685.1 an1685.34 annual1685.58 voluntary1686.21 program1687.02 administered1687.89 by1688.53 our1688.69 agency1688.93 that1689.49 distributes1690.05 this1690.97 local1691.21 aid1691.61 to1691.77 municipalities.1692.01 98%1693.45 of1694.49 the1694.65 Commonwealth's1694.81 cities1695.61 and1696.01 towns1696.17 currently1696.57 participate.1697.13 The1698.57 program1698.81 encourages1699.21 municipal1699.85 support1700.49 and1700.89 improvement1701.05 of1701.69 robust1701.93 public1702.49 library1702.89 services,1703.37 bolsters1704.51 resource1705.07 sharing1705.54 among1706.18 libraries,1706.51 and1707.46 importantly,1708.11 compensates1708.98 for1709.7 differences1709.87 in1710.66 municipal1710.9 funding1711.54 capacities.1712.03 Libraries1713.78 that1714.35 are1714.51 certified1714.74 in1715.3 our1715.54 state1715.78 aid1716.11 program1716.27 also1716.9 have1717.3 access1717.63 to1718.11 reciprocal1718.51 borrowing1719.22 of1720.1 millions1720.42 of1720.74 items1720.98 from1721.46 other1721.7 libraries.1722.02 They1723.3 have1723.46 access1723.7 to1724.1 MBLC1724.34 construction1725.22 grants,1725.86 federal1726.74 library1727.62 services1728.26 and1728.74 technology1728.98 act1729.7 grants,1730.02 and1731.22 our1731.7 small1732.1 libraries1732.5 in1733.3 networks1733.54 program,1734.18 which1735.13 provides1735.38 libraries1735.86 that1736.41 serve1736.65 communities1736.97 with1737.62 populations1737.86 under1738.73 10,0001739.13 with1740.26 funding1740.49 to1741.38 support1741.62 their1741.93 membership1742.17 in1742.73 one1742.97 of1743.13 our1743.38 nine1743.62 automated1744.26 library1745.05 networks.1745.54
1747.05 Increased1747.05 funding1747.54 to1747.93 this1748.17 line1748.34 saves1749.63 local1750.11 communities1750.59 money.1751.95 And1752.19 certified1752.19 libraries1752.75 give1753.47 residents1753.63 access1754.35 to1754.91 531755.23 million1756.67 items1756.67 from1757.23 across1757.47 the1757.87 state.1760.91 Line1762.27 9508,1762.27 the1762.27 Massachusetts1762.43 Center1763.15 for1763.47 the1763.63 Book,1763.71 is1764.38 the1764.54 Commonwealth's1764.62 affiliate1765.58 of1766.06 the1766.21 Library1766.38 of1766.86 Congress1767.1 Center1767.89 for1768.21 the1768.45 Book,1768.54 which1769.17 promotes1769.49 books1769.97 and1770.3 libraries,1770.54 literacy1771.34 and1771.89 reading,1772.13 and1772.86 poetry1773.17 and1773.65 literature.1773.89 The1775.49 Massachusetts1775.73 Center1776.45 for1776.78 the1776.93 Book1777.02 provides1777.34 critical1777.96 literacy1778.28 programs1779 in1779.56 gateway1779.8 communities,1780.36 and1781.32 is1781.48 a1781.64 powerful1781.88 ally1782.52 for1783 libraries1783.56 extending1784.28 literacy1784.84 and1785.56 learning1785.72 beyond1786.28 traditional1786.84 library1787.48 audiences.1788.04 Through1789.48 programming1789.8 and1790.52 events,1790.76 the1791.96 Massachusetts1792.05 Center1792.77 for1793.09 the1793.16 Book1793.33 impacts1793.72 readers1794.29 of1794.77 all1795.01 ages1795.24 by1796.13 concentrating1796.45 on1797.01 family1797.24 literacy1797.64 as1798.45 well1798.61 as1798.85 teen1799.24 and1799.57 adult1799.81 reader1800.61 engagement.1801.01
1802.68 Increased1802.68 funding1803.09 to1803.72 the1803.88 Massachusetts1804.05 Center1804.77 for1805.01 the1805.16 Book1805.33 bridges1805.64 the1806.13 literacy1806.2 gap1806.92 and1807.49 deepens1807.81 literacy1808.37 efforts1809.09 in1809.57 communities1809.89 of1810.45 need.1810.61 Capital1814.13 projects1814.53 also1815.73 help1816.37 municipalities1818.29 build1819.17 and1819.41 renovate1819.57 libraries.1820.13 The1821.59 Massachusetts1821.83 Public1824.38 Library1824.87 Construction1824.87 Program1824.87 has1824.87 funded1825.11 2371825.59 construction1827.11 grants1827.74 and1828.78 1131829.03 planning1830.22 and1830.63 design1830.78 grants1831.18 to1831.9 2641832.14 municipalities1833.42 across1834.38 the1834.78 Commonwealth1834.87 since1835.51 1987.1835.83 The1837.88 funding1838.2 for1838.6 our1839.24 construction1839.8 program1840.44 comes1841 from1841.32 bonds,1841.72 not1842.28 from1842.76 the1843.08 budget.1843.24 In1844.6 addition1844.84 to1845.24 the1846.12 many1846.28 jobs1846.6 these1847 projects1847.32 bring1847.72 to1847.96 local1848.12 communities1848.52 during1849.08 the1849.4 construction1849.56 phase,1850.12 municipalities1850.98 continue1851.7 to1852.18 see1852.27 economic1852.59 growth1853.14 in1853.7 the1853.79 areas1854.03 surrounding1854.59 new1855.31 or1855.46 renovated1855.7 and1856.35 expanded1856.66 library1857.14 facilities1857.63 long1858.74 after1859.14 the1859.63 projects1859.79 are1860.27 completed.1860.42 We're1861.94 working1862.18 with1862.59 the1862.9 Executive1863.92 Office1864.32 of1864.32 Administration1864.4 and1865.2 Finance1865.44 to1865.92 continue1866.16 increasing1867.12 our1867.52 annual1867.76 cap1868.16 for1868.56 our1868.72 construction1868.88 program1869.52 by1869.92 $11870.16 million1871.28 per1871.28 year1871.44 from1872.32 261872.56 million1873.68 in1873.68 FY1874 251874.24 to1875.36 301875.6 million1876.4 in1876.4 FY1876.96 291877.2 as1878.21 A&F1878.62 has1878.93 proposed.1879.26
1880.38 This1880.38 will1880.54 allow1880.7 us1881.02 to1881.17 complete1881.49 our1881.97 projects1882.21 while1882.86 mitigating1883.1 escalation1883.89 impact,1884.62 which1885.02 helps1885.26 keep1885.65 the1885.89 program1886.06 sustainable1886.62 and1887.65 projects1887.89 attainable1888.54 for1889.49 municipalities.1889.82 And1892.79 lastly,1893.11 I1893.59 didn't1893.75 wanna1893.99 finish1894.87 up1895.19 my1895.67 remarks1895.99 without1896.71 mentioning1897.19 the1897.91 Perkins1898.31 and1898.79 Worcester1899.03 Talking1900.07 Book1900.31 libraries.1900.31 Both1902.63 of1902.87 these1903.03 organizations1903.51 provide1904.39 accessible1904.79 library1905.35 services1905.75 to1906.23 approximately1906.71 20,0001907.35 individuals1908.14 in1908.55 Massachusetts1908.79 who1909.42 are1909.66 blind1909.9 or1910.38 print1910.63 disabled1911.03 and1912.63 to1913.42 organizations1913.74 that1914.55 provide1914.71 services1915.11 to1915.66 this1915.83 population.1916.07 Both1917.35 libraries1917.59 enable1918.14 people1918.79 of1919.03 all1919.27 ages1919.51 who1919.98 are1920.14 blind,1920.9 vision1921.38 impaired,1921.86 or1922.42 with1922.66 a1922.82 physical,1922.98 perceptual,1923.78 or1924.42 reading1924.66 disability1925.14 that1925.7 prevents1925.94 them1926.26 from1926.5 using1926.74 regular1927.06 print1927.54 materials1927.86 to1928.82 enjoy1928.98 the1929.38 pleasure1929.54 of1929.94 reading1930.1 and1930.98 pursuit1931.14 of1931.54 lifelong1931.7 learning1932.18 opportunities.1932.58 The1934.11 libraries1934.18 provide1934.98 free1935.46 delivery1935.95 of1936.42 or1937.31 online1937.71 access1938.27 to1938.74 audio,1939.63 large1940.42 print,1940.83 and1941.14 braille1941.38 materials,1941.79 including1942.9 books,1943.38 magazines,1943.95 and1944.51 newspapers.1944.66 Both1946.03 libraries1946.35 are1946.74 network1946.98 members1947.79 of1948.18 the1948.2 Library1948.21 of1948.22 Congress1948.23 National1948.23 Library1948.24 Service1948.26 For1952.56 The1952.56 Blind1952.56 and1952.56 Print1952.56 Disabled.1953.12 So1954.08 you1954.16 can1954.24 see1954.56 that1954.96 all1955.04 of1955.2 our1955.28 budget1955.84 lines,1956.08 all1957.04 seven1957.2 of1957.44 our1957.6 budget1957.76 lines1958.08 touch1958.64 every1959.04 resident1959.84 of1960 the1960.16 Commonwealth.1961.28 And1961.52 we1961.52 appreciate1961.68 your1962.32 support1962.56 to1963.36 help1963.52 us1963.84 continue1964 to1964.48 do1964.64 this1964.8 work.1965.04 Thank1966.18 you.1969.07
1971.94 FERRANTE1971.94 -1971.94 Thank1971.94 you1972.18 for1972.42 your1972.59 testimony1972.83 today.1973.46 A1974.51 comment1974.66 that1974.98 I'd1975.22 like1975.38 to1975.63 make1975.7 is1976.02 that1977.22 it's1977.46 interesting1977.63 to1978.11 me1978.18 that1978.35 my1978.51 mom1978.66 was1978.83 a1979.07 librarian,1979.14 And1980.32 it1980.64 must1980.72 have1981.12 rubbed1981.28 off1981.52 on1981.84 me1982 in1982.08 some1982.24 way1982.72 because1982.96 Drew1983.68 Tarr,1984 who1984.32 most1984.8 of1984.96 you1985.12 know,1985.28 his1985.84 mom,1986.08 my,1986.72 he's1987.28 my1987.52 chief1987.68 of1987.92 staff.1988.08 His1988.88 mom1989.2 was1989.6 also1989.84 a1990.16 librarian,1990.4 so1991.04 it1991.28 it1991.52 seems1991.76 to1992 run-in1992.16 the1993.36 office.1993.44 But,1994.03 and1994.51 I1994.83 would1994.9 expect1995.14 nothing1995.63 less1995.95 than1996.98 the1997.79 Board1998.27 of1998.59 Library1999.55 Overseers2000.27 to2000.27 put2001.63 out2001.95 for2002.35 us2002.59 all2003.22 kinds2003.38 of2003.71 tools2003.87 so2004.27 we2004.51 could2004.66 understand2004.9 in-depth2005.71 the2006.55 funding2006.71 of2007.03 the2007.11 library2007.35 and2007.75 the2007.91 work2007.99 that2008.23 you2008.39 do.2008.63 With2009.99 that,2010.23 I2010.71 wanna2010.87 ask2011.19 the2011.91 members2012.15 if2012.63 anybody2012.95 has2013.43 a2013.99 question.2014.23 It2014.71 was2014.87 quite2015.51 exhaust,2015.83 your2016.39 testimony2016.63 was2017.19 quite2017.35 comprehensive.2017.59 And2018.65 I2019.06 don't2019.13 mean2019.3 exhaustive2019.7 in2020.1 the2020.26 negative,2020.34 I2020.82 mean2020.97 it2021.13 in2021.3 the2021.46 positive,2021.62 that2022.49 you2022.82 covered2022.97 a2023.38 lot2023.46 of2023.62 the2024.02 basis2024.26 that2024.82 we2025.13 were2025.22 hoping2025.38 that2025.78 you2025.93 would.2026.17 Is2026.82 there2026.97 any2027.22 member2027.38 that2027.78 has2027.93 a2028.1 question,2028.17 Senator2028.58 Tarr?2029.06
2031.77 TARR2031.77 -2031.77 Thank2031.77 you,2031.93 Madam2032.81 Chair,2032.97 and2032.97 thank2033.13 you2033.29 for2033.37 your2033.53 testimony.2033.69 It2034.25 was2034.33 a2034.57 comprehensive2034.73 review2035.37 and2035.61 it2035.77 reminded2036.01 us2036.41 all2036.73 of2037.29 the2037.45 vital2037.61 nature2037.93 of2038.17 libraries2038.41 in2038.81 our2038.97 communities.2039.13 What2039.93 I2040.09 wanted2040.25 to2040.57 do2040.65 is,2040.81 just2041.21 take2041.37 a2041.53 moment2041.69 and2042.09 ask2042.25 that2042.49 before2042.73 you2043.05 leave,2043.21 you2043.85 take2044.09 a2044.17 look2044.25 right2044.49 out2044.73 these2044.89 windows2045.13 and2045.94 see2046.27 a2046.74 new2047.07 library2047.38 building2047.79 springing2048.18 up2048.59 in2049.39 an2049.55 historic2049.78 building,2050.26 on2050.74 a2050.99 challenging2051.14 site,2051.7 in2052.26 the2052.43 middle2052.59 of2052.91 our2052.99 downtown2053.3 that2054.34 is2054.51 an2054.74 essential2054.91 resource2055.39 for2055.78 this2056.03 community.2056.74 And2056.99 it2056.99 is2057.14 happening2057.3 because2058.12 of2058.36 the2058.52 work2058.6 of2058.92 the2059 Mass2059.24 Board2059.48 of2059.72 Library2059.88 Commissioners.2060.28 And2060.92 when2061.16 we2061.32 encountered2061.64 difficulties2062.76 relative2063.4 to2063.8 supply2064.04 chain2064.36 issues2064.6 and2065 cost2065.24 increases,2065.64 you2066.92 all2067.16 were2067.32 extremely2067.64 flexible2068.2 in2068.68 working2068.84 with2069.16 the2069.32 members2069.4 of2069.8 the2069.96 legislature2070.04 to2071.14 find2071.3 a2071.42 way2071.55 through2071.94 that2072.11 to2072.34 be2072.59 able2072.74 to2072.91 accommodate2073.14 those2073.7 increases2074.03 so2074.82 those2074.98 projects2075.22 could2075.78 move2075.94 forward.2076.26
2076.98 So2076.98 I2077.3 would2077.46 wanna2077.86 take2078.11 a2078.26 moment2078.34 to2078.74 thank2078.98 you2079.14 for2080.03 that.2080.51 And2081.39 you2081.39 can2081.55 see2081.78 literally2082.43 concrete2083.07 evidence2083.63 of2084.34 the2084.51 good2084.66 work2084.82 of2085.07 the2085.14 MBLC.2085.3 Just2086.5 look2086.74 right2086.9 outside,2087.7 there's2087.94 the2087.94 Sawyer2088.02 Free2088.34 Library.2089.22 And2089.46 we2089.46 are2089.7 able2089.86 to2090.02 preserve2090.18 the2090.66 character2090.74 of2091.7 that2091.86 building2092.1 while2092.74 modernizing2093.14 it.2093.78 And2094.34 it2094.66 is2094.82 due2095.54 to2095.78 that2095.86 collaboration2096.1 and2096.82 that2096.98 innovation.2097.22 I2098.02 did2098.18 have2098.42 one2098.58 quick2098.82 question.2099.06 You2099.54 mentioned2099.78 the2100.18 increase2100.34 in2101.38 the2101.46 utilization2101.62 of2102.26 library2102.64 services,2102.95 which2103.43 comes2103.6 as2103.91 no2104.08 surprise.2104.32 I2105.11 was2105.28 hoping2105.43 you2105.68 might2105.84 be2105.99 able2106.08 to2106.32 give2106.39 us2106.56 a2106.72 little2106.88 bit2107.04 of2107.2 a2107.36 sense2107.52 of2108.08 what2108.56 the2108.88 leading2109.04 drivers2109.43 are.2109.91 What2110.08 are2110.24 the2110.39 areas2110.56 where2111.04 most2111.52 utilization2111.84 is2112.47 occurring2112.64 or2113.04 just2113.2 maybe2113.43 some2113.76 of2113.91 the2114.08 more2114.56 priority2114.88 items2115.36 where2115.76 we2116.08 see2116.32 a2116.47 lot2116.56 of2116.64 increase?2116.88 Thank2117.6 you2117.84
2120.37 AMYOT2120.37 -2120.37 I2120.37 would2120.61 say2120.85 based2121.57 on2121.89 our2122.21 annual2122.53 information2123.97 statistic2124.61 report2125.49 that2125.89 we2126.05 collect2126.21 from2126.61 the2126.93 libraries,2127.09 it's2127.73 circulation2128.61 of2129.33 materials.2129.97 So2130.53 the2131.01 items2131.33 that2131.89 patrons2132.51 are2132.84 checking2133.07 out,2133.39 physical2134.91 items2135.47 and2136.2 ebooks.2136.59 And2138.28 people,2138.59 I2139.64 wanna2139.72 dispel2140.03 the2140.43 myth,2141.16 people2141.55 are2141.55 still2141.8 reading2142.11 actual2142.59 physical2143.07 books,2143.64 and2145.64 you2146.28 can2146.51 get2146.76 ebooks2147.59 for2149.91 free2150.15 from2150.47 your2150.63 library.2150.87 You2151.35 don't2151.51 have2151.75 to2151.91 buy2151.99 them2152.23 on2152.55 Amazon2152.95 or2153.59 your2153.91 favorite2154.23 online2154.79 vendor.2155.19 So2156.87 we're2157.03 seeing2157.59 a2157.83 lot2157.99 of2158.15 that.2158.47 But2158.63 we2158.63 also2158.79 know,2159.11 from2159.59 the2160.23 past,2160.39 when2162.24 economic2163.2 times2163.91 get2164.56 difficult,2164.88 people2165.68 turn2165.99 to2166.24 their2166.39 public2166.64 libraries.2167.12 They2167.68 cut2168.72 everything2169.12 they2169.52 can2169.76 at2169.99 home.2170.16 So2170.47 they2170.72 cut2171.36 their2171.6 Internet2171.76 and2172.56 use2172.8 the2173.12 Internet2173.28 at2173.68 the2173.84 library,2173.99 or2174.47 they2174.64 go2174.8 to2175.04 the2175.2 library2175.28 and2175.68 borrow2175.91 a2176.24 hotspot,2176.32 have2177.57 it2177.65 for2177.89 a2177.97 couple2178.21 weeks,2178.45 return2179.01 it,2179.33 wait2180.13 a2180.37 few2180.45 days,2180.69 go2181.01 back2181.17 and2181.41 take2181.65 it2181.89 again.2182.05 The2184.61 library2184.85 becomes2185.41 that2186.05 essential2186.29 public2187.17 resource.2187.65 And2188.53 without2189.25 the2190.14 funding2190.31 to2190.95 support2191.18 that2193.18 because2194.47 we2194.47 know2194.7 what's2194.86 happening2195.11 out2196.07 in2196.47 society.2196.79 We2197.66 know2197.91 that2198.07 it's2198.47 coming,2198.7 and2199.74 we2200.07 know2200.22 that2200.47 people2201.27 are2201.66 going2201.91 again2202.31 to2202.63 be2202.79 turning2203.03 to2203.35 their2203.51 public2203.66 libraries.2204.07
2208.75 SPEAKER12208.75 -2208.75 Senator2208.75 Olivera.2209.23
2210.67 OLIVEIRA2210.67 -2210.67 Thank2210.67 you,2210.91 madam2211.07 chair,2211.47 and2211.71 thank2211.87 you2212.11 to2212.35 the2212.51 MBLC2212.75 for2213.79 your2214.35 testimony2214.67 and2215.23 your2215.39 budget2215.55 advocacy.2216.11 It2217.15 plays2217.23 a2217.47 special2217.63 place2218.03 in2218.34 my2218.43 heart,2218.66 aid2219.55 to2219.79 regional2219.95 libraries,2220.43 as2220.82 it2220.99 was2221.14 my2221.39 first2221.55 speech2221.79 that2222.11 I2222.34 gave2222.43 on2222.66 the2222.74 Senate2222.91 floor2223.22 as2223.47 a2223.63 member2223.7 of2224.03 the2224.11 Senate2224.18 in2224.82 support2225.07 of2225.63 our2225.86 regional2226.03 library2226.51 systems2226.91 and2227.31 the2227.47 work2227.63 that2227.86 they2228.11 do.2228.27 I2228.91 think2228.99 it's2229.22 important2229.39 to2229.86 also2230.03 say2230.43 that2230.74 libraries2231.07 aren't2231.79 just2232.03 the2232.51 centers2232.74 that2233.22 you2233.47 go2233.55 to2233.79 to2234.32 read2234.56 materials2235.04 or2235.6 be2235.84 part2236 of2236.16 it,2236.32 but2236.56 they're2236.72 such2236.96 a2237.2 big2237.28 part2237.44 of2237.68 our2237.76 communities.2237.92 You2238.8 heard2238.88 every2239.28 member2239.6 list2240 their2240.64 communities2240.96 that2241.6 they2241.76 represent2241.92 or2242.4 the2242.56 regions2242.8 they2243.2 represent.2243.36 Many2244.24 of2244.48 us2244.56 hold2244.8 office2245.04 hours2245.44 in2245.68 a2245.8 lot2245.92 of2246.16 our2246.24 communities,2246.48 and2247.12 they2247.28 take2247.52 place2247.76 in2248.55 libraries.2248.88 And2249.68 they2249.91 are2250.07 the2250.24 place2250.32 that2250.64 we2250.8 go2251.03 to2251.2 to2251.76 work2251.91 with2252.16 veterans,2252.39 whether2252.95 we2253.28 have2253.43 a2253.52 veterans2253.68 event,2254.16 or2254.55 a2254.72 community2254.88 event,2255.36 or2255.91 a2256.16 council2256.24 event.2256.72 They2257.28 are2257.43 the2257.59 lifeblood2257.76 of2258.55 each2258.8 one2259.03 of2259.28 our2259.43 3512259.59 cities2260.72 and2261.03 towns,2261.2 and2261.68 they2261.84 are2262.07 essential2262.32 to2262.8 our2262.95 democracy.2263.11
2264.85 My2264.85 question2265.01 has2265.33 to2265.57 do2265.65 with2265.81 something2265.97 that2266.21 you2266.37 brought2266.53 up2266.69 at2266.93 the2267.01 beginning,2267.17 the2267.89 increase2268.05 in2268.45 book2268.69 challenges2268.93 that2269.65 we2269.81 see2270.05 throughout,2270.77 not2271.57 just2271.81 here2272.45 in2272.69 Massachusetts,2272.85 but2273.81 throughout2274.05 the2274.37 country2274.53 right2275.01 now.2275.25 And2275.49 Massachusetts2276.07 is2276.78 leading2276.95 New2277.27 England2277.51 in2277.91 the2278.07 number2278.14 of2278.47 book2278.7 challenges2279.03 within2280.47 our2280.78 communities,2281.03 not2281.43 just2281.66 in2281.82 our2281.99 public2282.14 libraries,2282.55 but2283.11 also2283.27 in2283.59 our2283.74 public2283.82 school2284.22 libraries.2284.63 There's2285.43 also2285.74 a2285.99 trend2286.14 that's2286.55 increasing2286.86 among2287.51 librarians2287.82 right2288.47 now,2288.7 something2289.27 called2289.59 self2289.91 censorship.2291.81 Meaning2292.13 that2292.13 you2292.37 might2292.53 not2292.69 even2292.93 have2293.17 a2293.33 library2293.49 challenge,2293.97 but2294.77 librarians2295.09 are2295.73 self2295.97 censoring2296.37 the2297.01 materials2297.09 that2297.97 they're2298.13 putting2298.29 within2298.69 their2299.01 libraries.2299.25 What2300.13 can2300.45 the2301.09 MBLC2301.33 do2302.29 to2303.01 add2304.34 a2304.57 layer2304.82 of2305.05 professional2305.21 development2305.78 for2306.82 librarians2307.45 across2308.09 Massachusetts2308.57 to2309.69 ward2309.86 against2310.17 these2310.89 threats2311.3 to2311.93 censoring2312.34 material2312.97 and2313.69 also2313.93 self2314.41 censorship2314.73 as2315.45 well?2315.61
2316.89 AMYOT2316.89 -2316.89 We2316.89 actually2317.05 have2317.61 a2319.63 series2319.63 going2320.35 up2320.83 on2321.23 the2321.55 blog2321.71 on2322.27 our2322.51 agency2322.75 website2323.31 as2324.27 we2324.51 speak.2327.39 One2327.63 of2327.63 our2327.95 consultants2328.51 titles2329.63 it2330.11 fortifying2330.67 your2331.47 library,2331.87 and2333.2 we'll2333.36 be2333.51 talking2333.59 about2333.99 those2334.32 exact2335.43 issues2335.84 of2336.64 steps2337.36 that2337.99 libraries2338.39 can2338.95 take2339.2 to2339.59 shore2339.91 up2340.24 policies,2340.47 and2341.28 to2341.51 be2341.76 prepared,2341.99 and2342.47 to2342.64 train2342.8 staff2343.2 of2343.99 when2344.24 someone2344.39 comes2344.88 in2345.11 and2345.28 aggressively2346.69 wants2347.41 to2347.81 challenge2348.13 materials,2348.69 how2349.25 do2349.41 you2349.57 handle2349.65 that?2349.89 What2350.13 do2350.29 you2350.45 say?2350.61 What2351.01 do2351.25 you2351.33 do?2351.49 Having2353.41 been2353.89 in2354.29 that2354.45 situation2354.77 personally2355.41 myself2355.81 as2356.45 a2356.69 recently2358.53 former2359.09 library2359.57 director,2360.05 I2360.61 know2360.77 the2361.01 stress,2361.81 and2362.34 I2362.49 know2362.66 what2364.41 that2364.66 feels2364.89 like.2365.14 So2365.78 we2366.01 want2366.18 to2366.49 equip2366.89 people2367.45 to2367.93 deal2368.26 with2368.49 that2368.73 as2369.14 much,2369.3 as2370.89 we2371.05 can.2371.3 We're2371.7 also2371.93 working2372.26 closely2372.57 with2373.05 the2373.3 Massachusetts2374.18 Library2375.45 System,2376.39 which2376.39 is2376.63 funded2376.79 through2377.19 our2377.43 regional2377.59 library2378.79 line2379.19 to2381.03 coordinate2381.35 continuing2383.19 education2384.07 for2384.79 librarians2385.03 around2385.91 all2386.23 of2386.47 these2386.55 topics.2386.87 So,2387.67 yeah,2388.15 thank2388.47 you2388.71 for2388.87 mentioning2389.11 that.2389.59
2393.59 SPEAKER12393.59 -2393.59 Representative2393.59 Diggs?2394.22
2395.43 DIGGS2395.43 -2395.43 I2395.43 honestly2395.82 don't2396.3 have2396.46 a2396.7 question.2396.78 I2397.18 just2397.26 wanted2397.43 to2397.74 say2397.98 thank2398.14 you2398.3 because,2398.55 honestly,2398.78 we2399.51 like2399.82 Jake2400.07 said,2400.39 Senator2401.82 Oliveira2402.22 said,2402.22 we2402.46 have,2402.63 office2403.98 hours,2404.3 and2405.11 we're2405.43 constantly2405.59 in2406.22 the2406.39 libraries.2406.55 And2407.11 we2407.64 see2407.88 all2408.04 the2408.44 work2408.52 that2408.76 you2409 do2409.16 ,2409.4 and2409.88 people2410.04 coming2410.44 in2410.76 and2411 using2411.48 our2411.8 libraries.2412.12 And,2412.6 you2413.16 know,2413.32 it's2413.56 very2413.8 important2414.04 for2414.6 us2414.76 to2415.08 be2416.44 able2416.52 to2416.76 get2416.84 our2417.08 history.2417.24 We2418.28 can2418.44 learn2418.68 from2418.92 our2419.08 history2419.24 so2419.56 we2419.8 don't2419.96 make2420.2 the2420.6 same2420.89 mistakes2421.2 that2421.44 we've2421.68 made2422.09 mistakes2422.41 from2423.05 before.2423.2 We2423.84 can2424.01 get2424.16 better.2424.32 That's2424.64 the2424.89 only2424.96 way2425.2 we2425.36 retool2426.32 each2426.72 other2426.89 and2427.2 retool2427.53 ourselves,2429.2 is2429.68 by2429.93 getting2430.16 better2430.41 and2430.72 by2430.96 being,2431.2 you2432.16 know,2432.32 practicing2432.57 makes2433.13 perfect.2433.44 So2433.84 finding2434.25 out2434.57 what2435.61 those2435.85 things2436.01 are2436.33 and2437.05 making2437.21 ourselves2437.61 better2438.09 is2438.81 is2438.97 definitely2439.05 a2439.29 way.2439.53 So,2440.17 I2441.05 just2441.21 wanna2441.37 thank2441.69 you2441.85 for2442.09 what2442.25 you2442.49 do,2442.65 and,2442.81 keep2443.85 up2444.09 the2444.25 awesome2444.33 work.2444.73
2445.45 SPEAKER12445.45 -2445.45 Thank2445.45 you.2445.69 Thank2447.2 you,2447.43 rep2447.68 Diggs.2447.91 We're2448.32 gonna2448.55 go2448.8 to2449.2 we're2450.24 gonna2450.47 go2450.72 to2450.8 China,2451.03 rep2451.84 China2452.07 Tyler,2452.39 next.2453.43 And2453.91 then2454.16 if2454.95 there2455.11 are,2455.36 representatives2456.07 that2456.95 have2457.28 a2457.51 question,2457.76 just2458.39 raise2459.36 your2459.59 hand2459.84 so2460.16 I2460.39 can2460.55 get2460.72 you2460.88 on2461.11 my2461.28 list.2461.43
2463.65 TYLER2463.65 -2463.65 Thank2463.65 you2463.89 so2464.05 much,2464.21 Madam2464.77 Chair.2465.65 I2465.65 just2465.81 wanted2465.97 to,2466.09 again,2466.21 echo2466.53 what2466.77 Representative2467.01 Diggs2467.65 said2467.89 and2468.05 say2468.29 thank2468.45 you.2468.69 I've2469.41 had2469.57 the2469.73 pleasure2469.89 of2470.13 serving2470.29 as2470.53 a2470.69 trustee2470.77 of2471.17 the2471.33 Boston2471.65 Public2471.97 Library2472.29 Board2472.61 for2472.85 the2473.01 past2473.17 five2473.81 years2474.45 and2474.45 it2474.45 takes2474.53 a2474.77 lot2474.85 of2475.01 work2475.09 to2475.25 be2475.41 able2475.57 to2475.73 do2475.81 what2475.97 you2476.13 guys2476.29 do.2476.53 And2477.93 I2478.26 understand2478.73 that,2479.14 you2479.3 know,2479.45 what2479.61 you2479.78 guys2479.93 do2480.26 is2480.49 provide2481.3 a2481.78 crucial2481.93 point2482.34 of2482.57 access2482.89 to2483.93 endless2484.09 resources2484.49 for2485.05 folks2485.21 that,2485.53 you2486.09 know,2486.26 live2486.49 in2486.65 our2486.82 communities,2486.97 all2487.45 our2487.61 communities2487.69 across2488.09 the2488.41 Commonwealth.2488.49 And2488.89 what2489.05 I2489.14 wanted2489.3 to2489.53 encourage2489.69 you2490.01 to2490.26 continue2490.34 to2490.82 do,2490.97 in2491.38 that2491.53 space,2491.78 is2492.01 continue2492.17 to2492.57 be2492.73 innovative.2492.97 I've2494.03 seen2494.19 some2494.51 amazing2494.75 programming2495.15 come2495.63 on2495.79 board2495.95 with2496.27 closing2497.47 the2497.95 gap2498.27 when2498.51 it2498.63 comes2498.75 to2498.99 early2499.15 education2499.47 and2499.79 making2499.95 sure2500.19 that2500.43 our2500.59 kids2500.75 can2500.99 read,2501.23 and2501.95 or2502.27 opening2503.15 up2503.63 our2503.79 doors2503.87 to2504.19 folks2504.35 who2504.51 are2504.75 formerly2504.83 incarcerated2505.31 because2505.95 libraries2506.35 are2506.83 institutions,2506.99 and2507.55 they2507.71 can2507.87 feel2508.03 kind2508.67 of2510.03 scary2510.03 to2510.03 a2510.28 lot2510.36 of2510.52 folks2510.59 who2510.91 may2510.99 not2511.16 be2511.32 used2511.47 to2511.72 walking2511.8 through2512.03 the2512.28 doors.2512.76 So2513.55 I2513.64 just2513.8 wanted2513.95 to2514.2 encourage2514.28 you2514.52 to2514.76 continue2514.91 to2515.24 be2515.39 innovative2515.55 and2515.95 just2516.59 making2516.84 sure2517.07 that2517.39 it's2517.55 a2517.8 access2518.03 point2518.43 for2518.59 all2518.76 and2518.91 to2519.07 say2519.24 thank2519.39 you.2519.55 Thank2519.8 you.2520.03
2525.58 SPEAKER12525.58 -2525.58 Thank2525.58 you.2525.82 Next,2526.94 we2527.34 have2527.58 representative2528.46 Moran.2529.18
2530.7 MORAN2530.7 -2530.7 Thank2530.7 you,2530.94 madam2531.1 vice2531.42 chair.2531.66 I2531.9 just2531.98 wanted2532.22 to2532.62 reemphasize2532.94 what2533.82 Senator2534.14 Oliveira2534.7 said2535.26 about2535.42 the2535.66 importance2535.82 of2536.46 keeping2537.61 our2538.01 librarians2538.26 safe.2538.97 And2539.78 I'd2540.26 point2540.41 out,2540.66 we're2540.97 not2541.14 here2541.3 to2541.53 talk2541.61 about2541.69 legislation,2541.86 but2542.41 we2542.57 have2542.82 filed2542.97 a2543.3 bill,2543.53 an2543.61 act2543.61 regarding2543.93 free2544.34 expression2544.57 this2544.97 year.2545.14 And,2546.17 the2546.57 question,2546.66 I2546.97 guess,2547.05 I2547.21 have2547.38 is,2547.69 what2548.66 which2549.05 of2549.3 these2549.45 line2549.69 items2550.01 from2550.41 a2550.66 budget2550.73 perspective2551.14 ensure2552.07 or2552.39 help2552.71 to2552.95 ensure2553.03 that2553.83 our2554.15 librarians2554.31 are2554.87 not2555.03 harassed2555.19 and2555.51 they're2556.39 kept2556.71 safe?2556.95
2558.47 AMYOT2558.47 -2558.47 That2558.47 would2559.35 be,2559.59 I2561.11 would2561.27 say2561.51 most2562.07 of2562.31 our2562.47 lines,2562.79 honestly.2563.43 The2564.07 agency2564.55 line2565.19 provides2567.07 funding2567.63 for2568.18 our2568.59 staff2568.91 to2569.39 be2569.47 able2569.7 to2569.95 work2570.11 with2570.43 librarians2571.14 to2571.86 help2572.03 them2572.82 with2573.07 all2573.31 of2573.47 those2573.63 issues.2573.86 Our2574.91 state2575.14 aid2575.47 line2576.11 allows2576.51 them2576.91 to2577.22 bring2578.57 in2578.73 specialists2579.93 to2580.57 do2580.73 staff2581.21 training2581.53 if2582.33 they2582.49 need2583.05 that.2583.29 And2585.77 our2586.41 regional,2586.73 state2589.13 aid2589.37 to2589.53 regional2589.69 libraries2590.17 provides2591.3 funding2591.53 for,2592.01 as2592.26 I2592.41 mentioned2592.66 earlier,2592.97 for2593.38 the2593.45 Massachusetts2593.61 library2594.26 system2594.73 to2595.38 provide2596.34 additional2596.73 continuing2597.3 education2597.78 for2598.73 librarians2598.97 across2599.61 the2599.93 state.2600.09
2605.22 SPEAKER12605.22 -2605.22 Thank2605.22 you.2605.54 Next,2605.78 we2606.18 have2606.42 representative2606.82 Sabadosa.2607.46
2612.82 SABADOSA2612.82 -2612.82 Thank2612.82 you2613.14 so2613.38 much2613.62 for2613.78 your2613.94 testimony2614.18 here2614.82 today.2615.06 I2615.62 was2615.78 especially2616.18 heartened2617.14 to2617.54 hear2617.62 you2617.78 include2617.94 the2618.26 Mass2619.06 Center2619.2 For2619.2 The2619.2 Book2619.2 book2619.2 amongst2619.43 your2619.68 priorities.2620.32 And2620.47 I2620.47 was2620.56 wondering2620.8 if2621.11 you2621.28 could2621.52 share2622.16 a2622.47 little2622.56 bit,2622.72 I2622.95 believe2623.2 I'm2623.59 correct2623.76 in2624.07 saying2624.16 that2624.39 it2624.56 is2624.72 a2624.88 satellite2625.04 of2625.52 the2625.68 Library2625.76 of2626.07 Congress.2626.24 Is2626.64 that2626.72 correct?2626.88
2627.36 AMYOT2627.36 -2627.36 Yes.2627.36
2627.36 SABADOSA2627.36 -2627.36 And2627.36 I'm2627.59 just2627.76 wondering,2628.16 if2629.2 that2629.36 entails2629.52 any2629.91 sort2630.07 of2630.24 federal2630.39 funding2630.72 for2631.04 them,2631.2 if2631.36 there's2631.52 anything2631.76 we2632.07 should2632.16 be2632.39 aware2632.56 of2632.88 and2633.04 what2633.2 those2633.28 funding2633.52 streams2633.84 look2634.24 like.2634.39
2643.73 AMYOT2643.73 -2643.73 So2643.73 the2644.77 Mass2646.05 Center2646.29 For2646.29 The2646.29 Book2646.29 was2646.29 originally2646.61 founded2647.01 as2647.65 a2647.73 public2647.89 private2648.29 partnership.2648.77 They're2649.66 chartered2649.98 through2650.7 the2651.34 Library2651.74 of2652.14 Congress2652.3 but2653.51 they2654.46 don't2654.7 receive2655.03 funding.2655.43 Every2656.7 state2657.26 has2658.14 a2658.86 charter2659.03 with2659.66 the2660.07 Library2662.32 of2662.56 Congress2662.88 for2663.36 their2663.6 Center2663.84 For2664.32 The2664.48 Book,2664.48 and2665.52 it2666.24 gives2666.48 them2666.72 access2666.96 to2667.56 programming2668.16 and2669.04 technical2670.24 help,2670.72 but2671.36 there's2671.6 no2671.92 funding2673.2 attached2673.68 to2674.08 that.2674.24 So2674.72 the2674.96 funding2675.12 that2675.6 our2676.63 Center2676.95 For2677.34 The2677.51 Book2677.51 receives2677.91 is2678.39 through2678.7 the2679.03 state2679.11 budget2679.43 and2680.47 through2680.63 a2681.83 small2682.14 amount2682.39 of2682.7 private2683.03 fundraising.2683.43
2687.91 SPEAKER12687.91 -2687.91 Thank2687.91 you.2688.22 Next,2688.47 we2688.79 have2689.03 representative2689.27 Arriga.2690.07
2694.35 ARRIAGA2694.35 -2694.35 I2694.35 simply2694.67 wanna2694.99 echo2695.31 everyone's2695.79 sentiment.2696.19 We2696.99 are2697.15 grateful2697.39 to2698.03 have2698.19 the2698.43 libraries2698.59 in2698.91 all2699.07 our2699.23 communities,2699.39 towns,2699.95 understanding2700.75 that2701.39 we2701.95 are2702.19 servicing2702.51 all2703.7 our2703.93 constituents,2704.09 the2704.82 young2705.05 and2705.3 the2705.53 old,2705.78 with2706.97 in2707.93 hand2708.18 books,2708.49 information2709.38 classes.2710.18 I2711.14 know2711.22 my2711.45 library,2711.86 which2712.26 I2712.49 spent2712.57 a2712.73 lot2712.89 of2713.05 time2713.22 there,2713.45 we2714.26 have2714.49 classes2714.74 to2715.38 learn2715.53 about2715.86 computer2716.09 literacy,2716.66 even2718.49 language.2718.94 We2720.14 host2720.38 all2720.7 kinds2720.78 of2721.1 meetings2721.26 there.2721.66 But2721.98 one2722.14 of2722.3 the2722.38 things2722.54 that2722.78 stands2723.02 out2723.42 to2723.66 me,2723.74 and2723.98 I2724.14 think2724.3 all2724.94 my2725.18 colleagues2725.74 here2726.14 would2726.3 agree,2726.54 is2726.78 having2727.26 books.2727.74 So2728.54 some2728.78 are2729.02 reading2729.18 books.2729.5 There's2729.98 a2730.3 list2730.46 of2730.7 books2730.86 for2731.18 the2731.42 kids2731.5 and2731.9 a2732.22 lot2732.3 of2732.54 families,2732.62 unfortunately,2733.02 can't2733.9 get2734.14 their2734.3 hands2734.46 on2734.7 the2734.86 books.2735.02 They2735.82 can't2735.97 afford2736.22 them.2736.54 But2737.74 I2737.97 know2738.06 one2738.22 of2738.38 the2738.45 things2738.54 that2738.86 my2739.02 local2739.26 library2739.57 is2740.06 doing,2740.14 they2740.45 have2740.61 the2740.78 books2740.93 there.2741.26 They2741.57 can2741.82 order2742.06 the2742.3 books,2742.45 and2743.02 they2743.18 also2743.34 have2743.57 it2743.82 in2743.89 a2744.06 virtual2744.93 method,2745.34 and2745.34 even,2745.49 like,2745.74 a2745.97 listening2746.06 audio,2746.7 for2747.66 our2747.82 kids.2748.06
2748.38 And2748.38 the2748.78 importance2749.02 of2749.66 that2749.82 it's2751.29 crucial,2751.45 so2751.45 when2751.45 our2751.69 kids2751.85 return2752.17 back2752.49 into2752.65 the2752.89 classroom2753.05 in2753.45 September,2753.61 they're2754.25 all2754.49 on2755.21 that2755.45 page.2755.61 They're2755.93 not2756.17 behind.2756.41 And2757.13 that2757.37 is2757.53 something2757.77 that2758.17 I2758.33 think2758.41 sometimes2759.13 goes2759.53 a2759.69 little2759.77 bit2759.93 unnoticed.2760.09 So2760.57 I2760.73 just2760.89 wanted2761.05 to2761.45 take2761.61 this2761.77 moment2762.01 and2762.33 thank2762.57 you2762.73 for2762.97 that2763.13 because2763.29 it2763.61 really2763.85 does2764.17 make2764.41 a2764.57 big2764.78 difference.2764.93 And2765.66 I've2765.82 never2765.97 seen2766.3 kids2767.02 so2767.34 excited2767.49 to2767.89 go2767.97 to2768.14 the2768.3 library2768.38 and2768.7 get2768.93 their2769.09 books,2769.66 right?2769.82 And2769.82 they2770.06 get2770.22 the2770.38 little2770.45 card,2770.78 and2771.34 they2771.49 know2771.66 they2771.82 can2771.97 print2772.14 their2772.3 papers2772.45 for2772.86 school2773.02 there.2773.34 They2773.74 share2773.97 that2774.14 information2774.38 with2774.78 their2774.93 friends.2775.41 My2775.82 kid2776.06 is2776.3 one2776.38 of2776.54 them.2776.79 She's2776.87 going2777.19 around2777.43 advocating.2777.91 So2778.71 now2778.87 our2779.03 library2779.27 is2779.67 full2779.75 of2779.91 kids2780.07 printing2780.63 their2780.95 papers2781.19 and2781.91 that's2782.07 what2782.31 we2782.47 want.2782.63 We2782.87 want2783.03 our2783.27 communities2783.43 to2783.99 see2784.23 our2784.39 libraries2784.55 as2785.11 a2785.43 community2785.51 center2785.99 for2786.95 multiple2787.19 resources.2788.07 And2788.23 you2788.23 guys2788.39 are2788.55 doing2788.71 a2788.95 great2789.03 job2789.27 with2789.51 that.2789.67 And2790.26 if2790.41 there's2790.57 anything2790.73 particular,2791.3 I2791.78 know2791.86 you2792.01 mentioned2792.26 few,2792.82 that2793.3 will2793.61 make2793.78 that2794.09 big2794.26 difference2794.49 in2794.89 continuing2795.05 to2795.69 explore2795.93 and2796.34 expand2796.49 these2796.82 programs,2797.05 please2797.53 let2797.86 us2798.09 know.2798.26 Thank2798.49 you2798.73 so2798.89 much.2799.05
2799.45 AMYOT2799.45 -2799.45 Thank2799.45 you.2799.69
2801.38 SPEAKER162801.38 -2801.38 Thank2801.38 you.2801.61 Senator2801.86 Comerford?2802.34
2804.24 COMERFORD2804.24 -2804.24 Thanks,2804.24 Madam2804.88 Chair.2805.52 My2805.52 mom2805.84 was2806.08 also2806.4 a2806.8 public2806.96 librarian.2807.36 Senator2812.24 Oliveira2812.48 saved2813.52 me2813.84 from2814.08 going2814.32 back.2815.2 I2815.92 just2816.08 wanted2816.32 to2816.56 just2817.79 add2818.03 a2818.83 word2818.99 of2819.22 thanks,2819.39 especially,2819.79 around2820.91 the2821.22 library2821.47 construction2821.86 help2823.22 that2823.47 you2823.7 provide2823.95 so2824.51 doggedly2824.99 and2825.7 in2825.95 such2826.11 a2826.34 steadfast,2826.59 I2828.11 think,2828.18 collegial2830.7 way2831.66 with2831.66 local2831.98 communities.2832.46 And,2833.1 I2834.14 want2834.46 to2834.7 go2834.78 back2834.94 to,2835.26 now2836.54 it's2836.7 a2836.82 couple2836.94 of2837.18 years2837.26 ago,2837.5 but2837.82 when2837.98 MBLC2838.22 really2838.94 stretched2839.26 in2839.66 a2839.82 post2839.9 pandemic2840.3 setting2840.86 to2841.9 allow2842.22 for2842.78 cost2843.55 overages2843.86 in2844.51 partnership2844.91 with2845.3 the2845.55 administration2845.63 and2846.18 the2846.43 legislature.2846.59 It2847.86 was2848.03 an2848.18 unprecedented2848.51 show2849.39 of2849.63 solidarity2849.86 for2850.51 local2850.66 communities2850.99 and2851.47 you2851.7 saved2851.86 132852.26 libraries.2852.74 I2854.26 believe2854.43 the2854.66 number2854.82 is2855.07 13.2855.22 And2856.11 I2856.82 just,2857.14 I2857.55 have2857.7 personal2857.95 experience2858.91 with2859.39 the2859.55 library2859.71 project2860.03 in2860.35 my2860.59 district2860.75 that2861.23 has2861.39 been2861.63 hard2861.87 to2862.59 do.2862.75 Hard.2863.55 And2864.27 you2864.51 have2864.67 been2864.83 there2865.07 with2865.47 this2865.71 town2866.03 every2866.51 step2866.83 of2867.07 the2867.23 way.2867.31 I2868.43 feel2868.59 like2868.75 you're2868.91 an2869.15 agency2869.31 that2869.71 wants2869.87 to2870.11 get2870.27 to2870.43 yes.2870.59 You2871.61 want2871.78 to2871.93 say2872.09 yes2872.41 because2872.82 these2873.78 are2874.01 radical2874.41 places,2874.89 these2875.3 libraries,2876.01 right?2876.34 Can2876.34 you2876.49 imagine2876.66 would2877.45 think2877.78 now2878.26 if2878.49 we2878.66 thought,2878.82 you2880.09 know,2880.26 oh,2880.57 let's2880.74 build2881.05 these2881.3 places2881.53 where2881.86 people2882.09 can2882.41 come2882.57 together2882.74 and2883.14 get2883.22 free2883.45 stuff2883.7 and2884.01 talk2884.18 about2884.34 democracy2884.57 and2885.05 new2885.22 ideas,2885.45 and2885.86 get2886.09 access2886.34 to2887.19 information2887.35 and2887.99 opportunity,2888.23 with2889.75 really2890.07 informed2890.39 people2890.95 to2891.35 guide2891.43 them.2891.67 It2892.07 would2892.23 be2892.39 a2892.55 radical2892.71 thought2893.19 right2893.67 now,2893.91 but2894.15 you2894.71 make2894.87 it2895.03 real2895.19 every2895.43 day.2895.67 So2896.39 I'm2896.47 very,2896.87 very2897.11 grateful.2897.35 Thank2897.91 you.2898.15
2902.11 SPEAKER12902.11 -2902.11 Representative2902.11 Hawkins?2902.76
2905.16 SPEAKER212905.16 -2905.16 Thank2905.16 you.2905.39 And2905.64 I2906.2 as2906.51 well,2906.68 my2906.91 mother2907.07 was2907.39 a2907.64 librarian.2907.88
2908.68 SPEAKER282908.68 -2908.68 We're2908.68 gonna2908.84
2909.07 SPEAKER12909.07 -2909.07 have2909.07 a2909.16 club2909.32 going.2909.72
2912.68 I2912.68 know.2912.76 But2914.11 thank2914.76 thank2915.01
2916.69 HAWKINS2916.69 -2916.69 I2916.69 mostly2917.97 wanna2918.53 thank2918.93 you.2919.65 In2920.45 Attleboro,2920.61 we've2921.09 certainly2921.33 had2921.65 issues2921.81 with2922.13 book2922.29 bans2922.53 and2922.77 appreciate2923.09 the2923.65 support2923.89 from2924.37 the2924.53 library2924.61 association2925.09 in2925.57 dealing2925.73 with2926.05 that.2926.21 And2927.17 just2927.57 a2927.97 reminder,2928.13 some2928.61 of2928.85 the,2929.65 in2929.82 Attleboro2929.97 our2930.86 public2931.18 library2931.18 also2931.18 is2931.41 like2931.49 a2931.73 bunch2931.82 of2932.05 social2932.14 workers.2932.45 They2932.78 handle2933.01 a2933.26 lot2933.34 of2933.49 people2933.57 that2933.89 have2933.89 issues2933.97 as2934.38 a2934.53 source2934.69 for2934.93 information.2935.09 But2935.89 going2936.05 forward2936.3 recently,2936.61 I2937.01 think2937.18 even2937.49 increasingly2938.3 value2939.01 is2939.41 to2939.57 find2939.73 reliable2939.97 news2940.53 that2940.78 can2940.93 be2941.09 trusted,2941.26 and2942.03 you2942.19 perform2942.35 that2942.67 service2942.91 as2943.23 well.2943.47 So2943.63 thank2943.79 you2943.95 for2944.19 all2944.91 you're2945.07 doing.2945.47 And2946.03 my2946.03 mother2946.19 would2946.51 be2946.67 very2946.75 proud2946.99 of2947.23 me2947.31 to2947.47 be2947.55 here2947.71 supporting2947.95 you2948.35 and2948.51 your2948.59 efforts.2948.75
2953.23 SPEAKER12953.23 -2953.23 Next,2953.23 I'd2953.63 like2953.87 to,2954.11 introduce2954.75 22955.47 house2955.71 members2955.95 that2956.43 just2956.75 came2956.99 in.2957.23 12957.93 is,2958.09 representative2959.2 Rita2959.93 Mendez2960.49 from2961.61 the2961.93 Brockton2962.09 area2962.57 and2963.84 also2964.09 Steven2964.64 Owens2965.29 from2965.93 the2966.24 Watertown2966.41 area.2966.97 And,2967.45 rep2967.84 Owens,2968.09 I2968.41 know2968.49 you2968.64 have2968.72 a2968.85 quest2968.97 a2969.36 question2969.53 or2969.84 a2970.01 comment.2970.09
2974.72 REP2974.72 MENDEZ2974.72 -2974.72 Thank2974.72 you,2974.88 Madam2975.28 Chair,2975.44 and2975.44 I2975.52 do2975.76 apologize2975.84 for2976.32 being2976.48 a2976.6 few2976.72 minutes2976.88 late.2977.2 I2977.52 was2977.6 listening2977.92 on2978.24 the2978.4 way2978.48 in.2979.52 And2979.92 as2979.92 a2980.16 representative2980.24 from2981.12 Watertown,2981.36 I2981.76 just2981.92 wanted2982.16 to2982.48 say2982.72 thank2982.96 you2983.12 for2984 uplifting2984.24 the2984.72 Perkins2984.88 Talking2985.2 Book2985.6 Library2987.15 in2987.55 your2987.71 line2987.95 items2988.19 every2988.51 year2989.07 and2989.23 every2989.39 year.2989.64 It2990.03 is2990.03 a2990.19 phenomenal2990.36 operation2991.71 they2992.11 have2992.36 going2992.59 there.2992.84 I'd2993.32 like2993.47 to2993.64 invite2993.71 any2994.03 members2994.19 of2994.43 the2994.59 committee2994.67 who2994.99 would2995.07 love2995.32 to2995.55 see2996.67 what2997.07 they've2997.23 got2997.55 going2999.09 on2999.41 their2999.57 premises.3002.61 Serves,3003.01 just,3003.01 a3003.01 huge3003.17 number3003.49 of3003.81 people.3003.89 And3005.01 I'd3005.25 really3005.49 in3005.81 the3006.05 interest3006.13 of3006.37 time,3006.53 just3006.69 wanna3006.85 say3007.09 thank3007.25 you3007.89 for3008.05 uplifting3008.29 them3008.85 every3009.01 year.3009.25
3012.03 SPEAKER13012.03 -3012.03 You.3012.03 Is3012.59 there3012.74 any3013.22 other3013.55 member3013.86 of3014.18 the3014.34 committee3014.51 that3014.91 wants3015.14 to3015.55 representative3016.26 Holmes?3016.91
3022.91 REP3022.91 OWENS3022.91 -3022.91 Good3022.91 day.3023.07 My3023.78 question3023.95 is3024.34 about3024.59 what3026.34 Rep3026.58 Tyler3026.82 was3027.06 talking3027.3 about,3027.54 how3027.78 we3027.94 serve3028.34 so3028.66 many3028.82 people.3029.06 Is3029.7 Boston3030.1 still3030.58 considered3030.82 the3031.38 library3032.02 of3032.42 last3032.58 resort?3032.82 I3033.46 know3033.62 you've3033.94 said3034.18 we3034.18 are3034.42 getting3035.06 this3035.3 across3035.46 the3035.86 state,3036.02 but3036.34 are3036.74 we3036.9 still3037.14 the3037.46 library3037.78 for3038.26 everyone3038.42 in3038.82 the3038.98 state?3039.06
3039.71 AMYOT3039.71 -3039.71 Yes.3039.71 Except3040.43 we3041.16 gave3041.39 it3041.55 a3041.88 nicer3042.11 name.3042.51 We3042.76 call3042.99 it3043.16 now3043.39 the3043.71 library3043.88 for3044.43 the3044.76 Commonwealth.3044.91
3045.88 OWENS3045.88 -3045.88 Oh,3045.88 okay.3046.03 Alright.3047.07 So3047.39 library3047.71 for3048.11 the3048.28 Commonwealth.3048.43 So,3048.91 we3049.8 are3049.95 that.3050.11 And3050.28 so3050.43 I'm3050.59 just3050.84 just3051.07 figuring3051.47 out3051.95 on3052.59 the3052.75 line3052.99 items,3053.55 is3053.71 there3053.71 a3054.27 special3054.43 amount3054.83 that3055.15 Boston3055.31 gets3055.71 for3055.87 having3056.03 that3056.27 responsibility,3056.51 and3057.15 which3057.63 line3057.87 item3058.11 is3058.35 that?3058.59
3059.23 AMYOT3059.23 -3059.23 That3059.23 is3059.63 in3060.03 state3060.43 aid3060.91 to3061.15 regional3061.39 libraries.3061.95 And,3063.39 yes,3065.78 line3066.17 7000-9401.3068.97
3072.34 OWENS3072.34 -3072.34 And3072.34 do3072.66 you3072.73 know3072.82 what3073.53 that3073.78 amount3074.01 we3074.34 get3074.49 for3074.66 having3074.97 that3075.21 responsibility3075.45 is?3076.09
3078.87 UNIDENTIFIED3078.87 SPEAKER3078.87 -3078.87 MBLC3078.87 -3078.87 Library3078.87 system.3079.43 Sorry.3079.91 That3080.39 line3080.55 is3080.79 split3080.87 between3081.19 the3081.35 Massachusetts3081.51 library3082.07 system3082.47 and3082.79 the3082.95 library3083.11 for3083.43 the3083.59 Commonwealth.3083.75 They've3084.79 come3085.03 to3085.19 an3085.27 agreement3085.43 that3085.83 the3085.91 Massachusetts3086.07 library3086.71 system3087.03 gets3087.43 75%3087.67 of3088.47 that3088.63 line3088.79 yearly,3089.03 and3089.43 the3089.59 library3089.75 for3090.07 the3090.23 Commonwealth3090.39 gets3090.87 25%.3091.11
3092.38 OWENS3092.38 -3092.38 So3092.38 25%3092.53 of?3095.34
3095.73 UNIDENTIFIED3095.73 SPEAKER3095.73 -3095.73 7000-94013095.73 line.3095.73
3097.26 OWENS3097.26 -3097.26 Thank3097.26 you.3097.57 And3098.93 is3099.17 that3099.34 something3099.49 you're3099.73 asking3099.89 for3100.14 an3100.3 increase3100.45 in?3100.86 Wanna3101.26 make3101.57 sure3101.73 I'm3101.97 asking.3102.14
3102.93 UNIDENTIFIED3102.93 SPEAKER3102.93 -3102.93 That's3102.93 one3103.17 of3103.41 our3103.49 lines3103.66 that3103.89 we're3104.05 asking3104.21 for3104.53 cost3104.86 of3105.09 living3105.26 increase3105.73 in.3105.73
3105.73 OWENS3105.73 -3105.73 Alright.3105.73 Thank3106.05 you.3106.3
3114.21 FERRANTE3114.21 -3114.21 Thank3114.21 you.3114.53 And3114.77 and3115.01 with3115.17 that,3115.33 it3115.57 concludes,3115.73 the3116.45 quest3116.69 the,3117.25 the3118.77 questioning3118.85 for,3119.65 this3120.89 panel.3121.05 I3121.77 wanna3121.93 thank3122.24 you3122.49 again.3122.8 Clearly,3123.28 through3124.32 the3124.49 questions3124.64 and3125.05 through3125.28 your3125.53 testimony,3125.77 we3126.32 know3126.49 how3126.72 important3126.89 the3127.84 library3128.57 system3129.28 is.3129.68 I'm3130.16 beginning3130.41 to3130.8 think3130.97 that3131.2 with3131.36 the3131.53 number3131.68 of3131.93 people3132.09 who3132.41 had3132.64 moms3132.8 as3133.2 librarians,3133.36 we3133.93 might3134.16 wanna3134.24 start3134.48 a3134.64 new3134.88 caucus3135.12 of3136 libraries.3136.08 Mother3138.72 in3139.04 laws3139.2 count.3139.44 I3139.76 mean,3139.92 I3140.24 just3140.32 you3140.56 know,3140.64 sisters,3140.96 brothers,3141.52 anybody3142.08 in3142.56 the3142.64 immediate3142.72 family.3143.2 And3144.56 I'd3144.8 like3144.96 to3145.12 echo3145.28 what3145.52 Steve3145.84 Owens3146.16 said.3146.4 My3146.64 mom3146.8 was3147.04 a3147.2 librarian3147.28 until3147.76 she3148.08 was3148.24 57.3148.4 When3148.96 she3149.2 was3149.28 57,3149.44 she3149.92 lost3150.18 her3150.26 sight,3150.59 which3151.47 would3151.78 be3151.86 the3152.03 hardest3152.26 thing3152.74 for3153.78 a3154.18 librarian.3154.43 But3155.95 she3156.26 has3156.43 come3156.66 to3156.91 know3159.78 the3160.59 Talking3160.59 Book3160.59 and3160.59 the3160.59 Perkins3160.74 Library,3161.14 very3162.18 well.3162.51 And3163.02 so3163.18 I3163.34 thank3163.42 you,3163.82 as3164.06 Steven3164.3 said,3164.7 for3164.94 lifting3165.26 them3165.66 up.3165.82 And,3167.1 also,3167.34 I3167.98 would3168.06 add,3168.3 I3168.78 don't3168.94 know3169.32 if3169.7 our3170.46 assistant3170.94 fisheries3171.58 and3171.98 wildlife3172.22 director,3173.98 Sofathir3174.94 is3176.45 still3176.61 here,3177.41 but3177.64 we3177.64 often3177.81 say3178.13 affectionately3178.36 of3179.16 the3179.41 library3179.49 that3179.97 we3180.2 grew3180.36 up3180.53 in3180.68 Downtown3180.84 Gloucester3181.33 in3181.81 immigrant3181.89 families.3182.36
3183.49 And3183.49 during3183.97 the3184.29 school3184.45 year,3184.68 when3185.57 other3185.89 students3186.13 had3186.61 the3186.77 opportunity3186.93 to3187.57 go3187.64 on3187.81 family3187.97 vacations,3188.36 we3189.64 didn't.3189.81 But3190.59 the3190.83 library3190.99 had3191.47 this3191.63 great3191.87 programming3192.19 where3193.15 we3193.39 were3193.63 able3193.79 to3194.03 go.3194.19 We3194.51 were3194.67 able3194.83 to3195.07 talk3195.15 about3195.47 different3195.79 places3196.19 that3196.67 one3196.91 might3197.15 visit.3197.39 And3198.11 through3198.35 our3198.51 imaginations3198.75 and3199.55 through3199.79 the3200.03 generosity3200.19 of3201.23 the3201.39 children's3201.55 library,3202.03 we3202.99 would3203.07 act3203.39 out3203.63 what3203.87 our3204.03 vacations3204.19 would3204.75 be3204.99 like.3205.15 And3205.31 so3205.47 we3205.71 never3205.87 felt3206.19 as3206.35 though3206.57 we3206.72 missed3206.89 a3207.05 vacation.3207.2 It3208.24 was3208.41 always,3208.64 oh,3209.13 Friday's3209.53 here,3210.01 and3210.32 Monday's3210.48 gonna3210.89 be3211.13 at3211.28 the3211.44 Sawyer3211.61 Free3211.93 Library,3212.96 and3213.84 off3213.84 we3214.09 were3214.24 gonna3214.41 go.3214.72 So,3215.05 again,3215.53 thank3215.93 you3216.09 not3216.41 only3216.57 for3216.96 providing3217.28 the3217.76 book,3217.93 the3218.16 researches,3218.41 the3219.05 data,3219.13 and3219.87 the3220.19 services,3220.35 but3221.15 also3221.39 that3221.63 community3221.95 support3222.59 for3223.71 those3224.11 who3224.43 may3224.67 be3224.91 without3225.07 and3225.71 may3225.87 be3226.11 in3226.19 need.3226.43 Thank3227.07 you.3227.31
3228.11 AMYOT3228.11 -3228.11 Thank3228.11 you.3228.43
3240.46 K.3240.46 Next3240.7 up,3240.94 we're3241.11 gonna3241.34 have3241.59 the3241.82 cannabis3242.07 control3242.7 commission.3243.18 And3244.7 then3244.86 after3245.18 the3245.59 cannabis3245.74 control3246.39 commission,3246.94 I3247.42 believe3247.59 that,3248.9 we'll3249.14 be3249.3 breaking3249.46 for,3250.18 lunch.3251.14 So3252.1 if3252.58 we3252.74 could3252.9 have3252.98 the3253.14 cannabis3253.38 control3253.7 commission3254.1 come3254.42 up.3254.66
3282.3 FERRANTE3282.3 -3282.3 Before3282.3 we3282.78 start,3283.02 Sofathir,3284.94 if3285.66 you3285.82 could3285.9 just3286.06 stand3286.3 up3286.54 and3286.78 wave3287.02 to3287.34 I3288.06 I3288.18 wanted3288.3 to3288.62 introduce3288.7 you.3289.02 I3289.1 didn't3289.18 see3289.42 you3289.58 hiding3289.74 back3290.06 there,3290.22 but3290.54 I3290.86 wanna3291.02 thank3291.34 our3291.74 assistant3292.55 director3292.88 of3293.36 Fish3293.52 and3293.76 Wildlife3293.91 for3294.47 coming3295.2 and3295.52 sitting3295.59 in3295.84 on3295.99 our3296.24 hearing3296.39 today.3296.64 There's3296.95 a3297.2 story3297.36 in3303.11 today's3303.28 Globe,3303.76 unfortunately,3304.07 to3304.8 the3304.95 members3305.11 that3305.52 are3305.59 on3305.76 this3305.91 commission3306.16 saying3307.01 that3307.25 because3307.41 of3307.73 cuts3307.97 to3308.29 the3308.45 NOAA,3309.17 the3310.21 National,3310.53 Oceanic3311.57 and3312.21 Atmospheric3312.45 Administration,3313.09 our3314.05 fishermen3314.29 do3314.85 not3314.93 know3315.17 if3315.65 and3316.05 when3316.21 they3316.77 will3317.01 be3317.17 able3317.33 to3317.49 open3317.65 the3317.89 fishing3318.05 year3318.45 for3319.33 them3319.49 today.3319.73 So,3320.78 when3321.26 Secretary3321.66 Howe3322.95 comes3323.26 later3323.51 today,3323.74 of3323.99 economic3324.14 development,3324.55 you'll3325.34 be3325.59 hearing3325.74 me3326.07 asking3326.3 her3326.7 some3326.95 questions3327.18 about3328.07 advocacy3328.47 for3329.03 our3329.26 fishermen3329.43 with3330.86 the3331.11 administration3331.26 so3332.14 that3332.3 we3332.55 can3332.7 ensure3332.95 that3333.82 fishing3334.22 families3334.63 are3335.11 able3335.26 to3335.66 have3337.69 a3338.01 living,3338.49 an3338.89 earned3339.05 living,3339.37 this3340.97 year.3341.29 So3341.77 with3342.41 that,3342.65 I'm3342.81 gonna3342.97 stop3343.29 there,3343.61 but3344.17 I3344.65 am3344.89 going3345.05 to3345.45 turn3346.09 it3346.33 over3346.49 to3346.73 the3346.89 cannabis3347.29 control3347.77 commission.3348.17
3350.36 BRUCE3350.36 STEBBINS3350.36 -3350.36 CCC3350.36 -3350.36 Good3350.36 morning.3350.61 Thank3352.29 you,3352.53 chair,3352.77 Representative3353.41 Ferrante,3353.97 Senator3355.16 Comerford,3355.64 Representative3356.45 Diggs,3357.16 Senator3357.72 Oliveira,3358.2 and3360.2 members3360.45 of3360.85 the3360.93 committee.3361.09 Thank3362.03 you3362.19 for3362.35 the3362.43 opportunity3362.67 to3363.63 testify3364.03 regarding3365.07 the3365.39 Cannabis3366.75 Control3367.71 Commission's3367.71 budget3367.71 request3368.11 for3368.51 FY3369.71 2026.3371.07 We3371.07 are3371.23 grateful3371.39 for3371.87 the3372.03 legislature's3372.19 continued3373.23 partnership3373.87 in3374.68 ensuring3374.84 that3375.32 the3375.55 Commonwealth's3375.72 adult3376.43 and3377.23 medical3377.47 use3377.8 cannabis3378.2 industries3378.84 are3379.55 safe,3379.8 equitable,3380.51 and3381.16 well3381.39 regulated.3381.72 I'm3382.99 Bruce3383.32 Stebbins.3383.64 I'm3384.2 the3384.43 acting3384.68 chair3385.07 of3385.39 the3385.55 Cannabis3385.64 Control3386.28 Commission.3386.68 For3387.77 those3387.93 who3388.49 don't3388.65 know3388.89 me,3389.13 I3389.93 was3390.09 appointed3390.33 as3390.81 a3391.05 commissioner3391.13 in3391.61 20213391.85 and3393.13 as3393.37 acting3393.61 chair3394.01 in3394.33 2024.3394.57 Before3396.17 that,3396.65 I3396.97 served3397.21 as3397.69 an3398.01 inaugural3398.25 commissioner3398.89 of3399.37 the3399.45 Massachusetts3399.61 Gaming3400.25 Commission,3400.73 where3401.74 I3401.82 drafted3402.05 regulations,3402.53 helped3403.66 operationalize3403.97 the3405.18 agency,3405.34 and3406.38 awarded3406.61 Massachusetts3407.09 three3408.14 casino3408.53 licenses.3409.09 I've3410.38 also3410.61 served3410.93 in3411.34 economic3411.57 development3412.14 positions3412.7 for3413.26 both3413.49 the3413.74 city3413.82 of3414.14 Springfield3414.22 and3415.18 the3415.41 Massachusetts3415.57 Office3416.6 of3417.16 Business3417.72 Development.3419.4
3419.4 Joining3419.4 me3419.72 today3419.96 is3420.52 commissioner3421 Kimberly3421.56 Roy,3422.04 who3422.6 serves3422.76 as3423.16 the3423.4 commission3423.64 treasurer,3424.04 our3425.16 executive3425.48 director,3426.28 Travis3426.84 Ahern,3427.32 who3427.88 we3428.36 had3428.52 the3428.76 pleasure3428.84 of3429.24 onboarding3429.48 just3430.04 last3430.36 week,3430.6 and3432.01 our3432.17 chief3432.41 financial3432.73 and3433.3 accounting3433.53 officer,3434.01 Lisa3434.66 Schlegel.3435.05 Together,3436.41 we3436.89 aim3437.05 to3437.3 provide3437.45 a3437.78 comprehensive3438.01 overview3438.82 of3439.3 the3439.38 commission's3439.53 financial3440.17 requirements,3440.82 our3441.93 recent3442.17 achievements,3442.66 and3443.85 the3444.09 substantial3444.25 economic3445.29 impact3445.77 of3446.17 the3446.25 cannabis3446.49 industry3447.05 on3447.53 the3447.69 Commonwealth.3447.93 For3449.61 fiscal3449.93 year3450.33 2026,3450.65 the3451.77 commission3451.93 is3452.41 respectfully3452.81 requesting3453.53 $30.083454.65 million,3457.61 which3457.61 includes3457.86 26.123458.49 million3460.41 for3460.41 operational3460.66 maintenance3461.22 and3462.18 3.963462.41 million3464.02 for3464.02 critical3464.34 expansionary3464.97 initiatives,3465.78 including3466.97 the3468.02 development3468.18 of3468.66 a3468.82 state3468.97 run3469.38 standards3469.78 lab,3470.34 expansion3471.33 of3471.81 our3472.05 social3472.29 equity3472.61 program,3473.09 investment3474.21 in3474.85 IT3475.09 infrastructure,3475.57 and3476.85 increased3477.17 staffing3477.57 levels.3477.97
3479.65 The3479.65 vast3479.81 bulk3480.13 of3480.45 our3480.61 request3480.93 is3481.49 not3481.65 expansionary.3482.05 It3483.09 is3483.25 necessary3483.49 funding3484.21 needed3484.77 to3485.09 maintain3485.25 our3486.2 regulatory3487.24 oversight,3487.95 ensure3489.07 patient3489.64 and3490.2 consumer3490.43 safety,3490.99 and3492.36 support3492.59 the3492.99 continued3493.24 growth3493.72 of3494.04 an3494.2 industry3494.36 that3494.84 has3495.07 already3495.32 contributed3495.72 over3496.68 $83496.91 billion3498.04 in3498.04 total3498.28 business3498.68 to3499.16 consumer3499.39 sales3500.04 to3500.43 the3500.59 Commonwealth's3500.76 economy.3501.47 Despite3503.21 the3504.01 industry's3504.25 growth,3504.81 the3505.61 commission's3505.77 funding3506.33 has3506.81 not3506.97 kept3507.29 pace.3507.61 Since3508.57 FY3509.85 2023,3510.89 the3510.89 number3511.05 of3511.37 operational3511.61 licenses3512.33 has3513.45 increased3513.77 by3514.25 25%,3514.49 while3516.31 our3516.47 funding3516.7 has3517.11 only3517.35 increased3517.59 by3518.07 3%.3518.31 Though3519.99 we3520.22 prioritize3520.47 our3521.59 mission3521.74 critical3522.22 functions3522.79 to3523.83 protect3524.07 public3524.47 health3524.86 and3525.03 safety,3525.27 without3526.39 additional3526.86 resources,3527.43 delays3528.63 in3528.95 compliance3529.18 inspections,3529.83 licensing3530.7 approvals,3531.43 and3532.38 equity3532.62 program3533.1 implementation3533.82 will3534.62 grow,3534.86 threatening3535.58 public3536.14 health3536.54 safety3536.86 and3537.66 industry3537.9 stability.3538.54
3540.78 We3540.78 understand3541.1 difficult3541.74 choices3542.22 must3542.94 be3543.18 made3543.26 and3543.58 we3543.74 respect3544.06 fiscal3544.62 constraints3545.34 that3546.14 impact3546.38 all3546.86 agencies3547.18 and3547.97 initiatives.3548.22 However,3549.57 investing3550.14 in3550.54 the3550.7 cannabis3550.86 industry3551.41 should3551.89 not3552.14 just3552.38 be3552.61 viewed3552.78 as3553.18 a3553.34 cost,3553.49 but3554.38 as3554.54 a3554.78 strategic3555.02 investment,3555.66 one3557.02 that3557.26 is3557.41 proven3557.57 revenue3558.05 generator3558.54 that3559.02 yields3559.26 tenfold3559.74 returns3560.68 for3561 state3561.16 and3561.48 local3561.64 communities.3562.04 For3563.4 every3563.72 dollar3563.96 allocated3564.52 to3564.92 regulatory3565.16 oversight3565.96 and3566.52 industry3566.76 expansion,3567.4 Massachusetts3568.52 reaps3569.4 $183570.04 in3571.24 revenue3571.48 returned3571.96 to3572.36 the3572.44 Commonwealth3572.6 as3573.56 well3573.8 as3574.04 job3574.28 creation.3574.6 In3577.43 FY3578.55 20243579.11 alone,3579.11 the3579.66 industry3579.91 generated3580.63 2723581.11 million3582.95 in3582.95 tax3583.18 revenue,3583.51 exceeding3584.39 the3584.95 tax3585.11 revenue3585.43 provided3585.99 by3586.39 the3586.55 alcohol3586.7 industry.3587.27 These3588.84 taxes3589.08 have3589.72 supported3590.04 programs3590.52 at3591.08 our3591.24 sister3591.48 agencies,3591.88 including3593.08 the3593.56 Bureau3593.72 of3594.04 Substance3594.28 Abuse3594.84 Services,3595.16 the3596.12 Executive3596.36 Office3596.92 of3597.32 Economic3597.48 Development,3598.04 the3598.92 Department3599.16 of3599.56 Higher3599.72 Education,3600.04 Executive3601.45 Office3601.86 of3602.26 Public3602.41 Safety3602.89 and3603.22 Security,3603.45 the3604.41 Department3604.58 of3604.97 Public3605.14 Health,3605.45 and3606.02 the3606.26 Department3606.41 of3606.74 Agricultural3606.97 Resources.3607.78
3609.3 The3609.3 marijuana3609.45 regulation3610.34 fund3610.97 has3611.3 been3611.54 pivotal3611.78 in3612.34 funding3612.58 those3612.97 state3613.22 initiatives3613.54 at3614.18 these3614.34 agencies,3614.66 including3615.82 public3616.14 health3616.62 programs,3616.86 infrastructure3617.58 development,3618.3 recidivism3619.18 programs,3620.06 and3620.94 the3621.18 cannabis3621.42 social3621.9 equity3622.3 trust3622.78 fund.3623.1 The3624.22 equity3624.46 trust3624.94 fund,3625.26 which3625.58 is3625.82 managed3626.14 by3626.54 our3626.7 colleagues3626.94 at3627.34 the3627.5 Executive3629.26 Office3630.14 Economic3630.14 Development3630.14 and3630.14 financed3630.3 by3630.86 cannabis3631.1 taxes,3631.64 has3632.59 distributed3632.91 over3633.64 $263633.95 million3635.24 in3635.24 grants3635.39 to3636.28 historically3636.59 disadvantaged3637.55 businesses,3638.36 providing3639.47 crucial3639.95 capital3640.59 in3640.91 this3641.16 industry3641.39 to3642.43 ensure3642.68 equitable3643.39 industry3644.03 participation3644.68 and3645.99 fostering3646.23 economic3646.87 opportunities.3647.51 The3649.91 local3650.07 option3650.55 tax3650.87 on3651.27 cannabis3651.51 sales3652.07 has3652.55 provided3652.87 municipalities3653.35 with3654.71 more3654.95 than3655.11 185.43656.79 million3657.03 in3657.91 revenue3658.07 since3658.63 2018.3658.95 That3660.44 allows3660.68 cities3661.09 and3661.48 towns3661.64 to3662.13 invest3662.28 in3662.61 community3662.84 reinvestment3663.57 initiatives,3664.28 public3665.32 safety3665.8 improvements,3666.28 and3667.41 youth3667.72 programs.3667.96 However,3669.57 it3669.96 is3670.13 more3670.36 than3670.61 just3670.76 tax3671.09 dollars.3671.41
3672.44 The3672.44 cannabis3672.52 industry3673.16 directly3673.72 supports3674.28 more3674.76 than3674.92 17,0003675.24 employees3676.52 and3677.4 over3677.64 1,0003678.04 licensees,3678.84 while3679.72 stimulating3680.04 many3680.76 ancillary3681.16 industries3681.88 such3683 as3683.24 construction,3683.48 security,3684.86 marketing,3685.97 professional3686.86 services,3687.57 and3688.45 waste3688.7 management.3689.01 The3690.86 cannabis3691.18 industry3691.66 also3692.3 continues3692.7 to3693.34 expand,3693.57 driving3694.53 economic3695.01 benefits3695.57 for3696.05 the3696.22 Commonwealth.3696.38 Since3697.81 the3698.13 launch3698.21 of3698.61 adult3698.85 use3699.25 sales,3699.57 cost3700.17 per3701.41 gram3701.65 of3701.89 flower3702.13 has3703.09 steadily3703.33 declined,3703.89 making3704.69 legal3705.01 cannabis3705.41 more3705.97 affordable3706.21 for3706.85 consumers.3707.09 In3708.45 November3708.69 2018,3709.38 the3710.13 average3710.29 price3710.77 per3711.09 gram3711.25 was3711.57 approximately3711.81 $14.35.3712.69 By3715.32 2023,3715.64 it3716.68 had3716.84 dropped3717.09 to3717.41 $7.11.3717.57 And3719.72 today,3719.96 the3720.36 average3720.53 retail3720.93 price3721.41 is3721.89 $4.413722.13 per3723.96 gram.3724.13 This3725.42 nearly3725.66 70%3726.22 decrease,3727.18 alongside3727.82 rising3728.7 monthly3729.1 revenues3729.66 indicates3730.7 a3731.34 growing3731.5 number3731.9 of3732.46 products3732.54 moving3733.58 through3733.98 the3734.14 regulated3734.3 marketplace.3735.02 This3736.46 price3736.62 stabilization3737.02 is3737.98 normal3738.14 and3739.09 reflects3739.32 a3739.72 competitive3740.05 and3740.68 maturing3740.92 marketplace.3741.4
3743.32 Despite3743.32 the3743.72 numerous3743.8 benefits,3744.44 revenue,3745.16 and3745.48 economic3745.72 impact3746.2 the3746.61 cannabis3746.76 industry3747.32 has3747.88 in3748.61 Massachusetts,3748.84 critical3750.05 advancements3750.61 have3751.24 been3751.4 delayed3751.57 because3752.05 of3752.53 budgets.3752.76 In3753.95 FY3754.27 2025,3754.67 the3755.79 legislature3756.11 allocated3756.99 the3757.55 commission3757.71 19.83758.43 million3760.11 which3760.11 was3760.35 just3760.59 76%3760.91 of3762.11 the3762.27 25.93762.43 million3763.95 requested3763.95 despite3765.15 significant3765.71 new3766.35 regulatory3766.51 and3767.39 operational3767.55 mandates3768.27 required3776.97 under3776.97 Chapter3776.97 1803776.97 of3776.97 the3776.97 Acts3776.97 of3776.97 2022.3776.97 This3776.97 ongoing3776.97 underinvestment3776.97 has3776.97 led3776.97 to3776.97 operational3776.97 shortfalls,3776.97 including3777.78 delays3778.34 in3778.82 compliance3779.06 inspections,3779.78 public3780.89 education3781.38 campaigns,3782.09 equity3783.42 programs,3783.82 and3784.62 critical3784.86 upgrades3785.42 in3785.98 product3786.22 testing.3786.86 This3787.74 jeopardizes3788.06 consumer3788.94 safety,3789.5 public3790.06 trust,3790.46 and3790.78 integrity3791.02 of3791.66 the3791.74 regulated3791.9 market.3792.54 During3793.9 a3794.22 Joint3794.7 Committee3795.1 on3795.1 Cannabis3795.82 Policy3796.3 hearing3796.3 in3796.62 the3796.78 fall3796.86 of3797.18 2024,3797.66 multiple3799.07 stakeholders3799.39 expressed3800.91 the3801.39 urgent3801.46 need3801.86 for3802.11 the3802.26 commission3802.34 to3802.91 receive3803.14 its3803.63 full3803.78 budget3804.03 to3804.43 address3804.59 market3804.98 challenges,3805.46 such3806.51 as3806.74 testing3807.07 inconsistencies3807.7 and3808.91 regulatory3809.14 compliance3810.03 issues.3810.66 Focused3812.59 on3813.15 continuing3813.47 the3814.03 industry's3814.27 success3814.99 is3815.39 our3815.55 commission's3815.79 new3816.35 executive3816.59 director.3817.23 Travis3818.03 started3818.75 his3819.23 role3819.39 Monday,3821.07 actually,3821.71 and3822.51 today3822.75 is3823.15 prepared3823.31 to3823.63 share3823.87 with3824.11 you3824.27 where3824.51 the3824.75 commission3824.91 hopes3825.39 to3825.79 evolve3826.11 and3826.51 grow3826.75 in3827.26 FY3827.34 2026.3827.97
3832.54 TRAVIS3832.54 AHERN3832.54 -3832.54 CCC3832.54 -3832.54 Thank3832.54 you,3832.78 acting3833.02 chair.3833.34 Good3833.66 afternoon,3833.89 Representative3834.38 Ferrante,3834.86 Senator3836.86 Comerford,3837.34 Representative3837.34 Diggs,3837.34 Senator3838.14 Oliveira,3838.7 and3838.7 members3838.86 of3839.09 the3839.26 committee.3839.34 It's3840.45 an3840.61 honor3840.69 to3840.93 address3841.17 you3841.41 today3841.57 as3841.81 a3841.97 new3842.05 executive3842.29 director3842.77 of3843.09 the3843.17 Cannabis3844.29 Control3844.93 Commission.3844.93 My3844.93 background3845.09 in3845.57 municipal3845.73 administration,3846.21 fiscal3847.25 oversight,3847.65 and3848.53 regulatory3848.69 policy3849.33 has3849.65 prepared3849.81 me3850.13 well3850.29 for3850.45 this3850.69 role.3851.17 And3851.33 I'm3851.33 eager3851.49 to3851.81 bring3851.97 my3852.29 experience3852.45 to3852.85 bear3853.01 in3853.25 advancing3853.41 the3853.81 commission's3853.97 work.3854.45 Before3855.66 stepping3856.07 into3856.22 this3856.55 role,3856.7 I3856.86 served3857.03 as3857.26 the3857.34 town3857.43 administrator3857.74 for3858.14 the3858.22 town3858.3 of3858.55 Holliston,3858.63 where3859.34 I3859.51 managed3859.66 financial3859.98 operations,3860.46 budget3861.18 allocations,3861.59 and3862.3 policy3862.46 implementation3862.86 at3863.43 the3863.51 municipal3863.59 level.3864.07 In3865.59 that3865.74 role,3865.91 I3866.22 worked3866.3 closely3866.55 with3866.95 state3867.11 and3867.26 local3867.43 officials3867.66 to3868.07 ensure3868.22 that3868.55 public3868.7 resources3869.03 were3869.59 managed3869.82 effectively3870.81 and3871.45 transparently,3871.69 while3872.73 also3872.97 fostering3873.37 economic3873.85 growth3874.33 and3874.65 community3874.89 development,3875.29 including3876.97 the3877.37 contributions3877.61 of3878.33 licensed3878.57 cannabis3879.05 businesses3879.53 operating3880.09 in3880.49 our3880.57 town.3880.73 I3881.61 understand3881.77 firsthand3882.25 how3882.65 crucial3882.81 it3883.13 is3883.21 for3883.45 state3883.61 agencies3883.77 to3884.25 collaborate3884.33 with3884.81 stakeholders3884.97 to3891.04 achieve3891.04 common3891.04 goals3891.04 and3891.04 I3891.04 intend3891.04 to3891.04 continue3891.04 that3891.04 approach3891.04 at3891.04 the3891.04 commission.3891.04
3891.04 I3891.04 recognize3891.04 cannabis3891.04 industry3891.43 in3891.84 Massachusetts3891.91 is3892.64 at3892.72 a3892.88 pivotal3892.95 moment.3893.43 The3894.88 market3895.68 continues3895.99 to3896.47 expand,3896.64 and3897.04 we3897.2 are3897.36 seeing3897.52 increased3897.76 activity3898.24 from3898.64 other3898.88 states3899.11 establishing3899.52 their3900.07 own3900.24 cannabis3900.47 industries.3900.8 As3902.14 executive3902.3 director,3902.78 my3903.18 focus3903.42 is3903.9 on3904.06 ensuring3904.22 the3904.62 success3904.78 of3905.18 the3905.34 agency3905.42 staff3905.9 and3906.22 our3906.38 critical3906.54 daily3906.94 operations.3907.34 However,3908.7 without3909.1 full3909.42 funding3909.5 in3909.82 FY3910.54 2026,3911.02 the3911.02 commission's3911.18 ability3911.82 to3912.22 effectively3912.38 regulate3912.86 the3913.26 industry3913.42 will3913.82 be3913.98 jeopardized.3914.14 Though3915.61 the3915.68 commission3915.92 has3916.24 historically3916.57 categorized3917.05 much3917.44 of3917.61 its3917.76 funding3917.92 request3918.32 as3918.72 expansionary,3918.96 the3919.92 reality3920.16 is3920.48 that3920.64 these3920.89 funds3921.05 are3921.28 necessary3921.44 to3922.01 implement3922.16 legislative3922.57 requirements3923.36 and3923.92 maintain3924.09 the3924.48 safety3924.64 of3924.96 the3925.05 industry.3925.2 The3926.48 commission's3926.64 FY3927.13 20263927.68 request3928.16 includes3928.48 the3928.89 restoration3929.05 of3929.53 $4.83929.68 million3931.11 in3931.11 deferred3931.35 costs3931.59 from3931.99 previous3932.15 fiscal3932.55 years.3932.87 These3933.75 deferred3933.99 costs3934.47 include3934.95 critical3935.35 IT3935.83 investments,3936.31 such3937.35 as3937.59 our3937.75 patient3938.07 portal3938.47 and3938.87 licensing3939.03 system3939.59 upgrades3940.07 that3940.95 affect3941.11 the3941.43 entire3941.59 industry,3941.99 as3942.79 well3942.95 as3943.19 unfunded3943.35 staff3943.83 positions,3944.07 public3945.03 education3945.34 campaigns,3945.82 and3946.22 social3946.39 equity3946.7 program3947.11 training3947.51 and3947.91 technical3948.07 assistance3948.47 programs.3948.95
3951.34 With3951.34 this3951.59 budget3951.74 allocation,3952.14 the3952.55 commission3952.7 will3953.03 be3953.18 able3953.34 to3953.51 enhance3953.99 regulatory3954.39 oversight,3955.03 public3955.59 safety,3955.91 and3956.3 industry3956.47 development3956.86 through3957.34 modernizing3957.51 its3958.22 licensing3958.39 system3959.03 and3959.59 improving3959.95 the3960.27 state's3960.43 medical3960.91 marijuana3961.31 platform3961.79 that3962.27 was3962.43 inherited3962.75 from3963.23 the3963.39 Department3963.71 of3964.03 Public3964.11 Health.3964.35 These3965.47 upgrades3965.71 will3966.11 make3966.27 processes3966.51 more3966.99 efficient,3967.23 improve3967.71 data3968.11 transparency,3968.51 and3969.15 help3969.39 regulators,3969.55 patients,3970.27 and3970.59 businesses3970.83 work3971.31 more3971.55 efficiently.3971.71 The3973.22 commission3973.45 hopes3973.86 to3974.1 follow3974.26 the3974.49 lead3974.66 of3974.82 other3974.89 states3975.14 and3975.38 begin3975.61 development3975.93 of3976.34 a3976.41 state3976.58 run3976.82 standards3977.22 laboratory3977.61 to3978.49 significantly3978.74 enhance3979.3 regulatory3979.7 oversight,3980.26 allowing3981.61 for3981.93 confirmatory3982.18 product3983.06 testing,3983.45 deeper3983.93 investigations3984.34 into3985.06 public3985.38 health3985.7 concerns,3985.93 establish3986.83 a3986.99 more3987.15 robust3987.31 secret3987.95 shopper3988.35 program,3988.83 and3989.79 additional3990.11 post3990.51 market3990.67 testing3990.99 capabilities,3991.47 all3992.51 without3992.75 relying3993.07 on3993.47 external3993.71 laboratories.3994.19
3995.31 We3995.31 believe3995.55 that3995.87 this3996.03 initial3996.27 investment3996.75 will3997.23 lead3997.39 to3997.55 future3997.71 cost3998.03 savings3998.27 for3998.67 the3998.75 Commonwealth.3998.91 A4000.18 state4000.26 run4000.57 lab4000.82 is4001.05 critical4001.3 to4001.61 addressing4001.78 inconsistencies4002.26 in4003.05 independent4003.3 lab4003.86 testing4004.09 and4004.57 ensuring4004.73 consumers4005.14 and4005.7 patients4005.78 in4006.18 Massachusetts4006.34 have4007.05 full4007.22 confidence4007.45 that4008.26 cannabis4008.41 products4008.89 available4009.38 for4009.78 purchase4009.93 have4010.34 met4010.49 rigorous4010.73 safety4011.14 and4011.45 potency4011.61 standards.4012.09 Other4013.49 states4013.65 have4013.89 encountered4014.13 significant4014.45 issues4014.93 with4015.25 potency4015.41 inflation4015.89 and4016.37 product4016.61 contamination,4016.93 and4017.65 Massachusetts4017.89 is4018.53 not4018.69 immune4018.85 to4019.25 these4019.33 challenges.4019.49 The4021.17 need4021.33 for4021.49 a4021.73 state4021.81 run4022.05 standards4022.45 laboratory4022.85 is4023.49 further4023.65 underscored4023.97 by4024.45 recent4024.61 enforcement4025.01 actions4025.57 and4025.97 investigations4026.21 into4027.09 product4027.41 safety.4027.81 Testing4029.09 conducted4029.41 between4029.8 January4030.2 and4030.61 February4030.84 of4031.24 20254031.72 revealed4032.2 inconsistency4032.68 and4033.32 potency4033.57 results4034.05 and4034.45 yeast4034.68 and4034.93 mold4035.01 contamination,4035.32 prompting4036.45 administrative4037.01 action4037.57 by4037.89 the4038.05 commission.4038.2 This4039.49 included4039.72 full4040.2 panel4040.45 testing4040.77 and4041.16 individual4041.41 confirmatory4042.05 testing,4042.68 which4043.01 exceeded4043.16 $5,0004043.64 for4044.36 just4044.53 a4044.78 limited4044.94 set4045.26 of4045.34 samples.4045.66
4046.7 A4046.7 state4046.86 run4047.02 lab4047.26 would4047.42 reduce4047.66 these4047.98 costs4048.22 over4048.54 time,4048.78 ensuring4049.1 the4049.58 commission4049.74 has4050.3 the4050.54 resources4050.78 to4051.34 protect4051.5 public4051.9 health4052.22 without4052.62 financial4052.94 barriers.4053.42 The4054.78 standards4054.94 laboratory4055.34 would4055.82 also4055.98 determine4056.3 the4056.7 necessity4056.78 for4057.34 product4057.5 recalls4057.98 and4058.46 serve4058.7 as4059.02 an4059.1 industry4059.26 wide4059.74 reference4060.06 point4060.61 for4060.84 lab4061.09 testing4061.24 standards4061.72 and4062.13 methods4062.28 promoting4063.01 uniformity,4063.57 accuracy4064.53 in4064.93 labeling,4065.09 enhancing4065.72 product4066.2 quality,4066.53 and4067.41 strengthening4067.64 the4068.13 public's4068.28 trust4068.61 in4068.93 cannabis4069.09 products.4069.57 Additionally,4071.41 the4071.97 commission4072.05 hopes4072.45 to4072.68 expand4072.84 the4073.57 social4073.64 equity4073.97 program4074.36 and4075.43 other4075.59 resources4075.83 to4076.31 help4076.47 individuals4076.79 disproportionately4077.59 impacted4078.23 by4078.63 cannabis4078.87 prohibition.4079.27 In4080.71 FY4080.95 24,4081.59 the4081.91 commission4082.07 had4082.71 a4082.87 budget4083.03 of4083.27 $400,0004083.43 for4084.63 these4084.79 programs.4085.03 Over4085.67 in4085.91 FY4086.07 25,4086.39 this4086.79 has4086.95 been4087.11 cut4087.27 to4087.43 only4087.59 $100,000,4087.83 resulting4089.39 in4089.47 a4089.71 delay4089.8 in4090.19 new4090.36 coursework4090.51 and4090.99 technical4091.16 training4091.55 that4092.51 would4092.68 better4092.76 prepare4092.99 these4093.32 individuals4093.55 to4094.03 enter4094.19 the4094.43 industry.4094.59
4097.07 Our4097.07 FY4097.88 20264098.44 budget4098.44 includes4098.76 funding4099.15 for4099.48 this4099.64 program4099.88 to4100.35 offer4100.44 additional4100.76 technical4101.15 assistance4101.56 courses4101.95 and4102.35 workforce4102.59 training4103.07 to4103.56 ensure4103.64 that4103.95 more4104.11 people4104.35 have4104.59 the4104.92 opportunity4105.08 to4105.32 thrive4105.48 in4105.8 the4106.04 cannabis4106.12 industry.4106.52 As4107.72 a4107.88 national4108.04 leader4108.44 in4108.76 social4108.92 equity,4109.24 these4109.64 programs4110.6 and4111 ability4111.24 to4111.64 fund4111.72 studies4112.04 on4112.44 exclusivity4112.68 will4113.88 be4114.04 integral4114.2 to4114.76 ensuring4114.92 continued4115.48 progress4116.12 toward4116.52 an4116.76 inclusive4116.92 marketplace4117.32 and4118.28 serve4118.44 as4118.68 a4118.84 model4118.92 for4119.16 other4119.32 states4119.56 to4119.88 follow.4119.96 In4121.3 terms4121.45 of4121.69 personnel,4121.85 the4122.34 commission4122.49 needs4122.73 to4122.98 hire4123.06 additional4123.38 staff4123.77 as4124.09 it4124.18 matures.4124.41 These4125.85 positions4126.09 include4126.57 investigators,4126.9 licensing4127.77 specialists,4128.49 and4129.14 attorneys,4129.38 namely4130.02 operators4130.49 and4130.98 staff4131.14 to4131.45 handle4131.53 the4131.85 increased4132.02 workload4132.41 from4132.9 Chapter4133.69 180.4134.56 An4134.56 increase4134.72 in4134.96 staffing4135.2 will4135.52 also4135.76 reduce4136 caseloads4136.4 for4136.96 our4137.12 staff4137.28 and4137.6 allow4137.76 teams4138 the4138.32 needed4138.48 bandwidth4138.8 to4139.28 implement4139.36 new4139.84 regulations.4140.08 Additional4141.68 staff4142.16 will4142.48 speed4142.72 up4142.96 application4143.12 processing,4143.76 conduct4144.32 compliance4144.64 inspections,4145.2 and4145.68 strengthen4145.92 operational4146.48 support.4147.12 Without4148.57 an4148.81 increase4148.98 in4149.3 funding4149.45 for4149.69 salaries,4149.94 the4150.26 commission4150.41 will4150.73 need4150.98 to4151.06 look4151.22 at4151.53 reducing4151.69 staff,4152.26 resulting4152.66 in4152.98 delays4153.14 in4153.53 licensing4153.69 and4154.1 inspections,4154.34 slower4155.3 responses4155.61 on4156.1 enforcement4156.26 actions,4156.81 and4157.3 could4157.45 result4157.69 in4158.02 significant4158.18 challenges4158.66 for4159.14 the4159.22 industry.4159.3
4160.73 Beyond4160.73 these4161.05 initiatives,4161.29 the4161.69 commission4161.85 is4162.09 committed4162.25 to4162.57 upholding4162.81 five4163.29 key4163.53 priorities4163.77 to4164.25 sustain4164.41 the4164.73 Commonwealth's4164.89 leadership4165.45 in4165.93 cannabis4166.09 regulation.4166.57 Number4167.69 1,4168.01 enhancing4168.25 regulatory4168.73 efficiency,4169.37 2,4170.33 expanding4170.65 public4171.29 education4171.69 and4172.17 outreach,4172.33 3,4173.27 bolstering4173.59 compliance4174.07 and4174.47 enforcement,4174.64 4,4175.59 advancing4175.91 social4176.4 equity4176.72 initiatives,4177.11 and4177.59 5,4177.76 safeguarding4178.15 fiscal4178.8 sustainability.4179.27 As4180.8 the4181.03 commission4181.11 seeks4181.59 additional4181.84 budget4182.23 resources,4182.55 we4183.11 must4183.27 also4183.51 continue4183.84 to4184.4 ensure4184.55 that4184.88 we4185.03 are4185.19 making4185.35 efficient4185.76 use4186.07 of4186.31 taxpayer4186.47 dollars.4187.11 Our4188.24 goal4188.48 is4188.64 to4188.88 maximize4189.12 revenue4189.6 generation4190 while4190.48 maintaining4190.72 regulatory4191.28 integrity4192 and4192.48 protecting4192.64 consumers.4193.2 With4194.64 continued4194.96 investment4195.44 in4195.84 regulation4196 enforcement4196.64 and4197.2 equity,4197.36 we4197.92 can4198.08 ensure4198.4 product4198.88 safety,4199.28 protect4200.16 public4200.48 health,4200.64 and4201.03 support4201.28 the4201.6 economic4201.76 success4202.24 of4202.72 Massachusetts4202.95 businesses4203.6 and4203.99 communities.4204.24 I4205.44 am4205.6 committed4205.76 to4206.16 ensuring4206.24 that4206.64 the4206.8 commission4206.95 operates4207.35 with4207.76 integrity,4207.91 accountability,4208.88 and4209.76 a4209.91 forward4210.07 thinking4210.32 approach4210.64 that4211.03 meets4211.11 the4211.35 evolving4211.52 needs4211.91 of4212.16 the4212.32 industry4212.4 and4212.95 the4213.03 public.4213.2 I4213.99 would4214.29 now4214.45 like4214.53 to4214.61 turn4214.77 it4215.01 over4215.17 to4215.33 the4215.57 commission's4215.65 CFAO,4216.05 Lisa4216.69 Schlegel.4217.01
4217.97 LISA4217.97 SCHLEGEL4217.97 -4217.97 CCC4217.97 -4217.97 Thank4217.97 you,4218.21 executive4218.45 director.4219.01 Good4221.25 afternoon,4221.41 Representative4222.05 Ferrante,4222.69 Senator4223.33 Comerford,4223.73 Representative4224.85 Diggs,4225.49 Senator4226.86 Oliveira,4227.1 and4227.66 members4227.9 of4228.15 the4228.31 committee.4228.47 As4229.51 chief4229.82 financial4230.15 officer,4230.63 I'm4230.94 here4231.19 to4231.35 outline4231.43 the4231.9 financial4232.06 landscape4232.55 of4232.94 the4233.1 cannabis4233.27 industry4233.66 in4234.06 Massachusetts4234.23 and4234.78 how4235.02 it4235.19 impacts4235.35 the4235.74 commission's4235.9 ability4236.31 to4236.86 regulate4237.02 effectively.4237.51 The4239.2 cannabis4239.36 industry4239.76 has4240.08 grown4240.32 into4240.56 a4240.8 major4240.88 economic4241.36 force4241.76 in4242 the4242.16 commonwealth4242.32 generating4243.28 substantial4243.84 tax4244.4 revenue4244.72 at4245.12 both4245.2 the4245.36 state4245.52 and4245.76 local4246 levels.4246.32 Cannabis4247.44 is4247.92 the4248.08 commonwealth's4248.16 number4248.8 14249.04 cash4249.36 crop4249.6 generating4250.48 more4250.96 revenue4251.2 than4251.6 any4251.84 other4252.08 agricultural4252.32 commodity4253.04 including4253.84 cranberries.4254.24 In4255.66 the4255.82 20244255.98 calendar4256.85 year,4257.34 cannabis4257.98 generated4258.45 over4258.94 $1.644259.26 billion4261.18 in4261.18 gross4261.34 sales,4261.74 setting4262.7 a4263.02 new4263.1 annual4263.34 record4263.74 for4264.14 the4264.22 commonwealth.4264.38 Additionally,4266.3 the4266.94 10.75%4267.1 excise4268.45 tax4268.94 on4269.26 retail4269.94 cannabis4270.34 sales4270.74 generated4271.54 1744271.94 million4273.62 in4273.62 revenue4273.78 to4274.26 the4274.34 marijuana4274.58 regulation4275.06 fund.4275.62 And4282.34 the4282.57 6.25%4282.73 Massachusetts4284.18 sales4284.81 tax4285.14 generated4285.53 $98.74286.02 million4287.69 for4287.69 FY4288.02 24.4288.26
4289.77 Municipalities4289.77 who4290.73 imposed4291.14 a4291.69 local4291.77 option4292.18 tax4292.57 of4292.9 up4293.14 to4293.22 3%4293.38 received4294.53 over4294.77 $474295.17 million4296.37 in4296.37 local4296.53 tax4296.85 revenue4297.17 in4297.57 FY4297.97 24.4298.21 Simply4299.65 put,4299.97 cannabis4300.37 is4300.77 no4300.93 longer4301.17 an4301.41 emerging4301.57 market.4302.05 It's4302.61 a4302.85 critical4303.01 pillar4303.41 of4303.73 the4303.97 Commonwealth's4304.61 economy'4306.13 We4306.13 have4306.29 seen4306.45 an4306.69 increase4306.77 in4307.09 the4307.25 FY4307.57 254307.81 collection4308.21 of4308.4 fees,4319.86 resulting4319.86 in4319.86 a4319.86 10%4319.86 increase4319.86 of4319.86 our4319.86 revenue4319.86 reported4319.86 a4319.86 year4319.86 ago.4319.86 The4319.86 introduction4319.86 on4319.86 new4319.86 license4319.86 types4319.86 will4319.86 continue4319.86 to4319.86 increase4319.86 revenue.4319.86 Rather4319.86 than4319.86 focusing4319.86 on4319.86 a4319.86 goal4319.86 of4319.86 being4319.86 self4319.86 funded,4319.86 the4319.86 commission4319.86 has4320.1 not4320.34 raised4320.35 fees4320.35 since4320.36 inception4320.36 in4320.37 an4320.37 effort4320.38 to4320.38 support4320.39 an4320.39 industry4320.4 that's4320.4 been4320.43 the4320.9 commission4321.06 has4321.38 not4321.54 raised4321.78 fees4322.1 since4322.42 inception4322.74 in4323.22 an4323.46 effort4323.54 to4323.86 support4324.02 an4324.34 industry4324.58 already4325.54 facing4325.94 incredible4326.42 economic4326.98 challenges4327.54 due4328.34 to4328.5 federal4328.66 prohibition.4328.98
4330.66 As4330.66 part4330.9 of4331.14 fulfilling4331.3 our4331.78 first4332.02 in4332.26 the4332.42 nation's4332.58 statutory4332.98 equity4333.54 mandate,4333.94 the4334.82 commission4334.99 provides4335.23 application4335.86 and4336.51 license4336.74 fee4337.15 waivers4337.47 to4338.27 social4338.43 equity4338.82 and4339.63 economic4339.86 empowerment4340.43 participants.4341.06 Year4342.82 after4343.06 year,4343.39 the4343.7 commission4343.86 regularly4344.43 generates4344.91 more4345.55 annual4345.78 non4346.27 tax4346.59 revenue4346.91 than4347.31 it4347.47 spend,4348.66 generating4349.14 needed4349.14 public4349.54 funds4349.86 and4350.26 remaining4350.5 a4350.9 solid4351.06 investment4351.46 taxpayers4352.34 can4352.9 be4353.14 proud4353.22 of.4353.46 However,4354.5 as4355.3 the4355.46 industry4355.62 matures,4356.02 so4356.58 do4356.74 the4356.9 demands4357.06 placed4357.46 on4357.78 the4357.94 commission.4358.02 Requiring4359.06 adequate4359.7 funding4360.26 to4360.66 support4360.82 industry4361.14 oversight,4361.7 public4362.73 safety4363.05 initiatives,4363.52 and4364.09 equitable4364.4 access4364.89 to4365.2 the4365.36 market.4365.52 Despite4366.73 our4367.2 statutory4367.36 mandate4368.09 to4368.56 educate4368.65 the4369.13 public4369.28 on4369.93 health4370.09 and4370.32 safety4370.48 issues,4370.89 the4371.85 commission4372.01 has4372.32 not4372.56 received4372.73 funding4373.05 for4373.36 public4373.52 awareness4373.85 since4374.32 September4374.56 23.4375.18
4376.49 As4376.49 the4376.65 commission4376.73 begins4377.21 to4377.53 roll4377.69 out4377.93 social4378.17 consumption4378.57 licenses,4379.05 we4380.01 hope4380.17 to4380.41 launch4380.49 a4380.81 campaign4380.97 aiming4381.53 to4381.77 prevent4382.01 underage4382.73 consumption,4383.37 address4384.41 the4384.81 risks4384.97 of4385.37 high4385.53 potency4385.69 products,4386.33 raise4387.21 awareness4387.53 of4388.01 cannabis4388.17 in4388.65 peer4389.13 driving,4389.37 and4390.45 educate4390.53 constituents4391.24 about4392.36 responsible4392.69 on-site4393.57 social4395.01 consumption4395.32 prior4396.2 to4396.61 the4396.85 opening4397.01 of4397.32 such4397.41 establishments4397.65 and4398.28 activities.4398.61 We4399.57 can4399.73 only4399.97 do4400.28 this4400.69 with4400.93 the4401.16 reinstatement4401.24 of4402.13 public4402.28 awareness4402.69 funding.4403.16 In4404.86 discussions4405.18 with4405.66 regulators4405.9 from4406.38 states4406.62 that4406.94 have4407.1 already4407.26 implemented4407.58 social4408.14 consumption4408.54 establishment,4409.1 a4410.3 common4410.46 challenge4410.78 they4411.18 have4411.34 identified4411.5 was4412.38 the4412.62 lack4412.78 of4413.02 an4413.18 early4413.34 public4413.74 education.4414.06 Many4415.42 expressed4415.82 that4416.22 having4416.46 the4416.7 resources4416.86 to4417.5 launch4417.66 similar4417.98 campaigns4418.46 before4419.1 establishments4419.41 open4419.98 would4420.61 have4420.77 significantly4421.1 improved4422.22 public4422.7 safety4423.1 within4423.57 their4423.81 states.4424.14 The4425.41 commission4425.57 continues4426.06 to4426.53 pay4426.7 industry4426.94 costs4427.49 such4428.06 as4428.3 medical4428.53 patient4428.94 registration4429.34 cards,4430.06 licensee4430.94 badges,4431.57 and4432.46 fee4432.7 waivers4432.86 for4433.34 equity4433.58 businesses4433.98 out4434.46 of4434.7 its4434.78 operating4435.02 budget.4435.5
4436.7 As4436.7 costs4437.02 have4437.34 risen4437.58 so4438.14 have4438.38 these4438.54 expenses4438.78 to4439.58 over4439.82 $14440.06 million4440.94 in4440.94 FY4441.42 24,4442.62 placing4442.62 additional4443.02 strain4443.5 on4443.82 the4443.98 commission's4444.14 resources4444.62 and4445.5 diverting4445.74 funds4446.14 from4446.46 agency4446.7 initiatives.4447.26 The4448.84 FY4449.07 264449.56 budget4450.03 request4450.44 includes4451.8 initial4452.35 outlays4452.76 for4453.31 digital4453.64 registrations4454.03 and4454.76 electronic4454.99 badging,4455.64 as4456.52 well4456.68 as4456.91 the4456.99 state4457.15 run4457.48 standards4457.72 lab.4458.11 These4459.07 initiatives4459.4 will4459.88 achieve4460.11 systematic4460.52 efficiencies4461.07 and4461.88 cost4462.11 savings4462.35 in4462.84 future4463.07 budget4463.4 years.4463.8 Additionally,4465.29 the4466.17 commission's4466.25 outdated4466.81 IT4467.45 infrastructure4467.93 for4468.81 both4468.97 the4469.21 medical4469.29 patient4469.77 portal4470.09 and4470.81 the4471.05 licensing4471.21 platforms4471.85 required4472.89 $1.84473.37 million4474.89 investment4474.89 to4475.37 modernize4475.53 its4476.17 systems.4476.33 $1.24477.55 million4478.51 of4478.51 this4478.74 represents4478.99 one4479.55 time4479.86 implementation4480.19 or4480.99 upgrade4481.23 costs.4481.78
4483.23 Currently,4483.23 the4483.78 commission4483.95 relies4484.35 on4484.74 separate4484.91 systems4485.31 for4485.7 licensing,4485.95 patient4486.91 registration4487.31 and4487.95 allocations,4488.19 investigations4489.56 and4490.2 enforcement,4490.52 which4491.48 also4491.72 facilitate4492.2 the4492.76 collection4493 of4493.56 approximately4493.8 $204494.36 million4495.32 in4495.32 non4495.48 tax4495.72 revenue.4496.04 Upgrading4497.4 these4497.96 platforms4498.2 will4498.84 streamline4499.08 staff4499.8 operations,4500.12 enhance4501.24 security4501.8 and4502.2 compliance4502.36 monitoring,4503.08 and4503.93 improve4504.16 the4504.56 experience4504.81 for4505.28 patients4505.6 and4506.01 licensees4506.24 ultimately4507.45 reducing4508.16 administrative4508.73 burdens4509.36 and4510.16 increasing4510.49 constituent4511.05 access.4511.69 Overall,4513.28 the4513.93 revenue4514.16 generated4514.56 by4515.05 the4515.2 cannabis4515.28 industry4515.85 underscores4516.8 its4517.28 importance4517.6 to4518.08 the4518.32 commonwealth's4518.72 economy.4520.32 But4520.56 sustaining4520.56 this4521.12 success4521.28 requires4521.76 strategic4522.24 investment.4522.8 I4523.84 would4524 now4524.08 like4524.32 to4524.48 turn4524.56 it4524.8 over4524.96 to4525.12 Commissioner4525.28 Roy4525.76 to4526.16 discuss4526.32 the4526.8 commission's4526.88 work4527.36 and4527.68 successes4527.92 over4528.72 FY4529.2 244529.36 and4530 FY4530.4 254530.56 thus4531.12 far.4531.44
4536.86 KIMBERLY4536.86 ROY4536.86 -4536.86 CCC4536.86 -4536.86 Thank4536.86 you,4537.1 Lisa.4537.34 Thank4538.63 you4538.86 so4539.1 much4539.26 chairs4539.59 Ferrante4539.98 and4540.86 Comerford,4541.1 Vice4542.63 Chair4542.94 Diggs,4542.94 and4543.51 Senator4544.22 Oliveira.4545.29 And4545.29 thank4545.45 you4545.61 to4545.85 all4546.01 the4546.17 members4546.25 today,4546.65 for4547.37 my4547.61 time.4547.77 Very4548.09 grateful.4548.33 Thank4548.89 you.4549.05 As4550.09 mentioned,4550.33 I4550.73 am4550.89 commissioner4551.13 Kimberly4551.53 Roy.4552.01 I4552.65 sit4552.73 in4552.97 the4553.05 public4553.21 health4553.53 seat4553.77 of4554.41 the4554.57 commission4554.73 and4555.21 currently4555.37 serve4555.85 as4556.41 the4556.65 commission's4556.81 treasurer.4557.29 During4558.55 my4558.95 time4559.19 as4559.51 commissioner,4559.74 Massachusetts4560.95 has4561.59 remained4561.74 committed4562.06 to4562.47 public4562.63 health4562.95 and4563.27 safety4563.51 while4563.91 remaining4564.23 a4564.55 forefront4564.7 of4565.82 policy.4566.06 Despite4566.86 increasing4567.43 competition4568.06 from4568.63 surrounding4568.86 states,4569.43 Massachusetts4570.8 remains4571.44 a4571.92 national4572.08 leader4572.4 in4572.72 cannabis4572.88 regulation4573.44 and4574 economic4574.24 impact.4574.8 It4575.92 is4576.08 our4576.24 responsibility4576.4 to4577.2 continue4577.36 to4577.76 set4578.48 that4578.64 standard.4578.96 In4580 fiscal4580.16 year4580.64 2024,4581.36 the4582.08 commission4582.24 made4582.72 multiple4582.96 contributions4583.52 to4584.4 federal4584.64 cannabis4585.45 policy4585.85 discussions.4586.41 The4587.69 commission4587.77 provided4588.26 data4588.65 to4589.05 the4589.22 Food4589.38 and4589.61 Drug4589.69 Administration4590.01 on4590.9 medical4591.3 cannabis4591.69 use,4592.34 product4593.22 composition,4593.77 and4594.73 patient4594.97 purchasing4595.38 trends.4596.01 The4596.9 commission4597.05 also4597.53 submitted4597.94 formal4598.41 comments4598.81 to4598.85 the4598.9 Drug4598.93 Enforcement4598.97 Administration,4599.01 supporting4599.05 the4600.65 reschedule4605.19 of4605.19 marijuana4605.19 to4605.19 a4605.19 schedule4605.19 34605.75 controlled4605.99 substance.4606.55
4607.91 The4607.91 commission4608.15 has4608.63 engaged4608.95 with4609.35 cannabis4609.51 regulators4610.07 nationwide4610.71 to4611.51 stay4611.59 on4611.91 the4612.07 cutting4612.23 edge4612.55 of4612.87 policy4613.03 in4614.13 issues4614.52 facing4615.01 the4615.4 industry,4615.65 including4616.2 hosting4616.6 delegates4617.24 from4618.28 Hawaii4618.52 to4619.56 share4619.8 best4620.13 practices4620.44 for4620.93 adult4621.16 use4621.4 cannabis4621.65 regulation.4622.2 To4623.89 sustain4624.13 the4624.77 status4624.93 as4625.4 a4625.56 national4625.73 leader,4626.2 the4627.74 commission4627.9 requires4628.3 adequate4628.94 funding4629.42 to4630.06 expand4630.3 and4630.62 enhance4630.78 the4631.18 industry.4631.34 Despite4633.02 budget4633.5 constraints,4633.98 the4635.02 commission4635.18 achieved4635.66 several4636.3 key4636.62 milestones4637.02 in4637.66 2024,4637.82 including4639.52 three4639.91 of4640.23 the4640.4 highest4640.55 grossing4641.35 sales4641.99 months4642.4 on4642.88 record4643.11 occurring4643.59 in4644.07 20244644.15 with4645.52 revenue4645.76 exceeding4646.4 1404648.07 million4648.8 in4648.8 each4648.95 of4649.19 those4649.27 three4649.52 months.4649.76 Despite4650.72 significant4651.27 staffing4651.91 needs,4652.31 the4653.03 commission4653.19 approved4653.68 1194654.65 new4655.61 licenses,4655.85 including4656.81 484657.29 marijuana4658.01 retailers,4658.73 seven4659.69 cultivators,4660.09 144661.21 product4661.77 manufacturers,4662.33 two4663.45 delivery4663.85 couriers,4664.33 six4665.29 delivery4665.61 operators,4666.17 and4666.89 384667.13 medical4667.77 treatment4668.41 centers.4669.05
4671.18 Despite4671.18 having4671.59 an4674.06 insufficient4674.22 and4674.94 outdated4675.18 patient4676.14 portal,4676.55 the4677.43 commission4677.66 reached4678.14 an4678.47 all4678.7 time4678.94 registration4679.26 of4679.9 over4680.14 90,0004680.47 medical4681.18 marijuana4681.66 patients4682.3 and4683.02 6,3174683.26 caregivers.4685.34 Despite4686.88 having4687.52 a4687.92 significant4688.16 decrease4688.8 in4689.2 social4689.44 equity4689.84 funding,4690.16 the4690.72 commission4690.96 accepted4691.44 2294692 new4693.36 participants4693.52 into4694.64 the4694.88 social4695.04 equity4695.44 program,4695.76 providing4696.88 free4697.36 technical4697.6 assistance4698.08 to4698.56 individuals4698.72 disproportionately4699.44 impacted4700.32 by4701.19 marijuana4701.19 prohibition.4701.68 Despite4703.19 not4703.99 having4704.23 funding4704.64 to4705.11 fulfill4705.19 our4705.59 statutory4705.91 mandate4706.55 to4707.03 educate4707.19 the4707.68 public4707.84 on4708.31 health4708.47 and4708.72 safety4708.88 issues,4709.27 the4710.23 commission4710.4 developed4710.8 and4711.19 launched4711.35 multiple4711.76 campaigns,4712.31 including4712.88 the4713.35 faces4713.44 of4713.84 equity4713.99 campaign4714.47 to4715.39 highlight4715.55 industry4715.87 diversity4716.67 and4717.31 new4717.55 consumer4717.79 awareness4718.27 programs4718.75 to4719.23 inform4719.39 the4719.79 public4719.95 about4720.27 cannabis4720.59 safety,4721.07 potency,4721.71 and4722.83 illicit4723.23 market4723.71 risks.4724.27
4725.39 The4725.39 commission4725.63 worked4726.03 diligently4726.27 to4727.07 implement4727.23 key4727.71 regulatory4727.95 reforms4728.83 under4729.23 Chapter4730.11 180,4730.7 including4730.7 host4731.02 community4731.41 agreement4731.81 oversight,4732.3 model4733.1 bylaws,4733.41 community4734.53 impact4734.94 fee4735.34 forms,4736.06 and4736.53 204736.7 guidance4737.1 documents.4737.57 By4738.85 conducting4739.1 over4739.81 9004740.22 inspections,4740.85 the4741.9 commission4742.06 has4742.53 also4742.78 taken4743.1 steps4743.41 to4743.74 increase4744.06 compliance4744.38 and4745.02 enforcement4745.18 measures4745.82 with4746.22 the4746.46 goal4746.54 of4746.78 ensuring4747.02 product4747.42 safety4747.82 and4748.14 consumer4748.3 protection.4748.78 During4750.38 the4750.7 past4750.86 year,4751.18 the4752.06 commission4752.22 issued4752.62 new4753.1 testing4753.26 guidance4753.66 and4754.46 protocols,4754.7 including4755.34 updated4755.9 compliance4756.38 and4756.94 safety4757.1 standards4757.5 that4758.06 align4758.3 with4758.7 national4758.86 best4759.26 practices.4760.66 The4760.82 commission4760.99 also4761.47 published4762.35 new4762.74 training4762.91 curricula4763.31 for4763.86 cannabis4764.03 businesses,4764.59 employees,4765.39 allowing4765.95 them4766.35 to4766.59 receive4766.74 advanced4767.15 license4767.7 specific4768.43 training.4768.91 The4770.82 commission's4770.91 nationally4771.47 recognized4772.1 research4772.66 team4773.06 presented4773.51 research4773.83 at4774.31 four4774.55 scientific4774.87 meetings.4775.51 Our4776.15 constituent4776.31 services4777.11 team4777.59 and4777.91 other4778.07 departments4778.31 respond4779.27 to4779.75 over4779.99 100,4780.31 per4781.43 day4781.67 in4782.07 inquiries4782.47 from4782.95 patients,4783.19 stakeholders,4783.83 licensees,4784.63 municipal4785.35 officials,4786.15 and4786.55 members4786.71 of4787.03 the4787.19 public.4787.27
4788.68 Commissioners4788.68 have4789.47 conducted4789.72 listening4790.19 sessions4790.59 across4790.99 the4791.31 Commonwealth,4791.55 including4792.11 on4792.51 Martha's4792.76 Vineyard,4793.15 to4793.88 hear4794.03 directly4794.35 from4794.84 patients,4795.07 licensees,4795.64 and4796.27 the4796.44 public4796.59 on4796.99 pressing4797.15 issues4797.55 facing4798.03 the4798.44 industry.4798.59 These4800.03 achievements4800.52 reflect4801 our4801.32 commitment4801.56 to4801.96 delivering4802.2 on4802.6 our4802.84 legislative4803 mandates4803.72 even4804.36 under4804.6 constrained4804.92 resources.4805.56 With4806.44 the4806.68 right4806.84 investment,4807.08 the4807.72 commission4807.8 can4808.28 deliver4808.52 impactful4808.92 results4809.48 that4809.88 benefit4810.12 the4810.52 industry4810.68 and4811.16 the4811.32 public.4811.48 In4812.45 fact,4812.61 with4812.85 the4813.18 exception4813.26 of4813.65 2022,4813.81 when4815.02 the4815.26 commission4815.41 advocated4815.98 for4816.45 key4816.61 reforms4816.94 that4817.41 were4817.57 adopted4817.81 as4818.38 part4818.53 of4818.69 Chapter4819.41 180,4820.22 our4820.22 agency4820.45 has4820.94 promulgated4821.18 updated4821.9 regulations4822.45 every4823.18 year4823.41 to4823.98 help4824.14 keep4824.38 pace4824.61 with4824.85 the4825.02 pace4825.28 of4825.44 change4825.68 in4826.08 the4826.4 evolving4826.48 industry4827.04 locally4827.52 and4827.84 nationally.4828 With4829.2 additional4829.44 investments4829.92 in4830.4 resources,4830.56 the4831.76 commission4832 can4832.4 further4832.56 promote4832.96 and4833.36 protect4833.44 public4834.08 health4834.4 and4834.64 safety,4834.8 improve4835.36 industry4835.76 oversight,4836.32 streamline4837.04 licensing,4837.68 and4838.24 enhance4838.48 compliance4838.8 enforcement.4839.44
4840.32 The4840.32 Cannabis4841.48 Control4841.95 Commission4841.95 remains4841.95 committed4842.35 to4842.99 maintaining4843.16 the4843.64 highest4843.8 regulatory4844.27 standards.4845.48 But4845.8 without4845.8 proper4846.27 resources4846.68 and4847.8 future4848.03 investments,4848.44 it4849.16 will4849.31 be4849.56 challenging.4849.72 And4850.35 as4850.6 a4850.76 result,4850.91 ensuring4851.56 compliance,4852.11 safety,4852.68 and4853.07 equitable4853.24 industry4853.72 growth4854.35 may4855.17 hang4855.41 in4855.53 the4855.65 balance.4855.89 Respectfully,4857.17 even4858.37 a4858.69 one4858.93 time4859.09 appropriation4859.73 to4860.93 provide4861.09 the4861.49 commission4861.65 with4862.05 the4862.29 ability4862.37 to4863.25 stand4863.41 up4863.73 a4863.89 standards4864.13 laboratory4864.69 for4865.41 confirmatory4865.65 testing4866.45 and4867.49 implement4867.57 a4867.81 modernized4868.14 patient4868.94 friendly4869.34 patient4869.81 portal4870.22 would4871.02 be4871.18 a4871.34 significant4871.49 step4872.22 to4872.45 assist4872.61 us4873.02 in4873.26 promoting,4873.57 preserving,4874.53 and4875.34 protecting4875.57 public4876.22 health.4876.53 Thus4877.73 far4877.98 in4878.22 2025,4878.38 the4879.81 commission4879.81 has4880.13 issued4880.37 advisories4880.85 and4881.49 stricter4881.65 testing4882.13 requirements,4882.69 demonstrating4883.73 commitment4884.37 to4884.77 worker4884.93 safety,4885.33 consumer4886.13 safety,4886.77 and4887.41 swift4887.65 public4887.97 communication.4888.29 Revised4890.53 our4890.93 adult4891.17 and4891.49 medical4891.57 use4892.05 regulations4892.29 to4892.86 better4893.11 support4893.35 social4893.91 equity4894.39 delivery4894.78 businesses,4895.35 testing4896.07 transportation,4896.55 and4897.43 small4897.66 business4897.99 expansion4898.39 and4898.86 patient4899.03 access.4899.43
4901.19 Conducted4901.19 listening4901.66 sessions4902.15 and4902.47 public4902.7 comment4903.03 periods4903.35 for4903.82 licensees4904.07 on4904.78 topics4904.95 such4905.35 as4905.59 outdoor4905.74 cultivation,4906.23 laboratory4907.43 testing,4908.07 the4908.63 medical4908.87 use4909.19 of4909.43 marijuana4909.67 program,4910.23 and4910.55 accounts4910.87 receivables.4911.27 Published4912.47 a4912.87 draft4912.95 framework4913.27 for4913.75 three4913.99 types4914.23 of4914.47 social4914.63 consumption4915.03 establishments4915.67 focusing4916.71 on4917.19 receiving4917.75 input4918.55 from4918.95 municipalities,4919.27 local4920.66 tourism4921.06 boards,4921.55 local4922.27 health4922.59 departments,4922.9 law4923.78 enforcement,4924.02 elected4924.9 officials,4925.39 and4926.27 the4926.43 public.4926.59 We4927.63 met4927.86 with4928.02 community4928.34 members4928.74 and4929.15 patients4929.31 at4929.7 senior4929.94 centers4930.27 and4930.59 health4930.74 fairs4930.98 across4931.31 the4931.7 state4931.86 and4932.68 presented4932.92 at4933.32 John4933.56 Hopkins4933.8 Bloomberg4934.28 School4934.92 of4935.24 Health4935.4 with4935.8 regulators4936.12 from4936.76 other4936.92 states4937.16 on4937.48 social4937.64 equity4938.04 in4938.36 the4938.52 cannabis4938.68 industry.4939.08 Progress4940.36 in4940.76 the4941 industry4941.16 and4941.64 at4941.88 the4941.96 commission4942.12 continues4942.68 to4943.08 advance4943.32 as4944.2 new4944.44 license4944.76 types,4945.24 technology,4946.18 testing4947.14 protocols,4947.61 and4948.49 products4948.73 develop,4949.61 the4950.02 commission4950.18 is4951.06 actively4951.22 addressing4951.77 challenges4952.34 to4952.98 strengthen4953.14 the4953.61 industry.4953.77 However,4954.73 continued4955.69 progress4956.18 requires4956.73 the4957.3 necessary4957.45 resources.4958.1
4959.37 With4959.37 30.084959.61 million4961.61 in4961.61 funding,4961.77 the4962.33 commission4962.57 can4962.97 continue4963.21 to4963.61 ensure4963.85 public4964.81 safety4965.13 through4965.69 robust4966.01 compliance4966.49 and4967.05 enforcement,4967.21 expands4968.57 equity4969.05 program4969.53 to4970.01 promote4970.17 fair4970.65 and4970.89 inclusive4971.05 market,4971.61 invest4972.59 in4972.9 public4973.15 education4973.55 and4974.18 research4974.26 initiatives,4974.66 and4975.63 sustain4975.86 industry4976.43 growth4976.9 while4977.3 maintaining4977.63 consumer4978.26 confidence.4978.82 The4979.86 commission4979.94 remains4980.51 committed4980.98 to4981.39 its4981.55 mission4981.78 of4982.34 ensuring4982.51 public4982.98 health4983.3 and4984.02 safety,4984.34 regulatory4985.06 compliance,4985.78 and4986.51 economic4986.74 equity4987.72 within4988.04 the4988.44 cannabis4988.6 industry.4989 We4990.2 appreciate4990.44 the4991.32 legislature's4991.56 consideration4992.44 of4993.32 our4993.48 request4993.72 and4994.68 look4994.92 forward4995.16 to4995.48 working4995.56 with4995.96 you4996.04 and4996.28 our4996.44 partners4996.68 across4997.32 government4997.8 to4998.2 strengthen4998.44 the4998.84 Commonwealth's4999 cannabis4999.56 industry5000.12 and5000.85 uphold5001.09 the5001.41 high5001.65 standards5001.89 that5002.36 Massachusetts5002.52 residents5003.32 expect.5004.13 On5004.93 behalf5005.16 of5005.48 the5005.56 entire5005.81 Cannabis5007.24 Control5008.2 Commission,5008.2 thank5008.2 you5008.36 for5008.6 your5008.77 time5009.01 and5009.41 consideration.5009.65 We5010.93 are5011.09 happy5011.24 to5011.56 answer5011.73 any5012.2 questions5012.44 you5012.93 may5013.16 have.5013.32 Thank5013.81 you.5014.05
5019.41 SPEAKER15019.41 -5019.41 Thank5019.41 you.5019.73 I'm5019.89 gonna5020.05 hold,5020.45 my5021.49 question,5021.73 and5022.69 I5023.17 am5023.33 gonna5023.57 turn5023.89 to5024.37 my5024.61 left5025.73 and5026.21 ask5026.45 senator5026.77 Olivera5027.17 if5027.65 he5027.73 has5027.89 question.5028.05
5029.34 OLIVEIRA5029.34 -5029.34 Thank5029.34 you,5029.51 and5029.9 thank5030.15 you,5030.39 Acting5031.51 Chair5031.82 Stebbins,5031.82 and5032.47 congratulations5033.1 on5033.82 the5033.98 new5034.15 role,5034.39 Travis,5035.43 and5035.82 to5036.06 the5036.3 other5036.39 commissioners5036.7 and5037.19 members.5037.34 Thank5037.66 you5037.9 for5038.06 giving5038.39 us5038.7 an5038.86 overview5039.02 of5039.51 the5039.59 cannabis5039.74 industry5040.22 and5040.94 the5041.1 directions5041.26 and5041.82 trends5041.98 that5042.39 they're5042.61 going5042.85 in.5043.01 My5044.05 question5044.29 has5045.09 to5045.33 do5045.49 with5045.73 some5046.29 of5046.45 the5046.61 social5046.77 equity5047.17 licenses5047.57 that5048.21 currently5048.45 exist.5048.93 And5049.65 thank5049.89 you5050.13 for5050.29 highlighting5050.53 the5051.01 fact5051.25 that5051.57 the5051.97 support5052.13 for5052.53 social5052.77 equity5054.13 has5054.53 gone5054.77 down5055.09 budgetarily5055.65 and5056.45 needs5056.77 to5057.09 be5057.17 bolstered5057.85 up5058.24 a5058.56 bit5058.65 in5059.05 order5059.28 to5059.52 help5059.69 that5060.01 industry.5060.24 My5061.05 question5061.36 with5061.85 increased5062.24 competition,5062.73 area5063.69 states5064.09 all5064.48 around5064.73 us,5065.05 with5065.69 the5065.85 exception5066.01 of5066.73 one,5066.97 now5068.24 having5068.48 recreational5069.05 use5069.69 of5069.85 marijuana5070.33 and5071.13 greater5071.45 competition.5071.93 Many5073.29 of5073.53 our5073.69 social5074.09 equity5074.89 licenses5075.53 that5076.09 we5076.25 have5076.41 given5076.57 out5076.89 in5077.13 the5077.21 Commonwealth,5077.29 a5078.17 lot5078.25 of5078.41 the5078.49 people5078.65 who5078.89 have5079.05 done5079.21 that5079.37 have5079.53 put5079.77 their5080.09 entire5080.33 life5080.65 savings5080.97 into5081.85 their5082.94 business5084.22 and5084.85 growing5085.1 their5085.41 business.5085.57 And5086.3 given5086.53 the5086.85 trends5086.94 of5087.34 increased5087.49 competition,5088.06 given5088.85 the5089.1 trends5089.34 of5090.3 the5090.77 value5091.02 of5091.49 cannabis5092.61 products5093.18 going5093.57 down,5093.9 how5094.77 can5095.02 we5095.18 further5095.49 help5095.98 our5096.7 social5096.94 equity5097.42 licensees5097.98 in5099.02 order5099.18 to5099.42 stave5100.38 off5100.78 against5101.1 any5101.66 type5101.98 of5102.7 industry5102.86 competition5103.42 that5103.98 might5104.22 adversely5104.7 affect5105.34 something5105.9 that5106.14 they5106.38 put5106.62 their5107.1 life5107.26 savings5107.5 into?5107.9
5110.07 STEBBINS5110.07 -5110.07 Thank5110.07 you,5110.31 senator.5110.7 Great5111.19 question.5111.43 First,5113.1 you5113.59 know,5113.74 I5114.07 will5114.23 just5115.1 share5115.35 with5115.51 you5115.66 a5115.82 little5115.99 bit5116.15 of5116.39 experience,5116.55 I5117.1 think,5117.27 to5117.51 your5117.66 question5117.91 about5118.39 neighboring5118.95 competition5119.59 from5120.23 states5120.47 that5120.78 have5121.03 since5121.35 legalized5121.66 since5122.23 Massachusetts5122.47 legalized.5123.27 Anecdotally,5125.48 the5126.6 licensees5127.16 that5127.8 I've5128.04 talked5128.2 to,5128.44 I5128.76 went5128.92 out5129.16 to5129.24 the5129.4 Berkshires,5129.48 I5130.04 visited5130.28 a5130.6 lot5130.68 in5130.84 the5131 Berkshires,5131.08 especially5131.64 as5132.12 New5132.36 York5132.44 and5132.68 Vermont5132.84 were5133.24 coming5133.4 online.5133.72 I5135.08 think5135.24 what5135.64 we5135.88 have5136.04 all5136.28 done5136.44 is,5136.76 we5137.08 gave5137.32 Massachusetts5137.88 kind5138.68 of5138.84 a5139 head5139.08 start.5139.24 These5140.45 licensees5140.69 have5141.81 valued,5142.3 1,5142.85 not5143.18 only5143.34 producing5143.65 a5144.14 good5144.22 product,5144.45 but5144.85 I5145.01 think5145.09 they've5145.34 also5145.57 valued5145.97 getting5146.45 to5146.69 know5146.85 their5147.01 customers.5147.26 The5149.41 few5149.57 that5149.81 I5150.05 talked5150.3 to,5150.61 one5151.57 in5151.73 North5151.9 Adams,5152.14 one5152.61 in5152.77 Pittsfield,5152.94 they've5154.16 all5154.48 talked5154.72 about5155.04 still5155.84 seeing5156.16 out5157.36 of5157.52 state5157.6 license5158 plates5158.4 still5158.8 come5159.12 to5159.28 us.5159.52
5160.24 Obviously,5160.24 we5161.12 require5161.36 them5161.76 again.5162 Please5162.88 consume5163.28 your5163.6 product5163.76 here5164.16 and5164.32 not5164.48 transfer5164.72 it5165.12 over5165.28 state5165.52 lines.5165.76 But5167.6 they5168.16 have5168.81 felt5169.05 comfortable5169.36 in5170.24 terms5170.48 of5170.81 being5171.93 first5172.16 to5172.48 the5172.65 market.5172.73 I5173.13 think5173.2 they5173.36 were5173.52 able5173.77 to5173.85 capture5174.81 their5175.85 customers5176.16 and5176.56 hold5176.81 on5176.97 to5177.2 their5177.28 customers.5177.52 When5178.81 it5179.05 comes5179.13 to5179.36 what5180.31 else5180.55 we5180.71 can5180.79 do5181.03 for5181.35 our5181.51 social5181.75 equity5182.31 applicants,5182.87 a5183.99 couple5184.15 of5184.39 things.5184.55 And5184.79 I5185.03 think5185.11 all5185.43 of5185.59 you5185.75 in5185.91 this5186.07 room5186.23 need5186.55 to5186.71 be5188.71 congratulated5189.03 for5189.67 the5189.91 changes5190.07 you5190.47 made5190.63 in5190.79 Chapter5191.51 180,5191.83 not5191.83 only5192.07 municipal5192.39 equity5193.03 strategies5193.59 as5194.23 a5194.47 requirement,5194.63 but5196.26 the5196.41 creation5196.57 of5196.98 the5197.14 social5197.3 equity5197.69 trust5198.18 fund.5198.41 I5199.38 think5199.53 the5199.77 most5199.94 recent5200.49 round,5201.05 which5202.81 was,5203.14 I5203.53 think,5203.69 a5203.94 total5204.02 allotment5204.49 of5204.98 about5205.14 255205.45 million5206.49 was5206.49 really5206.81 the5207.14 first5208.32 grant5208.72 round5209.12 that5209.44 could5210.48 see5210.72 the5210.96 full5211.12 potential5211.44 of5212 a5212.08 fully5212.24 funded5212.48 round.5212.88
5214.24 I5214.24 know5214.48 some5214.72 folks5214.88 are5215.28 still5215.44 working5215.68 through5216 getting5216.96 their5217.28 money,5217.44 but,5218.08 in5218.8 terms5219.04 of5219.36 talking5219.6 to5220 social5220.16 equity5220.56 applicants,5220.88 they5221.44 do5221.6 look5221.84 at5222 that5222.16 as5222.32 a5223.13 lifeline.5223.28 I5224.32 visited5224.56 a5225.2 social5225.36 equity5226.97 participant5227.44 on5228.56 Friday.5228.8 They're5229.28 taking5229.52 their5229.84 money.5230.01 They5230.32 wanna5230.48 expand5230.8 their5231.2 operations.5231.44 They5232.01 wanna5232.16 use5232.4 that5232.65 money5232.8 to5233.05 help5233.2 build5233.52 an5234.16 elevator5234.4 in5234.97 an5235.52 old5235.77 mill5236.01 building.5236.32 Additionally,5238.2 I5238.68 think5238.84 we're5239.16 in5240.92 the5241.16 first5241.48 phases5241.88 of5242.36 rolling5242.52 out5242.92 social5243.24 consumption.5243.64 That5244.92 license5245.16 type5245.64 is5245.88 gonna5246.04 be5246.36 exclusive5246.6 and5247.48 this5247.72 was5247.88 in5248.12 the5248.28 original5248.44 regs.5248.92 It'll5249.26 be5249.57 exclusive5249.81 to5250.38 our5250.61 social5250.85 equity5251.18 applicants,5251.57 our5252.14 economic5252.38 empowerment5252.93 applicants,5253.57 as5254.93 well5255.09 as5255.34 our5255.65 micro5255.97 business5256.45 and5257.09 our5257.34 craft5257.65 marijuana5257.9 cooperative5258.53 growers.5259.09 Those5259.9 last5260.22 two5260.53 license5260.77 types5261.26 were5261.57 really5261.81 identified5262.14 by5262.85 folks5263.65 who5263.89 had5263.97 been5264.05 a5265.33 resident5265.65 of5266.05 the5266.21 Commonwealth5266.29 for5266.85 at5267.09 least5267.17 over5267.49 a5267.73 year.5267.81 But5268.69 we5269.01 are5269.17 getting5269.33 out5269.65 now5269.81 and5270.05 talking5270.21 to5270.53 social5270.77 equity5271.17 applicants,5271.57 talking5272.29 about5272.61 the5272.93 three5273.17 potential5273.57 licenses5274.29 that'll5275.49 be5275.81 available,5275.97 and5276.61 I'll5276.85 quickly5277.41 run5277.89 through5278.05 those.5278.29
5279.43 The5279.43 first5279.51 is5279.82 a5280.15 supplemental5280.39 social5281.27 consumption5281.59 license.5282.23 You5283.27 already5283.43 have5283.74 a5284.3 cultivation5285.19 facility,5286.3 you5286.39 already5286.39 have5286.63 a5286.78 retail5286.94 facility,5288.23 you5288.47 already5288.47 have5288.78 a5288.94 product5289.1 manufacturing5289.51 facility.5290.23 You5290.7 wanna5290.86 make5291.19 space5291.43 available5291.82 for5292.63 people5292.78 to5293.1 come5293.19 and5293.43 safely5293.59 consume5294.15 products.5294.47 Our,5295.84 hospitality5296.96 license5297.84 is5298.32 the5298.56 second5298.8 type.5299.12 This5300.48 is5300.8 where5300.96 we're5301.28 looking5301.76 for5302.08 a5302.32 little5302.4 bit5302.64 of5302.8 ingenuity5303.04 in5303.52 the5303.68 marketplace.5303.84 We5304.56 know5304.72 there5304.96 are5305.12 people5305.28 that5305.6 wanna5305.84 do5306.24 yoga5306.56 and5306.96 incorporate5307.36 cannabis5308 products5308.48 into5308.88 yoga.5309.12 Or5310.8 they5311.03 might5311.28 just5311.44 wanna5311.76 have5311.99 a5312.16 smoking5312.32 area5312.8 attached5313.2 to5313.52 their5313.6 bed5313.84 and5314.07 breakfast.5314.16 And5316.4 our5316.56 third5316.8 type,5317.11 which5317.68 we5318.24 consider5318.48 kind5318.95 of5319.11 the5319.28 lowest5319.44 barrier5319.76 to5320.24 entry,5320.48 is5320.95 being5321.28 able5321.52 to5321.76 host5321.91 events5322.24 with5323.27 the5323.43 licensed5323.59 marijuana5324.23 establishments5324.95 in5325.67 Massachusetts.5325.83 So5326.63 as5327.35 I5327.51 see5327.67 it,5327.83 I5328.07 think5328.23 that's5328.79 kind5329.11 of5329.27 the5329.43 next5329.59 opportunity5329.91 for5330.63 the5330.79 market5331.03 with5331.43 respect5331.67 to5332.15 our5332.39 social5332.63 equity5333.03 participants.5333.51
5334.63 Again,5334.63 we5334.95 have5335.11 over5335.35 1,1005335.99 social5337.26 equity5337.49 program5337.98 participants.5338.61 A5340.38 lot5340.53 of5340.7 those5340.85 entered5341.34 the5342.14 program5342.38 looking5343.02 at5343.34 that5343.49 cannabis5343.74 business5344.45 ownership5345.57 track.5348.06 But5348.3 we5348.3 also5348.45 offer5349.26 other5349.57 tracks,5349.81 like,5350.3 I5350.61 wanna5350.77 be5351.02 in5351.18 a5351.34 management5351.41 position,5352.06 or5352.53 I5352.77 want5352.85 a5353.07 entry5353.15 level5353.39 position,5354.67 or5356.27 I5356.27 have5356.43 a5356.59 plumbing5356.75 business5357.15 and5357.55 I5357.79 wanna5357.95 see5358.27 how5358.59 I5358.83 can5358.91 support5359.23 the5359.55 industry5359.71 without5360.19 actually5360.67 touching5361.07 the5361.47 plant.5361.63 So5362.51 support5362.99 for5363.31 our5363.55 SEP5363.79 programs,5364.19 these5365.35 new5365.68 license5365.76 types5366.31 that5366.55 we5366.8 wanna5366.95 roll5367.27 out,5367.44 and,5368.55 again,5368.8 we're5369.11 also5369.52 looking5369.84 at5370.15 our5370.4 existing5370.55 licenses,5371.11 our5371.76 delivery5371.99 licenses5372.48 to5373.27 see5373.44 if5373.59 we5373.76 should5373.91 extend5374.23 the5374.55 exclusivity5374.88 for5375.76 that.5375.99 I5376.88 think5377.03 those5377.27 are5377.68 tremendous5377.99 opportunities5378.64 to5379.35 expand5379.52 the5379.91 marketplace.5380.07 But5381.73 I5381.81 also5381.97 think,5382.37 you5382.69 know,5382.85 the5383.17 great5383.25 work5383.49 that5383.81 the5383.97 legislature5384.05 did5384.77 helping5385.33 us5385.65 create5385.89 that5386.13 trust5386.37 fund,5386.69 I5387.33 think5387.41 we5387.81 will,5388.05 we5388.85 have5389.01 yet5389.25 to5389.49 see5389.65 the5389.81 real5389.97 strong5390.45 ramifications5390.77 and5391.89 impact5392.05 of5392.45 that5392.53 program,5392.77 but5393.17 I'm5393.41 optimistic.5393.73
5396.36 OLIVEIRA5396.36 -5396.36 Thank5396.36 you,5396.6 madam5396.77 chair.5397.16 I5397.28 will5397.41 just5397.65 say5397.81 thank5398.05 you,5398.2 Acting5399.81 Chair5400.13 Stebbins5400.13 for5400.6 that.5400.77 You5401.32 were5401.48 the5401.73 only5401.81 thing5402.05 that's5402.28 standing5402.52 between5403.16 lunch5403.65 and5403.97 us,5404.13 so5404.45 your5404.85 testimony5405.09 certainly5405.73 gave5406.13 me5406.28 the5406.45 munchies.5406.52 Thank5407.09 you.5407.32
5408.77 STEBBINS5408.77 -5408.77 Good.5408.77
5409.89 SPEAKER15409.89 -5409.89 Nice5409.89 1.5410.2 Rep5410.93 Smola?5411.24
5414.26 SMOLA5414.26 -5414.26 Thank5414.26 you5414.42 very5414.58 much.5414.74 Thank5414.9 you5415.14 for5415.22 your5415.38 testimony5415.46 here5415.94 today.5416.18 And5417.06 I5417.3 appreciate5417.46 all5417.78 the5418.02 good5418.26 work5418.5 that5418.66 you5418.82 do,5418.9 especially5419.14 on5419.54 an5419.7 evolving5419.86 industry.5420.34 So5420.74 I5420.98 heard5421.06 a5421.26 lot5421.46 of5421.7 things5421.78 about5422.1 growth,5422.98 expansion,5423.46 licensure,5424.26 talk5425.22 about5425.59 opportunities5425.9 for5426.39 the5426.55 future.5427.02 But5427.51 I5427.51 guess5427.66 I'm5427.98 more5428.3 concerned5428.63 with5429.18 data5429.51 and5429.9 what5430.15 we've5430.3 seen5430.55 so5430.78 far,5430.94 particularly5431.34 with5431.74 youth5431.98 and5432.55 what5432.78 we're5432.94 looking5433.02 at5433.26 in5433.43 numbers5433.59 in5433.98 terms5434.15 of5434.39 exposure,5434.63 increase5435.26 in5435.66 use5435.82 of5436.15 marijuana,5436.47 how5437.1 it's5437.26 getting5437.43 out5437.66 to5437.82 the,5437.9 perhaps,5438.06 the5438.55 places5438.63 we5439.26 don't5439.43 really5439.59 want5439.82 it5440.06 to5440.22 get5440.3 out5440.47 to.5440.63 I5441.33 didn't5441.41 hear5441.65 much5442.21 about5442.45 that5442.69 this5443.09 morning,5443.17 and5443.49 I'd5443.65 like5443.81 you5444.05 to5444.29 give5444.37 us5444.53 a5444.69 little5444.77 bit5444.93 of5445.09 a5446.13 background5446.37 in5446.93 terms5447.09 of5447.49 what5447.89 we5448.21 have5448.37 seen5448.77 in5449.09 Massachusetts5449.25 since5450.85 we5451.17 have5451.41 legalized5451.81 this5452.77 industry.5453.01
5453.81 And,5453.81 you5454.05 know,5454.13 I5454.45 appreciate5454.77 the5455.33 hard5455.49 job5455.81 that5456.13 you5456.29 have5456.53 on5457.24 this5457.48 evolving5457.73 industry,5458.2 and,5458.6 obviously,5458.77 it's5459.09 something5459.24 new.5459.56 But5461.48 I5461.97 hope5462.69 that5463.09 at5463.32 least,5463.41 some5463.73 of5463.97 my5464.05 colleagues5464.2 are5464.6 concerned5464.77 with5465.24 the5465.97 fact5466.13 that5466.36 because5466.6 there's5466.85 more5467.09 access,5467.41 because5467.89 there's5468.13 more5468.44 exposure,5468.6 and5470.66 all5470.9 you5471.06 have5471.22 to5471.38 do5471.46 is5471.54 drive5471.7 down5472.02 Main5472.26 Street5472.42 in5472.74 any5472.82 community5473.06 in5473.46 Massachusetts5473.62 from5474.34 7AM5474.66 till5475.3 midnight,5475.54 we5476.18 all5476.42 smell5476.66 more5476.9 marijuana5477.22 that's5477.78 being5477.94 used5478.18 while5478.98 people5479.14 are5479.46 driving5479.62 in5479.94 motor5480.1 vehicles.5480.42 A5480.9 lot5481.06 of5481.22 folks5481.46 are5481.86 youth.5482.49 This5483.28 is5483.45 a5483.69 serious5483.93 issue5484.32 of5484.65 concern.5484.81 So5485.28 outside5485.69 of5486.09 regulating5486.89 the5487.28 industry,5487.36 looking5487.93 at5488.09 licensure,5488.32 looking5488.89 at5489.13 all5489.2 these5489.36 positive5489.69 aspects5490.32 of5490.73 expansion,5490.97 are5492.01 there5492.16 other5492.41 things5492.65 that5492.97 we5493.2 should5493.36 be5493.6 looking5493.77 at5494.09 in5494.32 terms5494.49 of5494.73 exposure5494.89 particularly5495.45 to5495.93 youth5496.09 and5497.01 also5497.17 the5497.41 use5497.89 of5498.13 cannabis5498.69 products5499.25 behind5500.61 the5500.93 wheels5501.09 of5501.49 the5501.73 car5501.89 and5502.21 other5503.01 things?5503.81 I'd5503.97 like5504.05 to5504.21 get5504.37 your5504.53 thoughts5504.93 on5505.25 kind5505.73 of5505.89 in5506.13 general5506.29 about5506.69 all5506.93 that.5507.01
5508.21 ROY5508.21 -5508.21 Thank5508.21 you,5508.37 Rep5508.85 Smola.5509.17 It's5509.17 a5509.33 great5509.65 question5509.89 and,5510.93 actually,5511.73 one5512.05 near5512.21 and5512.37 dear5512.57 to5512.74 my5512.82 heart.5512.98 And5513.02 I5513.3 wanna5513.45 thank5513.61 the5513.85 legislature5514.1 because5514.82 for5515.45 your5515.61 infinite5515.78 wisdom5516.18 of5516.49 having5516.66 us5516.98 have5517.22 legislative5518.1 mandates5518.66 that5519.22 require5519.53 us5520.02 to5520.26 look5520.41 at5520.66 trends,5520.82 social5522.98 trends5523.38 and5525.65 usage.5525.97 And5525.97 our5525.97 research5526.29 team,5526.69 nationally5527.01 recognized5527.73 research5528.29 team,5528.69 every5529.09 other5529.33 year5529.49 produces5529.81 that5530.37 report.5530.69 In5531.81 regards5532.05 to5532.45 driving,5532.61 I'm5533.01 really5533.17 proud5533.41 to5533.73 say5533.89 that,5534.05 when5534.53 I5534.69 started5534.85 as5535.09 a5535.25 commissioner5535.33 about5535.81 three5536.05 years5536.21 ago,5536.45 it5536.93 was5537.09 brought5537.25 to5537.41 my5537.57 attention,5537.81 at5538.61 the5538.77 time,5538.93 that5539.17 there5539.41 was5539.57 no5539.81 cannabis5540.77 impairment5541.26 taught5541.65 in5541.9 any5542.14 of5542.3 our5542.53 driving5542.77 schools5543.18 across5543.49 the5543.9 Commonwealth.5543.98 There5544.85 was5545.02 alcohol5545.18 impairment5545.81 curriculum,5546.45 as5546.94 there5547.18 should5547.34 be,5547.49 but5547.73 there5547.98 was5548.14 no5548.3 cannabis5549.02 impairment.5549.65
5550.22 So5550.22 I5550.45 took5550.61 that5550.85 as5552.05 a5552.22 personal5552.38 mission5553.41 for5554.61 myself5554.77 and5555.25 created5555.49 a5555.81 working5555.97 group5556.29 with5556.69 the5557.73 Registrar5559.89 of5560.45 Motor5560.45 Vehicles,5560.45 UMass5560.45 Amherst.5560.45 We5561.09 had5561.17 some5561.41 researchers5561.65 there,5562.29 AAA5563.17 Northeast,5563.65 EOPSS.5566.21 And5566.45 we5566.45 put5566.61 together,5566.85 AAA,5567.97 had5568.45 a5568.53 curriculum5568.61 already5569.25 built5569.65 that5569.97 was5570.28 based5571.09 on5571.41 empirical5571.56 data5572.13 peer5572.77 reviewed5573.01 by5573.41 Brown5573.56 University5573.97 for5574.52 accuracy.5574.85 We5576.13 took5576.2 an5576.45 iteration5576.6 of5577.09 that,5577.24 and5577.65 we5577.81 filmed5578.05 it5578.28 in5578.45 Massachusetts,5579.41 conducive5580.05 with5580.69 Massachusetts5580.93 laws5581.73 and5582.05 regulations.5582.2 And5583.46 it's5583.7 called5583.78 shifting5584.18 gears,5584.5 the5584.82 blunt5584.98 truth5585.14 about5585.46 marijuana5585.7 and5586.18 driving.5586.34 And5586.66 Massachusetts5586.98 was5587.78 the5588.02 first5588.1 state5588.74 in5589.06 the5589.22 nation5589.3 to5590.34 mandate5590.58 cannabis5592.02 impairment5592.5 curriculum5592.98 to5593.62 all5593.86 the5594.1 young5594.18 people5594.42 in5594.9 Massachusetts.5595.14 So5596.99 since5597.15 then,5597.4 50,0005597.72 young5598.68 people,5598.84 each5600.03 year5600.27 in5600.59 the5600.68 driving5600.91 schools5601.23 of5601.48 Massachusetts5601.64 receive5603.15 information5603.72 that's5604.44 not5604.68 stigmatization5604.99 but5606.68 empirical5606.91 data.5607.55
5607.88 If5607.88 you5608.03 feel5608.19 different,5608.44 you5608.76 drive5609.55 different.5609.72 And5609.72 to5609.72 be5609.8 aware,5609.95 and5610.35 we5610.52 you5610.83 to5610.91 be5611.07 safe,5611.15 and5611.79 we5611.95 want5612.03 you5612.19 to5612.35 make5612.43 safe5612.67 decisions5612.99 at5613.39 the5613.55 end5613.71 of5613.87 the5614.03 day,5614.11 and5614.83 ride5615.63 share5615.95 or5616.27 and5616.67 from5616.75 an5616.99 adult5617.07 that,5617.39 you5617.95 know.5618.11 But,5618.35 since5618.99 then,5619.31 other5619.63 state5620.03 states5620.43 have5620.75 followed5620.91 suit.5621.31 Connecticut,5621.55 I5622.03 believe5622.11 Rhode5622.43 Island.5622.67 So5622.83 we're5622.99 a5623.23 model.5623.31 We're5623.63 a5623.79 national5623.87 model5624.27 for5624.75 keeping5625.03 our5625.35 young5625.44 people5625.68 safe5625.99 when5626.23 it5626.48 comes5626.56 to5626.72 cannabis5626.88 impairment5627.27 behind5627.84 the5628.16 wheel.5628.23 We5630.23 have5630.4 strict5630.64 age5631.03 gates5631.27 in5631.84 Massachusetts,5632.07 215633.35 and5633.84 older,5634.07 unless5634.31 you're5634.64 a5634.88 pediatric5635.03 patient5635.6 and5636.4 you5636.56 have5636.8 certification,5637.21 write5637.93 offs5638.17 from5638.33 two5640.25 physicians.5640.73 IDs5640.73 are5641.21 checked5641.37 at5641.77 the5641.93 door5642.09 and,5642.57 again,5642.89 checked5643.37 at5643.69 the5643.77 point5643.93 of5644.17 sale.5644.41 So5645.69 I5646.33 can5646.57 say5647.13 this,5647.29 look5648.01 all5648.25 of5648.41 you5648.57 in5648.73 the5648.89 eye5649.05 and5649.21 say5649.37 that,5649.61 we5650.41 have5650.57 very5650.89 strict5651.21 age5651.61 gates5651.85 at5652.43 all5652.74 of5652.82 our5653.07 dispensaries5653.31 across5653.86 the5654.19 Commonwealth5654.35 of5654.74 Massachusetts.5654.99
5656.66 Having5656.66 said5656.99 that,5657.23 there5657.47 is5657.63 an5657.7 illicit5657.95 market,5658.99 right?5659.31 And5659.31 I've5659.86 heard5660.1 instances5660.27 in5661.07 Worcester5661.23 where,5661.7 young5662.59 people5662.82 brought5663.31 in5663.55 candy5664.03 bar,5664.43 to5665.39 one5665.7 of5665.95 the5666.03 high5666.1 schools5666.27 in5666.59 Worcester.5666.74 I5667.47 would5667.55 say5667.78 that's5667.95 about5668.1 two5669.04 years5669.2 ago,5669.36 and5670.48 it5670.72 was5670.88 a5671.04 Willy5671.2 Wonka5671.52 bar.5671.92 And5672.8 we5673.84 don't5674 offer5674.32 Willy5674.96 Wonka5675.28 bars5676.08 like5676.4 that5676.56 because5676.8 anything5677.6 that's5677.92 marketed5678.4 to5678.88 young5679.04 people,5679.2 whether5679.68 it's5680 celebrities5681.35 or5682.4 athletes,5682.88 they5685.11 can't5685.27 intentionally5685.6 be5686.07 marketed5686.15 to5686.56 young5686.72 people,5686.95 neon5687.35 colors5687.84 or5688.31 cartoons.5688.64 And5689.99 we5690.15 have5690.31 a5690.4 product5690.56 catalog.5690.88 So5691.27 if5691.44 you're5691.6 ever5691.76 interested5692.07 in5692.48 what5692.64 products5692.88 are5693.27 available5693.52 in5693.91 the5694.07 market,5694.15 you5694.89 can5694.97 go5695.13 to5695.21 our5695.29 product5695.45 catalog5696.01 on5696.41 the5696.57 website.5696.73 But,5698.25 you5698.57 know,5698.81 we5699.05 always5699.21 say,5699.45 if5699.77 you're5699.93 gonna5700.09 consume,5700.33 please5700.73 consume5701.13 safely5701.61 and5702.01 responsibly.5702.25 And5702.89 what5703.21 does5703.37 responsibly5703.53 mean?5704.17 If5704.81 you5704.97 have5705.13 young5705.45 people,5705.69 teenagers,5706.17 pets,5706.99 you5707.95 need5708.1 to5708.27 lock5708.43 up5708.66 your5708.74 products5708.99 because5709.39 there5709.7 is5709.86 that5710.03 gray5710.27 area5710.66 where5711.23 what5712.1 happens5712.27 in5712.74 a5712.82 closed5712.99 door5713.95 setting5714.27 at5714.59 home,5714.74 is5715.86 tricky,5716.19 you5717.55 know,5717.63 to5717.86 make5718.84 sure5719.08 that5719.32 everybody5719.56 is5719.8 locking5720.68 up5721 their5721.16 products5721.4 safely.5722.04 So5723.08 that5723.32 is5723.48 an5723.72 issue.5723.8
5724.76 Now,5724.92 do5724.92 we5725.08 have5725.16 the5725.32 exact5725.48 numbers?5725.88 I5726.2 don't5726.28 know5726.52 what5726.6 those5726.84 are.5727.08 I5727.32 know5727.4 we're5727.56 in5727.72 the5727.88 process5728.04 of5728.44 looking5728.6 at5728.92 trends5729.08 again,5729.4 and5729.72 the5729.88 report5730.04 now,5730.36 I5730.6 think,5730.68 is5730.92 over5731.56 a5731.72 year5731.88 old.5732.12 We5732.64 can5732.8 get5732.95 that5733.11 to5733.35 you,5733.44 the5733.68 trends5733.91 report.5734.31 But,5735.44 you5735.68 know,5735.76 we5735.91 wanna5736.16 educate5736.48 our5736.95 young5737.11 people,5737.6 right?5737.91 Because5737.91 brains5738.23 develop5738.64 up5739.11 until5739.27 you're5739.6 245739.84 years5740.4 of5740.64 age,5741.6 and5742.48 we5742.64 don't5742.72 want5743.6 young5744.07 people5744.4 to5744.64 affect5744.88 their5745.11 development5745.27 of5745.84 their5745.99 brains.5746.16 So5746.48 but,5746.89 you5747.07 know,5747.15 young5747.47 people5747.55 do5747.95 need5748.11 it5748.27 for5748.35 medicinal5748.59 purpose,5749.07 so5749.31 I5749.55 don't5749.63 wanna5749.79 sound5750.03 like5750.19 I'm5750.35 stigmatizing.5750.59 But5751.87 we5752.11 do,5752.27 we5752.59 have5752.75 more5752.99 about5753.23 MJ,5754.19 which,5755.23 talks5755.95 about5756.27 safe5756.51 practices.5756.83 We5757.95 are5758.35 proud5758.51 to5758.83 be5760.52 one5760.77 of5760.77 the5760.93 cosponsors5761.48 of5762.2 the5762.36 driver's5762.6 ed.5763.01 So5763.4 we5763.65 are5763.8 doing5764.05 things.5764.28 We5764.93 don't5765.16 have5765.4 a5765.56 budget,5765.65 though,5765.97 for5766.28 consumer5766.52 and5767.09 patient5767.16 education.5767.56 We're5768.44 mandated5768.69 to5769.24 do5769.32 so.5769.56 And5770.84 we,5771.24 respectfully,5771.24 we5772.6 do5772.77 ask5774.21 for5774.37 that5774.61 each5774.85 year5775.01 and5775.33 it5775.57 has5775.65 not5775.89 been5776.05 funded.5776.37 So5776.85 we're5778.29 doing5778.53 stuff5778.85 with5779.17 0.005779.89 and5781.81 it's5781.97 tricky.5782.13 And5783.17 driver's5783.65 ed5784.13 I5784.45 did5784.53 with5784.77 no5784.93 budget,5785.97 people5786.37 donated,5786.37 their5787.26 resources.5787.49 So5788.06 we5788.61 wanna5788.77 educate5789.18 but5789.98 just5789.98 don't5790.22 have5790.45 the5790.61 funding5790.77 to5791.18 educate.5791.34 So5791.74 I'm5791.9 sorry5792.06 I5792.22 don't5792.3 have5792.45 specific5792.7 stats.5793.26 I5793.57 can5793.74 get5793.9 that5794.06 to5794.3 you,5794.38 but5794.53 that5794.77 kind5794.94 of5795.18 gives5795.18 you5795.41 a5795.49 high5795.66 level5795.81 assessment.5796.22 Thank5797.1 you.5797.26
5798.06 SMOLA5798.06 -5798.06 I5798.06 appreciate5798.14 that.5798.61 Just5798.77 as5799.02 a5799.1 really5799.18 quick5799.41 follow-up,5799.7 I5799.94 know5800.02 there's5800.26 a5800.34 lot5800.42 of5800.5 people5800.58 that5800.82 have5801.06 questions,5801.22 but5801.7 that5802.34 data,5802.58 I5802.98 think,5803.06 is5803.3 gonna5803.46 matter5803.7 most5804.18 of5804.98 all5805.22 in5805.86 terms5806.02 of5806.34 as5806.58 we5806.74 look5806.9 at5807.06 additional5807.22 appropriation5807.78 for5808.66 whatever5809.06 category5809.54 you're5810.74 seeking5811.06 it.5811.38 And5812.9 so5813.06 I5813.3 think,5813.38 you5813.78 know,5813.94 getting5814.18 that5814.49 to5814.98 us5815.22 is5815.7 going5815.85 to5816.1 be5816.26 of5816.49 great5816.66 value5816.98 to5817.45 the5817.53 committee5817.7 because,5818.18 you5818.57 know,5818.74 we5818.9 make5819.06 those5819.3 investments5819.61 based5820.1 upon5820.41 the5820.74 intel5820.98 and5821.3 the5821.45 information5821.53 that5821.94 we're5822.1 getting5822.26 back.5822.49 And,5822.74 again,5822.9 it's5823.14 a5823.3 new5823.38 industry,5823.53 and5824.1 I5824.26 know5824.34 you're5824.57 all5824.74 working5824.9 hard.5825.22 And5825.45 I5825.7 don't5825.94 want5826.1 to5826.5 sound5826.66 like5826.9 I'm5827.06 trying5827.46 to5827.62 come5827.7 down5827.86 on5828.1 you5828.26 specifically5828.5 because5828.98 I5829.62 know5829.78 you're5829.94 doing5830.1 everything5830.34 you5830.82 possibly5830.98 can5831.38 under5831.62 the5831.86 circumstances.5832.1 But5832.82 as5832.98 the5833.14 evolution5833.78 of5834.26 this5834.34 industry5834.5 moves5834.98 forward,5835.3 it's5835.7 an5835.94 ever5835.94 changing5836.18 platform.5836.58 As5837.38 competition5837.54 in5838.1 other5838.18 states5838.42 come5838.66 online,5838.9 as5839.62 their5840.26 standards5840.5 change5841.06 or5841.46 they5841.62 bring5841.85 them5842.1 online5842.26 to5842.57 begin5842.81 with,5843.06 it's5844.18 important5844.41 that5844.73 the5844.98 Commonwealth5845.06 make5845.69 sure5845.85 that5846.02 we5846.18 are5846.34 on5846.49 top5846.65 of5846.81 all5846.9 this5847.06 stuff5847.22 and5847.45 that5847.61 we5847.77 react5848.02 accordingly.5848.73 And5849.53 so5849.61 that's5849.85 gonna5850.02 be5850.18 based5850.34 on5850.49 good5850.65 data5850.81 that's5851.3 provided5851.61 to5852.1 the5852.65 committee5852.9 and5853.22 the5853.38 legislature5853.45 overall.5854.02 So5854.41 anything5854.65 that5854.98 you5855.14 can5855.22 provide5855.43 us5855.67 with5856.63 respect5856.87 to5857.35 usage5857.75 and5858.39 being5858.55 able5858.79 to5859.03 draw5859.43 that5859.75 correlation5859.99 between,5860.55 usage5861.43 and5861.75 the5861.91 time5861.99 that's5862.23 been5862.39 around,5862.55 I5862.79 think,5862.95 is5863.03 gonna5863.19 be5863.43 very5863.59 helpful.5863.83 So5864.07 thank5864.23 you5864.39 for5864.47 your5864.63 testimony.5864.71
5865.19 ROY5865.19 -5865.19 We5865.19 can5865.27 get5865.43 that5865.59 sent5865.83 out5866.07 to5866.15 the5866.23 committee,5866.39 very5867.51 soon.5867.83 And5868.15 a5868.39 trend5868.55 that5868.87 we5868.95 do5869.11 see5869.35 with5869.51 young5869.67 people,5870.16 mostly5870.4 college5870.81 age5871.05 and5871.28 young5871.6 adults,5871.77 is5872.32 there's5872.56 a5872.81 shift5872.89 from5873.13 alcohol5873.36 use5873.84 to5874.09 cannabis5874.24 use,5874.73 and5874.97 we5875.13 have5875.28 seen5875.52 those5875.84 numbers5876.09 shift.5877.13
5878.24 SPEAKER25878.24 -5878.24 Thank5878.24 you.5878.48
5880.48 SPEAKER15880.48 -5880.48 Thank5880.48 you.5880.73 I5881.2 wanna5881.36 pause5881.69 here5882.09 for5882.48 a5883.31 second.5883.47 There5883.87 are5884.19 about5884.35 1,5884.91 2,5885.15 3,5885.63 4,5885.87 5,5886.27 6,5886.67 or5887.87 members5888.03 that5888.43 have5888.75 questions.5889.23 However,5889.87 we're5890.35 approaching5890.59 the5891.07 01:005891.15 hour,5891.87 and5892.59 I5892.75 know5892.83 this5893.07 is5893.31 a5893.39 marathon,5893.55 session5894.83 for5895.31 a5895.55 lot5895.63 of5895.79 us.5895.95 A5896.27 lot5896.43 of5896.59 you5896.75 were,5896.91 here5897.78 at5897.9 10AM.5898.02 So5899.22 what5899.45 I5899.7 wanna5899.78 say5900.1 is5900.26 that5900.41 lunch5900.74 is5901.06 ready5901.3 downstairs.5901.78 If5903.14 there's5903.3 anybody5903.61 who5904.1 wants5904.49 to5904.9 go5905.06 down,5905.3 now,5906.74 to5908.1 to5908.41 grab5908.66 lunch5908.98 or5909.3 anybody5909.53 in5909.94 the5910.02 in5910.18 the5910.34 next5910.49 half5910.74 half5911.01 hour5911.17 that5911.41 wants5911.49 to,5911.89 go5912.45 down5912.69 after5912.93 question.5913.73 We'll5914.29 take5914.45 a5914.69 a5915.01 quick5915.09 break.5915.49 But5916.21 what5916.53 I5916.69 wanna5916.77 do5917.01 is5917.17 try5917.33 to5917.49 keep5917.65 us5917.97 on5918.13 target5918.37 and5918.93 have,5919.01 the5920.77 secretary5921.01 of5921.57 labor5921.73 begin5922.13 her5922.45 testimony5922.77 between5923.81 01:50,5924.29 01:20,5927.53 15928.18 25.5928.41 So5929.78 if5930.26 if5930.66 you'd5930.98 like5931.3 to5931.45 go5931.61 down5931.94 now,5932.18 lunch5932.66 is,5932.9 ready5933.53 to5933.86 be5934.02 served.5934.26 If5935.06 you5935.22 wanna5935.38 wait5935.7 because5935.94 you're5936.18 interested5936.41 in5936.9 the5937.06 questions,5937.22 by5937.86 all5938.1 means,5938.26 wait5939.78 and5940.47 listen5940.71 to5940.87 the5941.11 questions.5941.35 And5942.23 then5942.39 let's5942.63 all5943.03 figure5943.27 on5943.67 being5943.99 back5944.39 up5944.63 here5944.87 around5945.91 01:20.5946.31 Thank5947.51 you.5947.83 Okay.5949.51 Next5949.83 up5950.15 is5950.47 senator5950.71 Gomez.5951.19
5953.94 SEN5953.94 GOMEZ5953.94 -5953.94 Thank5953.94 you,5954.1 Madam5954.74 Chair.5956.26 I5956.26 will5956.41 try5956.66 to5956.9 be5957.14 quick.5957.3 I5957.61 do5957.77 have5957.94 quite5958.9 a5959.14 few5959.3 questions.5959.53 So5960.81 please5961.06 committee5961.38 and5961.85 individuals,5962.26 bear5964.62 with5964.86 me.5965.74 Obviously,5966.06 I'm5968.06 very5968.22 humbled5968.54 to5968.86 be5969.02 appointed5969.26 as5970.14 chair5970.54 again5970.86 to5971.34 cannabis5971.98 policy.5972.54 So5973.42 a5973.66 lot5973.74 of5973.9 these5974.06 questions5974.22 are5974.62 things5974.78 that5976.54 you5976.78 guys5976.94 are5977.26 requesting5977.9 for.5978.3 So,5978.7 1,5978.94 Travis,5979.34 welcome5979.74 to5980.14 the5980.22 team.5980.38 Nice5980.78 to5980.94 see5981.02 both5981.26 commissioners5981.49 here5981.9 again.5982.61 And5982.85 salutations5982.85 to5983.41 the5983.57 commissions5983.66 that5984.06 aren't5984.22 here.5984.38 I5984.53 know5984.61 that5984.78 if5985.1 they5985.26 could,5985.41 they5985.66 would.5985.82 And5986.38 I5986.53 know5986.61 you5986.85 guys5986.94 work5987.49 extremely5987.74 hard,5988.3 especially5988.53 when5988.94 it5989.1 comes5989.26 to5989.41 the5989.57 industry.5989.74 Can5991.02 you5991.34 explain5991.58 how5992.22 much5992.46 revenue5992.7 is5993.82 generated5994.22 from5995.34 employee5995.74 badge5996.22 fees5996.62 and5997.1 where5997.98 that5998.22 revenue5998.38 from5999.1 badging5999.42 fees5999.9 goes?6000.38
6007.02 SCHLEGEL6007.02 -6007.02 Employee6007.02 badge6007.57 fees.6007.81 I6008.53 don't6008.61 know6008.77 if6008.94 we,6009.02 I6009.26 don't6009.49 have6009.73 the6009.98 exact6010.14 amount6010.45 of6010.69 employee6010.85 badge6011.41 fees6011.73 because6012.94 there's6013.26 some6013.49 employ6013.73 employees6014.14 that6014.69 have6014.85 badge6015.09 fees6015.41 as6015.9 well6016.14 as6016.45 agent6016.77 badge6017.26 fees.6017.49 All6019.34 revenue6019.58 that6019.98 comes6020.14 into6020.3 the6020.54 commission6020.7 goes6021.1 to6021.26 the6021.34 marijuana6021.42 regulation6021.9 fund.6022.54 We6022.86 hold6023.02 on6023.18 to6023.42 no6023.66 revenue.6023.82 Everything6024.3 that6025.42 comes6025.58 in6025.74 is6025.98 automatically6026.14 transferred6026.7 to6027.1 the6027.26 marijuana6027.34 regulation6027.82 fund.6028.3 But6028.86 we6028.94 can6029.1 get6029.26 you6029.42 the6029.66 breakdown6029.82 of6030.46 employees.6031.59
6032.4 GOMEZ6032.4 -6032.4 I6032.4 would6032.48 love6032.64 that.6032.88 Thank6033.03 you.6033.19 And6033.84 if6033.99 the6034.07 state6034.23 was6034.48 to6034.64 approve6034.8 the6035.11 $187,0006035.68 to6036.88 the6037.03 budget6037.19 increase6037.52 for6038.31 badging,6038.55 will6039.03 employers6039.27 still6040.48 need6040.72 to6040.95 absorb6041.11 the6041.52 cost6041.68 of6041.91 employee6042.15 badges?6042.64
6044.92 SCHLEGEL6046.28 -6046.28 187,000?6046.44
6046.6 GOMEZ6046.6 -6046.6 I6046.6 believe6046.68 187,0006047.64 is6048.52 the6048.68 request.6048.84
6049.88 SCHLEGEL6049.88 -6049.88 That's6049.88 for6050.12 all6050.28 badge6050.44 fees.6050.92
6050.92 GOMEZ6050.92 -6050.92 Increase6050.92 for6051.32 all6051.48 badge6051.64 fees?6051.88
6052.2 SCHLEGEL6052.2 -6052.2 All6052.2 badge6052.36 fees,6052.68 including6052.84 patient6053.32 registration6053.8 fees,6054.44 we're6054.84 looking6055.08 to6055.4 digitize6055.64 instead6057.11 of,6057.35 right6058.7 now,6058.86 they're6059.19 all6060.15 paper6060.39 issued6060.7 registration6061.19 fees6061.82 for6062.07 patients,6062.23 and6063.27 employee6063.74 badges,6064.31 and6064.78 licensee6065.35 badges.6065.99 They're6067.27 plastic6068.15 or6069.54 paper,6069.78 and6070.58 we're6070.9 looking6071.06 to6071.38 change6071.62 off6072.02 of6072.18 that6072.34 and6072.5 go6072.66 to6072.82 a6072.98 digital6073.14 or6073.46 electronic6073.78 badging6074.26 system.6074.66 So6075.46 there's6075.78 some6076.02 implementation6076.18 cost6076.98 in6077.22 that6077.38 as6077.62 well.6077.7
6078.58 GOMEZ6078.58 -6078.58 So6078.58 the6079.06 question6079.22 was,6079.54 just6080.9 specifically,6081.14 would6082.18 it6082.42 eliminate6082.58 employers6083.84 having6084.48 to6084.8 pay6084.95 for6085.2 the6085.35 badges6085.52 entirely6086.8 or6087.44 they6087.6 would6087.76 have6087.91 to,6088.16 because6089.76 I6090.07 know6090.16 right6090.32 now6090.48 there's6090.64 a6090.88 badge6091.03 fee.6091.28 Transitioning6092.16 from6092.8 that,6093.03 is6093.28 the6093.68 $187,0006094.4 just6095.84 to6096.16 transition6096.32 into6097.23 a6097.63 digitized6097.71 more6098.35 efficient6098.67 manner,6099.15 or6099.71 does6100.19 that6100.35 eliminate6100.59 badge6101.07 fees6101.39 is6101.63 the6101.71 question6101.87 that6102.19 I'm6102.35 asking?6102.51 And6103.07 the6103.71 commission6103.95 or6104.27 anybody6104.43 can6104.91 take6105.07 that6105.23 question.6105.39
6106.91 SPEAKER336106.91 -6106.91 Mhmm.6106.91 You're6107.07 saying6107.23 we6107.55 bad6107.79 to6107.95 decide,6108.11 but6108.35 you're6108.51 talking6108.67 about6108.91 commission6109.15 employees.6109.55
6109.95 SPEAKER176109.95 -6109.95 Not6109.95 a6110.19 not6110.27 a6110.51 problem,6110.59 man.6110.91
6113.06 STEBBINS6113.06 -6113.06 Just6113.06 to6113.38 add6114.1 on6114.34 the6114.41 question6114.98 of6115.3 badging,6115.53 right6116.02 now,6116.26 it6116.73 is6116.98 the6117.77 licensee6118.02 who6118.65 carries6118.81 that6119.3 cost6119.45 for6119.77 their6119.94 employee.6120.26 I6121.53 will6121.69 tell6121.85 you6122.1 we6122.34 have6122.49 heard6122.73 a6123.22 lot6123.38 from6123.61 the6123.85 industry6124.02 about6124.9 badging.6126.36 Senator,6127.88 if6128.36 you6128.52 were6128.68 to6129 work6129.16 for6129.48 the6129.64 same6129.72 business6130.04 that6130.52 might6130.84 have6131 three6131.24 or6131.4 four6131.64 up6132.44 to6132.6 96132.76 licenses,6133.16 you'd6134.44 have6134.76 to,6135 they'd6135.56 be6135.8 paying6136.12 for6136.44 a6136.68 badge6136.84 for6137.16 every6137.32 licensee6137.72 that6138.36 you6138.6 worked6138.76 for.6139 I6140.38 have6140.53 a6142.06 strong6142.22 interest6142.53 in6142.94 changing6143.18 our6143.66 regulations6144.06 around6144.7 badging.6145.02 I6145.49 think6145.57 we're6145.82 ready6146.06 to6146.38 modernize6147.02 that6147.74 process,6147.98 implementing6149.1 a6149.66 digital6149.82 badging6150.22 process.6150.7 But6151.18 if6151.41 you6151.57 work6151.82 for6152.14 one6152.38 employer,6152.78 you6153.9 should6154.06 have6154.38 one6154.53 badge.6154.78 We6156.59 also6156.83 do6157.23 allow6157.47 that6157.79 if6158.03 somebody6158.19 is6158.75 maintaining6159.31 a6159.87 good6159.95 track6160.19 record6160.43 that6160.83 that6161.07 badge6161.31 renewal6161.63 could6162.11 be6162.27 extended6162.51 out6162.99 to6163.15 three6163.31 years.6163.55
6165.95 Another6165.95 challenge6166.43 that6166.91 we6167.15 have6167.31 with6167.47 badging,6167.71 and,6168.03 again,6168.19 a6168.51 reason6168.67 I6169.07 wanna6169.23 address6169.72 this6170.11 in6170.35 regs,6170.51 is6170.99 that,6171.15 if6172.35 any6172.84 of6172.99 us6173.15 were6173.39 working6173.64 in6173.88 a6174.03 marijuana6174.19 establishment6174.76 and6175.47 were6175.64 laid6175.8 off6176.03 tomorrow,6176.27 we'd6177.23 have6177.47 to6177.64 go6177.8 through6177.95 a6178.19 whole6178.27 badging6178.51 process6178.91 again6179.31 with6179.64 a6179.8 new6179.95 employer.6180.19 I'd6180.99 like6181.23 to6181.47 find6181.64 a6181.88 way6181.95 to6182.11 make6182.27 that6182.43 transition6182.76 smoother.6183.39 We6184.87 know6184.95 people6185.19 need6185.43 to6185.67 support6186.15 their6186.47 families.6186.71 We6187.19 don't6187.35 want6187.59 them6187.75 to6187.99 leave6188.15 the6188.47 industry.6188.63 We6189.11 want6189.35 a6189.51 way6189.59 to6189.99 allow6190.23 them6190.47 to6190.79 easily6191.35 slide6191.99 into6192.31 a6192.63 position6192.79 with6193.19 another6193.43 cannabis6193.75 licensee.6194.47 And6195.99 we6196.15 also6196.31 wanna6196.63 make6196.95 sure6197.19 that,6199.9 and6199.9 we6199.98 heard6200.06 this6200.3 from6200.61 our6200.85 outdoor6201.26 cultivators,6201.74 that6202.78 they6203.49 don't6203.66 need6203.98 people6204.22 for6205.1 an6205.26 entire6205.41 year.6205.82 They6206.14 need6206.38 people6206.61 specifically6207.49 around6208.14 cultivation.6208.53 I6210.7 would6210.78 love6211.02 to6211.26 see6211.41 our6211.66 badging6211.98 system6212.53 be6213.1 able6213.18 to6213.49 allow6213.57 people6214.17 to6214.41 move6214.57 employees6214.73 between6215.53 licensees6216.09 for6216.81 a6216.97 period6217.13 of6217.45 time.6217.61 So6218.41 your6218.73 employees6218.97 could6219.37 help6219.61 me6220.33 out6220.57 when6220.81 I'm6220.97 ready6221.13 to6221.37 cultivate6221.53 and6222.01 vice6222.25 versa.6222.49 So6223.05 there6223.61 are6223.77 definitely6223.85 some6224.33 changes6224.57 to6224.97 badging6225.21 that6225.53 we6225.69 need6225.85 to6226.09 make.6226.17 One6227.73 badge6228.14 per6228.45 employee6228.77 per6229.49 licensee,6229.81 one6231.9 badge6232.14 per6232.53 agent6232.77 per6233.26 employer,6233.57 as6235.18 well6235.49 as6235.81 looking6236.14 at,6236.45 you6236.69 know,6236.85 how6237.26 can6237.41 we,6237.65 somebody6239.09 who6239.57 loses6239.65 their6240.14 job6240.3 not6240.61 have6240.77 to6241.01 go6241.09 all6241.34 the6241.49 way6241.57 back6241.73 through6241.97 the6242.14 registration6242.3 process6243.27 again.6243.51 So6244.07 there's6244.31 a6244.55 lot6244.71 of6244.95 work6245.11 that6245.43 we're6245.67 focused6245.91 on6246.31 doing6246.55 around6246.95 badging6247.27 in6248.47 the6248.63 coming6248.79 year,6249.11 and,6249.27 obviously,6249.51 moving6250.07 to6250.39 digital6250.55 badges6250.95 would6251.43 be6251.67 a6251.99 tremendous6252.15 help.6252.71
6253.75 GOMEZ6253.75 -6253.75 Thank6253.75 you6253.99 for6254.15 that6254.31 answer.6254.47 When6257.65 going6258.05 through6258.28 the6258.52 Commonwealth6258.69 and6259.16 going6260.13 to6260.36 different6260.6 parts6260.93 of6261.16 different6261.32 parts6261.65 of6261.89 the6261.97 business,6262.13 I6262.69 did6262.84 recognize6263.16 that6263.56 I6263.73 had6263.81 to6263.97 take6264.13 one6264.28 badge6264.52 off6264.84 to6265.01 put6265.16 another6265.32 badge6265.65 on6266.05 to6266.52 different6266.69 parts6267.01 of6267.32 the6267.4 facility.6267.56 And,6268.2 obviously,6268.44 the6268.93 overhead6269.09 cost6269.48 that6269.81 some6269.97 of6270.13 these6270.2 employers6271.65 have6272.75 to6272.91 take6273.15 on6273.51 versus,6273.87 we6274.67 know6274.83 how6274.99 volatile6275.23 the6275.87 industry,6277.31 if6277.71 you6277.71 understand6277.95 it6278.35 and6278.59 know6278.67 it,6278.91 obviously,6278.99 I've6279.39 been6279.55 a6279.63 part6279.71 of6279.95 it6280.03 for6280.19 a6280.27 little6280.35 while6280.59 now.6280.75 That's6281.63 the6281.87 reason6282.03 of6282.35 my6282.51 question6282.59 with6282.91 badging.6283.15 I6283.63 have6283.71 some6284.43 more6284.67 further6284.91 questions6285.15 into6285.71 social6286.19 equity,6288.02 the6288.27 social6288.27 equity6288.59 fund.6288.98 And6289.31 it's,6289.47 how6290.66 many6290.82 social6291.15 equity6291.55 cohorts6292.1 have6292.9 been6294.19 run6294.35 so6294.74 far6294.9 in6295.86 the6296.02 state?6296.19
6297.31 STEBBINS6297.31 -6297.31 We6297.31 have6297.55 had6297.7 four6298.1 cohorts6298.66 and6299.24 about6299.4 1,1006299.8 people6300.6 go6301 through6301.16 our6301.64 social6302.12 equity6302.52 program.6302.92
6304.52 GOMEZ6304.52 -6304.52 Do6304.52 current6305.08 and6305.48 past6305.48 programs6305.8 participants6306.68 have6307.32 access6307.72 to6308.2 all6308.44 of6308.6 the6308.76 training6308.92 and6309.4 resources6309.64 from6310.28 the6310.52 past6310.6 social6310.92 equity6311.32 program6311.89 cohorts?6312.28 If6313.01 so,6313.24 can6313.49 you6313.73 explain6313.97 how6314.45 the6314.77 resource6314.93 center6315.41 and6316.13 modules6316.36 will6316.93 be6317.09 different6317.32 or6317.81 expanded6318.13 from6319.16 past6320.36 classes?6320.69 And,6321.56 obviously,6321.81 the6322.2 question6322.36 is6322.69 because6322.85 you6323.65 guys6323.81 are6324.05 asking6324.2 for6324.6 a6326.86 total6327.1 of6327.58 8556327.9 more6329.1 and6329.98 increase6330.3 when6330.7 it6330.86 comes6330.94 to6331.18 the6331.26 social6331.34 equity6331.66 program.6332.06
6333.58 STEBBINS6333.58 -6333.58 Great6333.58 question.6333.82 They6334.22 are6334.38 entitled6334.62 to,6335.1 everybody6335.42 is6335.82 entitled6335.98 to6336.7 access6336.86 the6337.42 curriculum.6337.58 I6338.14 would6338.3 say6338.54 the6338.86 curriculum6338.94 changes.6340.06 I6340.7 think6340.78 just6341.31 last6342.03 year,6342.35 we've6342.68 added,6343.07 and6344.35 I6344.51 will6344.68 confirm6344.99 these6345.4 numbers6345.64 for6345.95 you,6346.19 about6346.35 156347.15 or6347.55 206347.72 new6348.35 educational6349.4 segments6350.27 for6351.23 the6351.4 industry.6351.55 A6352.27 lot6352.44 of6352.59 it6353.15 is6353.55 generated6353.88 by6354.44 what6354.68 our6355.65 SCE6355.81 program6356.37 participants6357.01 say6357.65 they're6357.89 looking6358.13 for.6358.53 But6359.73 as6360.05 we6360.29 find6360.45 new6360.77 resources,6361.09 we6361.89 make6362.05 those6362.29 available.6362.53
6364.61 GOMEZ6364.61 -6364.61 I'm6364.61 gonna6364.77 ask6365.01 a6365.25 couple6365.57 questions6365.81 on6366.21 testing.6366.37 The6369.26 commission6369.34 is6369.73 asking6369.9 for6370.22 an6370.38 increase6370.53 of6370.85 378,0006371.02 for6373.18 testing.6373.34 88,0006374.61 maintenance6375.57 increase6375.98 to6376.94 restore6377.09 the6377.65 I6378.69 and6378.85 E6379.18 testing6379.41 analytics6380.05 and6380.69 200,0006380.85 for6382.22 for6382.49 standing6382.57 testings6382.89 lab6383.61 for6383.93 I6384.25 and6384.41 E,6384.57 and6384.81 a6385.05 90,0006385.21 to6385.93 also6386.09 increase6386.49 testing6386.97 and6387.45 analytics.6387.93 Can6391.29 you6391.53 explain6391.77 what6392.49 type6392.73 of6392.97 new6393.13 testing,6393.29 if6393.77 any,6393.93 the6394.25 CCC6394.41 will6395.05 be6395.29 conducting6395.45 with6396.8 this6397.03 additional6397.28 increase6397.91 in6398.4 testing6398.72 dollars?6399.11 And,6400.4 also,6400.56 are6401.11 there6401.28 plans6401.52 to6401.99 update6402.24 the6402.64 current6402.72 testing6403.11 system6403.68 and6404.48 regulations6404.64 to6405.35 create6405.52 standardized6406.31 testing6407.11 across6407.6 the6408.4 testing6408.56 program?6409.11
6411.31 ROY6411.31 -6411.31 The6411.31 short6411.55 answer6411.79 is6412.11 yes,6412.35 yes,6412.59 yes,6412.83 and6413.07 yes.6413.23 But6413.63 thank6414.19 you6414.35 so6414.51 much6414.67 for6414.83 that6414.99 question,6415.23 Senator6415.71 Gomez.6416.11 Sitting6417.23 in6417.47 the6417.63 public6417.71 health6418.03 seat,6418.27 I've6418.59 been6418.75 very6418.99 focused6419.31 on6419.79 testing.6419.95 If6421.07 I6421.31 can6421.39 be6421.63 quite6421.87 honest,6422.11 we6422.67 probably6422.83 should6423.15 have6423.31 requested6423.55 even6424.27 a6424.51 higher6424.66 appropriation6425.31 or6426.35 a6426.51 onetime6426.66 appropriation6427.15 for6427.78 a6428.43 standards6428.59 lab.6428.98 I've6429.63 been6429.78 advocating6430.02 this6430.59 for6430.82 a6430.98 number6431.06 of6431.39 years6431.63 now.6431.86 The6432.66 system6433.39 we6433.86 have,6434.02 quite6434.74 frankly,6434.98 is6435.39 inherently6435.55 conflicted.6436.19 And6437.09 what6437.17 I6437.33 mean6437.41 by6437.61 that6437.81 is,6438.05 we6438.93 have6439.65 126439.97 independent6440.29 testing6440.77 laboratories.6441.25 We6442.29 do6443.81 random6443.97 inspections,6444.53 scheduled6445.33 inspections6445.89 on6446.37 these6446.53 laboratories.6446.77 We6447.41 write6447.65 up6447.81 notices6447.97 of6448.53 deficiencies,6448.69 and6449.99 then6450.23 we6450.31 expect6450.56 them6450.95 to6451.19 be6451.35 the6451.68 independent6451.91 voice6452.56 for6453.27 us6453.44 for6454.4 confirmatory6454.72 testing.6455.52 The6456.88 commission6457.03 is6457.44 in6457.59 the6457.68 process6457.84 of,6458.23 as6458.72 we6458.95 are,6460.95 regulations6461.84 mandate6462.64 us6463.03 to6463.19 do6463.27 so,6463.44 excuse6463.6 me,6463.84 a6464.8 a6464.96 tip6465.12 line,6465.36 because6466.24 we6466.64 are6466.8 getting6467.04 whistleblower6468.16 complaints.6468.88 We6469.6 are6469.84 getting6470.08 tips.6470.48 We6471.28 do6471.52 follow-up6471.76 on6472.24 them.6472.4
6473.52 And,6473.52 recently,6474.48 Senator6475.04 Gomez,6475.36 you6475.68 may6475.84 have6476 seen6476.16 that6476.32 we6476.51 issued6476.66 a6476.98 patient6477.06 and6477.55 consumer6477.7 advisory6478.51 about6478.98 potentially6479.3 contaminated6479.86 products.6480.59 Let6481.39 me6481.63 first6481.78 step6482.19 back6482.51 and6482.66 say6482.82 Massachusetts6483.15 has6483.94 the6484.66 most6484.82 stringent6485.06 testing6485.63 protocols6486.02 in6486.59 the6486.66 nation.6486.82 We6487.55 have6487.78 very6487.94 prescriptive6488.26 action6488.98 limits6489.3 for6489.86 total6490.02 yeast6490.43 and6490.66 mold.6490.82 We6491.39 have6491.55 10,0006491.78 colony6492.56 forming6492.8 units,6492.96 for6493.84 those,6494 where6494.32 other6494.56 states6494.72 like6495.04 Connecticut6495.2 have6495.68 a6495.84 100,0006496.24 colony6496.72 forming6497.04 units.6497.36 We6498.32 need6498.56 to6498.64 take6498.8 a6498.96 holistic6499.12 review6500.08 of6500.96 our6501.12 entire6501.68 testing,6502.16 protocol.6502.96 We6503.52 have6503.68 a6503.76 lot6503.84 of6504.08 sub-regulatory6504.24 guidance6505.36 documents6505.76 that6505.79 perhaps6505.81 need6505.84 to6505.87 be6505.89 put6505.92 in6505.95 a6505.97 regulation.6506 We6506.56 need6511.72 to6512.07 look6512.07 at6512.07 our6512.07 action6512.07 limits.6512.07 As6512.07 just6512.07 one6512.23 example,6512.48 maybe6512.95 we6513.27 need6513.35 to6513.52 be6513.68 strain6513.84 specific6514.23 around6514.8 aspergillus6516.23 and6516.95 Pseudomonas6517.11 as6517.84 other6517.99 states6518.16 are.6518.48 But6519.27 the6519.44 bottom6519.52 line6519.91 is6520.16 we6520.4 want6520.64 honesty6520.95 and6521.44 integrity,6521.68 and6522.16 we6522.31 want6522.48 a6522.64 healthy6522.98 industry.6523.3
6524.02 And6524.02 currently,6524.34 we6525.46 do6525.62 our6525.86 best6526.02 with6526.74 what6526.98 we6527.22 have,6527.38 but6528.34 it6528.5 is6528.66 not6528.9 enough.6529.06 I6529.94 testified6530.26 in6530.74 front6530.9 of6531.14 the6531.22 agriculture6531.38 committee6532.02 about6532.5 intoxicating6532.98 hemp6533.78 and6534.9 folks6535.22 were6535.46 buying6535.7 it6535.94 off6536.18 the6537.27 shelves.6537.51 We6537.84 don't6538.07 regulate6538.4 hemp6538.8 as6539.11 you6539.27 know,6539.35 but6540.07 independent,6540.55 labs6541.44 looked6541.76 at6541.99 them6542.15 and6542.31 said6542.47 there6542.72 were6543.19 things6543.35 in6543.59 there6543.76 they6543.99 couldn't6544.15 identify.6544.47 Remember6544.95 I6545.35 called6545.44 them6545.68 Frankenoids6545.91 or6546.47 Frankenstein6546.72 like6547.44 compounds.6547.76 So6548.72 the6549.03 state,6549.59 to6549.84 safeguard6552.24 health6552.64 and6552.88 consumer6553.04 health,6553.52 we6553.92 need6554.16 to6554.4 be6554.56 able6554.72 to6554.96 independently6555.28 verify6555.92 on6556.4 our6556.56 own.6556.72 The6556.96 commission6557.12 needs6557.6 to6557.84 be6558 able6558.16 to6558.48 say6558.64 this6558.96 potency6560.8 is6561.44 accurate.6561.68 We6562.64 need6562.8 to6562.96 say6563.12 that6563.36 they6564 are6564.24 passing6564.4 total6564.88 yeast6565.44 and6565.76 mold,6565.92 or6566.36 heavy6566.6 metals,6567.65 or6568.05 whatever6568.2 it6568.6 is,6568.77 microtoxins.6569.09 We6569.81 need6570.05 to6570.2 be6570.36 able6570.45 to6570.77 confirm6571.01 that.6571.41 We6571.73 have6571.89 no6572.13 ability.6572.36 We6572.85 had6573.01 a6573.16 RFP6574.05 out6574.52 with6574.69 one6574.85 independent6575.09 testing6575.56 lab.6575.97 It's6576.36 cost6576.77 prohibitive6577.01 to6577.65 run6577.73 a6577.97 few6578.05 panels.6578.28 We6578.69 can't6578.85 do6579.23 that.6579.47
6580.51 So,6580.51 yes,6581.07 we6581.63 need6581.79 to6581.95 do6582.35 a6582.43 deep6582.59 dive6582.83 on6583.15 our6583.31 testing6584.19 regulations.6584.67 We6586.19 need6586.35 to6586.91 have6586.99 a6587.15 more6587.47 robust6587.87 secret6588.83 shopper6589.79 program,6590.11 but6591.07 we're6591.23 unable6591.47 to6591.79 do6591.95 that6592.03 without6592.27 a6592.59 testing6592.67 lab.6593.07 Secret6593.49 shopper6593.81 sounds6594.28 easy,6594.85 right?6595.24 Buy6595.24 the6595.49 weed,6595.65 test6596.05 the6596.28 weed.6596.45 Well,6596.69 who6596.85 buys6597.09 the6597.32 weed?6597.49 Who6597.81 pays6598.05 for6598.28 the6598.45 weed?6598.6 It's6598.93 evidence.6599.24 How6600.05 does6600.2 it6600.36 get6600.53 transported6600.77 as6601.24 evidence?6601.41 Where6601.97 is6602.2 the6602.28 evidence6602.45 room?6602.93 It6603.49 has6603.73 to6603.97 be6604.05 stored6604.45 in6604.85 a6605.01 particular6605.16 temperature6605.73 and6606.2 room.6606.36 Who6607.41 tests6608.44 the6609 weed6609.08 and6609.32 who6609.48 destroys6609.72 of6610.12 it.6610.28 It's6610.44 really6610.76 complicated.6611.08 And6611.88 so6612.04 we're6612.28 doing6612.52 the6612.76 best6612.84 we6613.08 can6613.24 with6613.48 what6613.72 we6613.88 have,6614.04 but6614.6 we6614.92 can't6615.08 guarantee6615.64 without6616.92 being6617.32 able6617.56 to6617.8 independently6617.96 confirm.6619.24 So,6619.88 we6620.9 will6621.15 look6621.47 at6621.7 our6621.86 limits.6622.19 We6622.9 will6623.06 look6623.3 at6623.55 strain6623.7 specific.6624.1 We6624.74 will6624.9 look6625.15 at6625.3 a6625.47 more6625.63 robust6625.78 secret6626.26 shopper6626.59 program,6626.9 and6627.94 all6628.19 of6628.34 these6628.51 things.6628.74
6629.06 Youth6629.06 prevention,6629.3 that's6629.78 another6630.02 thing6630.34 in6630.51 secret6630.66 shopper,6631.39 right?6631.55 We6631.55 talked6631.7 about6631.86 youth,6632.59 Rep6632.82 Smola6632.82 mentioned6633.23 youth6633.55 prevention.6633.78 Well,6634.19 that's6634.34 right6634.59 on6634.82 our6634.9 regulations,6635.06 but6635.7 it's6635.86 really6636.1 hard6636.48 to6636.64 do6636.8 without6636.96 the6637.2 resources.6637.52 So,6638.16 thank6638.88 you6639.04 for6639.2 this6639.36 question.6639.52 It's6639.92 so6640.24 important.6640.48 Testing6641.28 is6641.76 what6642.08 sets6642.4 us6642.64 apart6642.88 from6643.28 the6643.44 illicit6643.6 market.6644.8 And6645.28 we6645.28 don't6645.44 want6645.68 folks6645.92 to6646.16 go6646.32 to6646.48 the6646.64 illicit6646.72 market6647.12 and6647.44 buy6647.52 fentanyl6647.76 laced6648.32 cannabis.6649.24 We6649.48 don't6649.73 want6649.97 that.6650.2 But6651.01 we6651.16 wanna6651.32 make6651.56 sure6651.73 a6652.05 cancer6652.2 patient6652.6 knows6654.13 that6654.6 they6654.84 have6655.09 the6655.24 right6655.32 potency,6655.65 and6656.28 there6656.44 is6656.6 no6656.84 mold6657.09 in6657.56 their6657.8 products.6658.05 And6658.44 so6658.69 I6658.93 may6659.09 sound6659.32 a6659.56 little6659.65 emotional,6660.2 but6660.76 it's6660.93 really6661.16 near6661.4 and6661.56 dear6661.73 to6661.89 my6661.97 heart.6662.13 So6662.28 thank6662.52 you6662.69 so6662.93 much6663.09 for6663.73 that6663.89 question.6664.13
6664.76 GOMEZ6664.76 -6664.76 Thank6664.76 you6665 for6665.16 articulating6665.32 such6667 an6667.24 answer.6667.4 Really6668.28 appreciate6668.68 it.6669.08 You6669.56 alluded6669.8 to6670.2 hemp6671.48 and6672.2 there6672.2 has6672.36 been6672.6 discussions6672.84 to6673.32 regulate6673.48 hemp6673.88 at6675.8 a6675.96 higher6676.12 level.6676.36 Particularly,6676.76 we6677.56 know6677.64 that6677.88 hemp6678.76 is6679.16 looked6681.06 at6681.23 as6681.47 an6681.78 agriculture6682.02 versus,6682.82 and6683.86 you6684.1 had6684.27 gotten6684.51 to6684.91 the6685.55 position6685.95 of6686.43 how6687.15 hemp,6687.55 there6688.19 was6688.43 certain6688.74 things6689.06 when6689.31 it6689.47 was6689.63 tested,6689.86 that6690.59 was6692.27 available6692.59 before6693.15 on6695.23 certain6696.36 shelves6696.36 as6696.36 having6696.52 some6696.84 psychoactive6700.12 whatever6700.12 chemicals6700.6 or6701.64 whatever6701.88 scientifically6702.52 made6703.32 to6704.2 make6704.36 it6704.6 kind6705.16 of6707.08 intoxicating,6708.28 right?6708.28 Has6708.28 the6708.6 commission6708.76 discussed6709.32 what6710.28 the6710.45 cost6710.6 of6711.09 regulating6711.41 the6712.05 industry6712.2 would6712.85 be6713.01 if6713.89 hemp6715.01 was6715.32 to6715.65 be6719.32 legislated6719.89 to6719.89 come6720.13 under6720.36 the6721.89 Cannabis6724.82 Control6724.82 Commission's6724.82 purview,6724.82 I6725.02 think?6725.22
6725.78 ROY6725.78 -6725.78 May6725.78 I6726.02 just,6726.1 thank6726.66 you6726.9 for6727.06 that6727.22 question.6727.38 And6727.86 I6728.02 did6728.1 testify6728.34 in6728.9 front6729.06 of6729.22 the6729.3 agriculture6729.86 committee,6730.42 and6730.74 thank6730.9 you6731.06 so6731.14 much6731.38 for6731.62 the6731.78 invitation.6732.02 I6732.42 actually6732.58 referred6732.9 to6733.14 it6733.3 as6733.46 gas6733.62 station6733.86 weed.6734.18 I6734.66 don't6734.82 know6734.98 if6735.06 you6735.22 remember6735.3 that.6735.62 It6735.94 was6736.18 a6736.42 public6736.5 health6736.9 crisis6737.22 because6737.62 there's6738.18 no6738.5 age6738.74 gate,6740.11 the6740.27 products6740.27 aren't6740.68 properly6740.99 tested.6741.39 Folks6742.43 walking6742.76 in6743.07 at6743.23 gas6743.39 stations6743.64 and6744.11 package6745.55 stores6746.03 buying6746.59 products6746.91 off6747.31 the6747.47 shelf.6747.64 And6748.43 what6748.59 happened6748.84 was6749.15 this6749.47 was6749.64 a6749.8 loophole6749.95 in6750.35 The6750.51 United6750.68 States6751.07 Farm6751.39 Bill.6751.64 As6752.61 we6752.69 know,6752.85 0.36753.17 and6753.65 higher6753.81 is6754.13 cannabis6755.41 and6755.81 under6756.05 is6756.29 hemp.6757.49 And6757.73 we6757.89 are6758.05 so6758.21 grateful6758.37 to6758.85 our6759.01 partners6759.25 at6759.65 MDAR,6759.81 who6760.45 we6760.69 partner6760.85 with6761.17 all6761.41 the6761.57 time.6761.73 But6762.93 it6763.41 kind6763.65 of6763.81 fell6763.97 under6764.29 a6764.85 DPH,6765.09 MDAR,6765.73 a6766.29 little6766.37 bit6766.61 of6766.77 Cannabis6769.06 Control6769.31 Commission,6769.31 ABCC.6769.31 And6769.31 we're6769.31 so6769.47 grateful6769.7 to6770.1 the6770.27 governor6770.43 and6770.98 the6771.23 Department6771.39 of6771.78 Public6771.86 Health6772.1 and6772.51 all6772.74 of6773.06 folks6773.23 on6773.47 the6773.7 committee6773.86 that6774.19 made6774.43 it6774.59 possible6774.74 that6775.15 memo6775.39 was6775.7 issued6775.86 and6776.27 the6776.43 products6776.9 were6777.39 removed6777.55 from6777.94 the6778.1 shelf.6778.27
6779.31 And6779.31 the6779.55 marijuana6779.7 regulation6780.35 fund6780.82 does6781.15 go6781.39 to6781.55 support6781.7 part6782.3 of6782.62 MDAR.6782.7 So6783.66 we'd6783.9 have6784.22 to6784.38 look6784.46 at6784.7 MDAR's6784.86 budget.6785.34 But6786.46 the6786.7 bottom6786.86 line6787.18 is,6787.42 and6788.22 this6788.7 is6788.94 the6789.1 science6789.18 you6789.5 alluded6789.66 to,6790.06 Senator6790.22 Gomez,6790.7 where6791.18 they're6791.42 extracting6792.94 hemp6793.5 and6793.74 making6794.22 it6794.46 psychoactive,6794.7 reconstituting6795.5 it.6796.22 But6796.91 we6797.15 wanna6797.23 make6797.48 sure6797.64 that6797.88 if6798.44 there6798.68 are6798.91 products6799.15 like6799.55 that,6799.72 you6800.68 know,6800.84 maybe6801.07 they're6801.4 sold6801.55 in6801.8 our6801.88 dispensaries,6802.11 right,6802.76 because6802.99 they6803.23 are6803.4 psychoactive.6804.03 So6804.84 I6804.99 think6805.07 we6805.31 need6805.48 a6805.64 holistic6805.8 review6806.27 of6806.59 that.6806.99 And6807.23 I6807.23 don't6807.31 know6807.48 what6807.64 MDAR's6807.88 current6808.35 budget6808.68 is6808.91 but6810.29 I6810.37 know6810.45 we're6810.69 subject6811.01 matter6811.33 experts6811.73 in6812.05 cannabis.6812.29 And6812.85 whatever6813.17 this6813.57 body6813.81 deems6814.13 fit,6814.53 we6814.85 would6815.01 respectfully6815.25 try6816.13 to6816.37 execute.6816.45 So6816.93 I6817.17 I'll6817.41 pass6817.57 it6817.73 on6817.89 to6818.13 Chair6818.61 Stebbins.6823.72
6823.72 STEBBINS6823.72 -6823.72 Senator,6823.72 not6824.19 much6824.43 to6824.68 add6824.84 other6825.07 than6825.31 we6825.8 haven't6825.95 assessed,6826.84 or6828.27 formulated,6828.68 or6829.31 proposed6829.64 any6830.11 budget6830.27 if6830.68 we6830.84 were6830.99 to6831.15 undertake6831.4 any6831.95 type6832.19 of6832.35 that6832.51 activity.6832.68 But6833.23 I6833.4 will6833.47 tell6833.72 you6833.88 that,6834.11 my6835.27 conversations6835.51 with6836.47 the6836.87 ABCC,6837.03 my6838.15 conversations6838.47 with6839.11 the6839.35 commissioner6839.43 of6839.99 public6840.15 health,6840.39 as6841.43 well6841.59 as6841.83 with6842.07 Commissioner6842.23 Randall6842.71 at6843.11 MDAR,6843.35 we're6844.39 all6844.71 focused6844.95 on6845.35 it.6845.51 As6845.75 Commissioner6846.07 Roy6846.63 said,6846.87 we6847.11 tried6847.27 to6847.51 figure6848.3 out6848.61 who6848.77 had6848.94 the6849.18 authority6849.34 to6849.81 address6850.05 the6850.38 problem6850.45 when6850.85 some6851.09 of6851.26 this6851.34 gas6853.41 station6853.73 weed6854.14 started6854.53 showing6854.85 up6855.18 in6855.34 the6855.41 marketplace.6855.57 And,6856.3 you6856.94 know,6857.09 I6857.26 appreciate6857.34 what6857.81 DPH6858.05 and6858.45 ABCC6858.69 did6859.41 to6859.73 request6860.53 that6860.94 it6861.09 all6861.26 be6861.49 pulled6861.65 from6861.9 the6862.05 shelves.6862.22
6863.63 GOMEZ6863.63 -6863.63 Thank6863.63 you.6863.79 I6864.03 have6864.35 one6864.59 last6864.83 question.6865.07 I6866.59 forget6866.75 who6867.15 testified6867.39 on6867.95 the6868.51 conversation6868.75 behind6869.31 accounts6869.79 receivable.6870.27 I6870.75 think6870.83 it6870.95 was6871.07 Travis.6871.39 I'm6872.03 not6872.19 saying6872.35 Travis6872.59 has6872.91 to6873.07 answer6873.15 this6873.47 question,6873.55 but6873.95 what6876.41 percentage6876.65 of6877.13 your6877.28 operating6877.52 budget6878.01 goes6878.65 towards6878.89 monitoring6879.6 businesses6880.16 that6880.73 are6880.97 delinquent6881.2 in6881.93 payments6882.09 towards6882.65 the6883.13 other6883.36 businesses,6883.6 if6884.24 any?6884.56 How6885.36 much6885.6 would6886.01 it6886.24 cost6886.41 to6886.73 establish6886.97 a6887.6 system6887.77 to6888.32 monitor6888.65 these6889.13 businesses6889.52 similar6890.09 to6891 what6891.24 the6891.4 alcohol6891.48 board6891.96 does?6892.2 Would6893.4 the6893.56 commission6893.72 need6894.28 to6894.6 dedicate6894.76 additional6895.48 manpower6896.04 towards6896.76 monitoring6897.4 this6898.68 issue?6898.92
6900.6 STEBBINS6900.6 -6900.6 It's6900.6 a6901.24 great6901.4 question.6901.64 It's6902.04 an6902.28 industry6902.52 question6903.16 and6903.8 it's6904.04 a6904.6 national6904.68 question.6905.24 Right6906.78 now,6907.02 according6907.66 to6908.06 some6908.23 of6908.47 the6908.55 latest6908.7 figures6909.19 we6909.59 have,6909.82 that6910.15 outstanding6910.55 accounts6911.1 receivable6911.59 is6912.23 about6912.47 a6912.7 $36913.74 billion6914.39 problem6914.39 for6914.78 the6914.94 industry.6915.1 The6916.86 industry6917.02 has6917.51 approached6917.82 us.6918.23 They6919.08 have6919.32 asked6919.56 us6919.88 to6920.04 look6920.2 at6920.36 the6920.44 ABCC6920.68 model.6921.4 We6922.76 have6923 spoken6923.64 with6926.12 Executive6926.92 Director6926.92 Sacrimone6926.92 at6926.92 the6927.16 ABCC.6927.4 He6928.2 has6928.36 given6929.4 us6929.72 the6929.96 history6930.12 of6930.52 how6930.68 they6930.92 rolled6931.08 out6931.4 such6931.56 a6931.8 program6931.96 that6934.05 involved6934.44 both6935.09 work6935.56 from6935.72 the6935.97 legislature6936.13 as6936.93 well6937.09 as6937.24 work6937.48 from6937.72 the6937.89 ABCC.6938.05 But,6938.84 essentially,6939.09 what6939.72 was6940.13 stood6940.36 up6940.6 was6940.93 a6942.44 platform6942.6 paid6943.32 for6943.65 by6943.97 the6944.13 industry6944.28 to6944.84 track,6945.01 I6946.38 think6946.46 to6946.62 your6946.86 point,6947.02 track6947.34 who6947.58 had6949.18 outstanding6949.42 debts.6949.98 I6951.98 will6952.14 tell6952.38 you6952.54 sitting6952.86 here6953.1 today,6953.34 we6953.82 are6954.7 having6954.86 internal6955.18 conversations6955.74 about6956.38 what6956.7 a6957.02 platform6957.26 could6957.9 look6958.14 like,6958.54 would6958.78 the6958.78 industry6959.02 want6959.58 to6959.82 opt6960.06 in.6960.38 But6962.45 we6962.69 do6962.85 know6963.09 that,6963.16 you6963.49 know,6963.65 folks6964.05 run6964.52 up6964.77 a6964.93 bill6965.01 one6965.24 place,6965.49 and6965.73 then6965.97 they6966.13 run6966.36 off6966.6 and6966.93 find6968.13 somebody6968.36 else6968.69 to6968.93 do6969.09 business6969.24 with.6969.65 And6969.81 it's6969.97 impacting6970.2 the6970.69 whole6970.85 supply6971.16 chain6971.56 from6971.97 independent6972.6 testing6973.16 laboratories6973.65 all6974.52 the6974.6 way6974.69 down6974.85 to6975.09 our6975.16 retail6975.41 establishments.6975.81
6977.22 So6977.22 right6977.46 now,6977.7 if6978.18 you6978.5 are6978.66 renewing6978.9 your6979.38 license,6979.62 you6980.5 know,6980.66 we6980.9 wanna6981.06 make6981.38 sure6981.46 that6981.7 you're6981.94 still6982.18 compliant6982.42 with6982.82 the6982.98 secretary6983.14 of6983.7 state's6983.78 office6984.18 and6984.5 the6984.66 Department6984.82 of6985.3 Revenue.6985.38 This6986.42 is6986.74 a6987.46 new6987.7 piece6987.94 to6988.18 it6991.06 and6991.39 one6991.63 that6991.94 we6992.1 think,6992.27 you6993.06 know,6993.23 could6993.47 shake6993.7 the6994.02 foundations6994.19 of6995.06 the6995.15 industry.6995.39 So6996.1 we6996.43 are6996.66 looking6996.9 at6999.7 what6999.86 the7000.02 ABCC7000.27 did,7000.98 looking7001.47 at7001.78 our7001.94 own7002.1 regulations7002.43 to7003.31 see7003.47 how7003.7 we7004.33 can7004.49 continue7004.73 to7005.21 hold7005.37 licensees7005.77 accountable.7006.41 You7008.41 know,7008.65 there7009.13 are,7012.09 I'll7012.09 express7012.17 this7012.73 as7013.05 one7013.21 commissioner.7013.53 I7014.89 might7015.21 wanna7015.53 institute7016.09 some7016.65 safeguards7016.81 that7017.53 you7017.93 can't7018.09 pursue7018.33 a7018.73 change7018.89 of7019.13 ownership7019.21 or7019.69 pursue7020.1 a7020.26 new7020.49 license7020.57 if7021.06 you7021.3 have7021.45 outstanding7021.7 accounts7023.22 receivable.7023.7 So7024.41 we're7025.14 just7025.3 entering7026.26 this7026.66 conversation,7026.98 entering7027.61 the7028.02 work7028.18 in7028.57 partnership7028.81 with7029.3 the7029.45 ABCC7029.61 to7030.49 look7030.66 at7030.74 their7030.9 model,7031.14 but7031.53 it's7031.7 something7031.85 that7032.18 we're7032.34 definitely7032.49 focused7033.06 on.7033.61 And7034.31 I7034.31 would7034.39 like7034.63 to7034.71 see7034.79 us7035.03 address7035.35 this7035.75 year7035.99 through7036.23 regulations.7036.63
7041.83 SPEAKER17041.83 -7041.83 Thank7041.83 you.7042.07 Next,7042.31 we7042.71 have,7042.95 representative7043.75 McKenna.7044.47
7045.83 MCKENNA7045.83 -7045.83 Thank7045.83 you7046.07 very7046.31 much,7046.47 Madam7047.03 Chair.7048.35 We've7048.35 heard7048.68 a7049.4 number7049.55 of7049.8 times7049.95 mentioning7050.44 other7051.48 states7051.72 as7052.03 competitors7052.27 and7053.07 measuring7053.4 our7054.27 own7054.35 industry7054.68 against7055.15 other7055.48 states.7055.8 I'm7056.52 wondering7056.59 if7057.07 we7057.4 view7058.76 other7058.99 states7059.23 and7059.72 can7059.95 view7060.27 them7060.44 as7060.84 collaborators.7062.03 And7062.27 if7062.27 you7062.44 can7062.52 expand7062.76 on7063.15 whether7063.31 there's7063.64 any7064.41 relationship7064.73 and7065.21 or7065.45 collaboration7065.77 with7066.49 peer7066.89 agencies7068.81 to7069.05 find7069.37 best7069.77 practices7070.01 to7070.65 measure7070.89 our7071.37 standards7071.53 versus7072.09 theirs7072.41 and7072.73 see7073.13 what's7073.37 being7073.61 done7073.93 well7074.09 or7074.33 what7074.49 needs7074.65 improvement7074.97 and7075.69 if7075.93 there's7076.01 any7076.25 sort7076.49 of7076.73 statewide7077.2 agency7077.68 of7078.8 cannabis7078.95 overseers7079.52 per7080.07 se.7080.31
7081.76 STEBBINS7081.76 -7081.76 I'm7081.76 happy7081.91 to7082.23 answer7082.56 that7082.88 question7083.11 and7083.44 I7083.91 know7083.99 Commissioner7084.23 Roy7084.72 would7084.95 like7085.11 to7085.27 chime7085.44 in7085.68 as7085.84 well.7085.99 Actually,7086.95 Massachusetts7087.44 was7088.48 the7088.95 first7089.2 state7089.44 to7089.76 kind7089.99 of7090.23 pull7090.4 all7090.8 their7090.95 colleagues7091.2 together.7091.76 And7093.2 that7093.44 first7093.76 meeting7094.08 has7094.48 evolved7095.52 into7096 an7096.56 organization7096.96 that7097.68 we7097.84 call7098 CANNRA,7098.24 which7099.12 are7099.36 the7099.52 regulators7099.68 across7100.4 the7100.8 United7100.96 States.7101.36 I7102.56 will7102.72 tell7102.96 you7103.2 from7103.6 my7104 personal7104.16 experience,7104.72 since7105.1 joining7106.02 the7106.94 commission,7107.34 I've7107.74 regularly7108.14 reached7108.53 out7108.78 to7108.85 other7109.26 jurisdictions.7109.34 We7110.14 meet7110.61 annually.7111.26 We've7112.14 not7112.38 only7112.94 had7113.1 commissioners7113.34 attend7113.9 but7114.38 staff7114.53 attend7115.02 to7115.49 meet7115.57 their7115.82 peers7116.06 as7116.45 well.7116.61 But7117.92 a7118.08 quick7118.16 example7118.48 of7119.6 just7120 drafting7120.64 our7121.2 social7121.44 consumption7121.84 regulatory7122.4 framework,7123.2 we7123.92 talked7124.16 to7124.4 California,7124.64 Colorado,7125.2 Nevada,7125.84 Illinois,7126.48 New7127.12 Jersey,7127.28 Michigan,7127.76 and7129.36 New7129.52 York7129.68 State.7130 So,7130.88 there7132.74 is7132.98 definitely7133.22 collab.7134.1 This7134.26 is7134.26 all7134.34 new7134.57 for7134.82 a7134.98 lot7135.06 of7135.22 us.7135.3 This7135.53 is7135.7 a7135.78 newer7135.94 industry,7136.34 and7137.22 we7137.7 look7137.85 to,7138.1 there7138.41 aren't7138.57 many7138.9 more7139.22 mature7139.45 markets7139.85 out7140.34 there7140.41 than7140.66 us,7140.9 and7141.14 we7141.3 know7141.45 there7141.61 are7141.78 some7141.94 new7142.18 markets7142.57 that7143.06 have7143.22 come7143.38 behind7143.61 us.7143.94 But7144.26 I7144.74 would7144.9 say7145.14 the7145.38 collaboration7145.53 is7146.34 there.7146.57 And7146.98 CANNRA7147.78 ,7148.25 I7148.25 think7148.81 we7149.13 kind7149.37 of7149.53 feel7150.09 some7150.65 ownership7151.05 to7151.69 that7151.77 organization7152.09 starting7152.89 has7153.37 been7153.53 a7153.69 valuable7153.85 place7154.33 for7154.65 not7155.37 only7155.61 commissioners7155.85 again,7156.41 but7156.65 for7156.89 the7157.05 team7157.13 to7157.45 go7157.53 and7157.69 attend7157.93 their7158.25 meetings7158.41 and7158.89 talk7159.93 amongst7160.09 each7160.57 other.7160.81
7165.84 ROY7165.84 -7165.84 Thank7165.84 you,7166.09 Rep7166.32 McKenna.7166.48 When7167.84 I7168.09 go7168.16 around7168.32 the7168.65 Commonwealth7168.73 and7169.28 talk,7169.44 I7169.69 say7170.16 to7170.32 folks,7170.4 imagine7170.73 having7171.2 a7171.76 product7171.93 that7172.65 you7172.8 can't7173.05 ship7173.28 across7173.52 state7173.93 lines,7175.07 you7175.23 can't7175.23 fly7175.47 it7175.63 in7175.79 the7176.03 air,7176.67 you7176.83 can't7176.83 ship7177.07 it7177.23 over7177.39 federal7177.63 waters.7178.11 There7178.67 are7178.83 no7178.91 bankruptcy7179.15 protections.7179.87 There7180.43 is7180.67 limited7180.83 or7181.23 no7181.23 access7181.55 to7181.87 banking.7182.03 There's7182.59 a7182.83 provision7182.91 in7183.39 the7183.47 IRS7183.63 code7184.03 called7184.35 280E7185.07 where7185.23 you7185.39 cannot7185.55 deduct7185.95 ordinary7186.27 business7186.83 expenses,7187.55 which7188.03 makes7188.27 your7188.51 product7188.67 taxed7189.07 at7189.39 an7189.55 807189.63 to7190.68 90%7190.84 tax7191.88 rate.7192.19 And7192.84 in7192.99 spite7193.07 of7193.4 that,7193.48 Massachusetts7194.11 cannabis,7194.99 both7195.64 adult7195.95 medical7196.27 use7196.52 is7196.76 an7196.91 $87197.07 billion7197.95 industry7197.95 despite7198.52 all7198.99 of7199.15 those7199.23 significant7199.8 headwinds.7200.44 And7201.72 so7201.88 what7202.11 do7202.35 we7202.44 do7202.6 to7202.91 compete?7203.07 And7203.48 we7203.72 are7203.88 looking7204.03 at,7204.35 we're7204.52 taking7204.76 a7205.07 holistic7205.15 review7205.79 out7206.11 of7206.19 all7206.27 the7206.59 license7206.75 types.7207.07 We've7207.31 already7207.55 done7207.79 delivery,7208.35 we've7208.51 already7208.51 done7208.83 micro7208.99 business.7209.39 We're7210.19 gonna7210.35 do7210.59 testing7211.07 labs.7212.27 And7212.51 we're7212.51 gonna7212.67 keep7212.91 going7213.15 to7213.95 make7214.03 these,7214.27 without7214.83 compromising7215.31 public7215.95 health7216.27 and7216.51 safety,7216.67 how7217.39 do7217.55 we7217.71 make7217.81 these7218.05 more7218.28 lucrative?7218.77 How7219.73 do7219.89 we,7220.05 I7220.2 don't7220.28 wanna7220.45 use7220.6 the7220.77 word7220.85 deregulate7221.09 because7221.56 I7221.73 don't7221.81 think7221.97 my7222.13 colleague7222.28 loves7222.69 that.7223.01 So7223.16 we're7223.32 gonna7223.49 modernize7223.81 our7224.6 regulations7224.93 without7225.49 jeopardizing7225.81 those7226.53 pillars.7226.77
7227.97 We7228.05 just7228.05 had7228.28 a7228.45 medical7228.53 hearing,7228.85 and7229.16 many7229.41 folks7229.65 brought7229.89 up7230.05 the7230.93 topic7231.09 of7231.49 devertical7231.73 integration.7232.36 We7232.85 have7233.01 this7233.16 vertical7233.41 integration7233.85 that7234.73 that7235.05 limits7235.77 access.7236.33 You7236.65 have7236.81 MTC7237.45 deserts7238.01 where7238.73 we've7239.45 had7239.77 a7240.01 number7240.17 of7240.41 MTCs7240.57 closed,7241.21 and7241.45 now7241.69 you7241.85 have7242.01 big7242.25 swaths7242.49 of7243.53 land7244.17 of7244.89 towns7245.05 that7245.61 they7245.77 have7245.85 no7246.09 access.7246.25 So7246.89 we7247.05 have7247.21 to7247.29 look7247.45 at7247.69 how7247.93 do7248.09 we7248.25 increase7249.45 access7249.69 to7250.41 medical7250.57 cannabis.7251.05 That's7251.85 one7252.16 way.7252.32 We're7252.89 looking7253.13 at7253.36 all7253.53 of7253.61 these7253.77 license7254.01 types.7254.41 We7254.97 do7255.2 collaborate7255.45 with7255.93 our7256.09 counterparts,7257.77 as7258.09 Chair7258.09 Stebbins7258.09 said7258.49 with7258.81 CANNRA.7259.05 But7260.09 it's7260.24 tricky.7260.73 The7261.28 social7261.36 equity7261.77 fund7262.09 is7262.41 helping7262.57 folks7262.88 with7263.2 access7263.36 to7264.64 capital.7264.8 But7265.68 what7265.84 else7266 can7266.24 we7266.48 do?7266.64 But7267.28 those7267.44 are,7267.6 some7268.4 things7268.64 are7268.96 like7269.12 they're,7269.28 because7269.68 the7269.92 federal7270.08 illegality,7270.56 it's7271.28 very7272.64 tricky,7272.96 but7273.36 we7273.52 are7273.68 trying7273.84 to7274.08 do7274.24 the7274.32 best7274.48 we7274.72 can7274.88 and7275.2 take7275.28 a7275.52 holistic7275.6 deep7276.16 dive7276.4 into7276.64 all7276.88 of7276.96 these7277.12 license7277.28 types.7277.68
7278.81 MCKENNA7278.81 -7278.81 Thank7278.81 you.7278.9 And7278.98 to7279.22 tie7279.7 two7280.02 things7280.18 together,7280.49 you7280.9 mentioned7281.22 the7281.61 public7281.77 safety7282.1 and7282.66 also7282.9 working7283.45 with7283.77 CANNRA7284.02 on7284.41 the7284.57 social7285.53 consumption.7285.85 I'm7286.34 wondering7286.49 if7286.9 you7286.98 can7287.14 briefly7287.7 paint7288.18 a7288.41 picture7288.49 of7288.81 what7288.9 social7289.22 consumption7289.53 looks7290.1 like7290.34 because7290.83 I7291.07 think7291.15 a7291.39 lot7291.47 of7291.63 us7291.71 hear7291.95 that7292.19 and7292.35 we7292.51 picture7292.67 a7293.07 hookah7293.15 bar7293.47 or7293.71 a7293.87 cigar7293.95 bar7294.35 and7294.67 people7295.15 going7295.47 in7295.63 and7295.95 consuming7296.59 a7297.31 large7297.47 quantity,7297.79 and7298.27 then7298.43 how7298.75 does7298.91 that7299.07 translate7299.31 to7299.71 public7299.79 safety7300.19 when7300.83 they7300.99 leave7301.15 the7301.39 establishment,7301.55 where7302.19 there's7302.43 no7302.67 clear7302.91 measure7303.23 of7303.55 inebriation7304.47 or7305.02 intoxication,7305.18 and7306.22 how7306.39 that7306.63 translates7306.86 to7307.51 driving7308.7 a7309.02 motor7309.1 vehicle7309.43 after7309.74 leaving7310.06 an7310.3 establishment?7310.47 Where7311.34 is7311.59 that7311.74 overlap7311.98 with7312.39 public7312.63 safety7313.02 and7313.51 what7313.9 social7314.3 consumption7314.63 is7315.1 going7315.26 to7315.51 look7315.59 like?7315.74
7316.91 STEBBINS7316.91 -7316.91 Great7316.91 question,7317.23 and7318.19 happy7318.67 to7319.07 do7319.55 a7319.71 deeper7319.87 dive7320.19 into7320.43 this7320.67 question7321.15 with7321.55 you.7321.71 I7322.59 will7322.75 tell7322.91 you7323.07 how7323.39 we7323.55 have7323.79 approached7324.03 building7324.51 out7324.83 this7324.99 framework.7325.23 One7325.79 of7325.95 the7326.11 first7326.19 groups7326.43 that7326.75 we7326.91 wanted7327.07 to7327.47 engage7327.71 was7328.19 the7328.35 public7328.51 safety7328.91 community.7329.31 So7329.87 it7330.69 started7330.85 with7331.09 Secretary7332.93 Reedy,7333.16 it7333.16 has7333.16 extended7333.16 to7333.65 the7333.81 Massachusetts7334.6 Municipal7335.4 Police7335.97 Training7336.36 Commission.7336.77 We're7337.97 actually7338.2 meeting7338.6 next7339.01 week7339.24 with7339.48 the7339.65 major7339.73 city7340.05 chiefs7340.36 organization.7340.85 But7342.44 what7342.85 was7343.09 interesting7343.32 to7343.89 me7343.97 is,7344.2 we7344.36 heard7344.6 from7344.85 both7345.01 the7345.24 industry7345.4 and7345.89 public7346.05 safety,7348.26 we7348.45 need7348.63 training7348.82 for7349.14 these7349.46 folks.7349.54 We7349.94 currently7350.34 require7350.5 anybody7350.74 who7351.38 touches7351.46 the7351.54 plant7351.86 to7352.06 go7352.26 through7352.5 four7352.66 hours7353.06 of7353.46 training.7353.54 We7354.26 currently7354.98 require7355.06 anybody7355.86 who's7356.02 delivering7356.1 cannabis7357.14 to7357.41 go7357.67 through7357.94 training.7358.34 We're7359.14 gonna7359.3 create7359.54 a7359.78 training7360.02 program7360.34 that7360.98 is7361.06 specific7361.38 to7362.31 people7362.56 that7362.8 are7363.03 gonna7363.11 work7363.35 in7363.52 a7363.76 social7363.91 consumption7364.31 establishment.7364.95
7367.03 I7367.03 have7367.19 personally7367.91 sat7368.56 through7368.8 one,7369.11 not7369.44 only7369.52 our7369.84 RVT7370.07 training,7370.48 which7370.88 I7371.11 will7371.19 tell7371.44 you7371.68 needs7371.99 some7372.23 updating,7372.48 but7373.35 I've7373.52 also7373.76 sat7374.15 through7374.4 a7374.8 drug7374.95 recognition7375.27 expert7375.99 training.7376.4 I've7376.88 also7377.03 sat7377.99 through7378.31 tips,7379.03 safe7379.59 serve7379.91 training7380.15 in7380.55 a7380.63 restaurant.7380.79 There's7382.63 a7382.95 lot7383.11 of7383.27 similarities.7383.43 I7384.31 will7384.47 tell7384.71 you,7384.87 additionally.7385.35 So7386.47 we7386.87 wanna7387.11 engage7387.43 with7387.83 public7388.07 safety7388.47 officials7388.87 to7389.35 help7389.51 guide7389.83 us7390.15 in7390.55 laying7390.95 out7391.35 what7391.51 those7391.67 training7391.91 requirements7392.31 are7393.03 gonna7393.19 be.7393.43 Regs7395.65 that7396.13 were7396.28 already7396.52 on7396.76 the7396.93 books7397.09 for7397.32 social7397.56 consumption7397.97 requires7398.6 that7399.09 every7399.32 licensee7399.72 has7400.76 some7401.01 type7401.24 of7401.4 transportation7401.8 program.7402.52 Are7403.24 you7403.4 safely7403.65 gonna7404.13 be7404.36 able7404.44 to7404.69 get7404.76 a7404.93 consumer7405.09 home7405.65 if7406.16 you7406.32 feel7406.48 they've7406.64 been7406.8 impaired?7407.12 What7407.76 are7407.92 the7408.08 things7408.24 you7408.48 can7408.64 do7408.8 on-site7409.04 for7410.24 somebody7410.4 who7410.8 might7410.88 have7411.12 an7411.28 adverse7411.44 reaction,7412 whether7412.88 it's7413.2 CBD,7413.44 water?7414.4 There7414.72 are7414.96 ways7415.04 to7415.36 kind7415.68 of7415.84 cool7416.08 down7416.32 a7416.56 person7416.72 who7417.04 may7417.28 be7417.52 having7417.68 an7417.92 adverse7418.08 reaction.7418.56
7420.35 We7420.35 know7420.52 the7420.84 technology7420.99 is7421.64 not7421.88 there.7422.11 Similar7422.6 to7422.99 you7423.16 can7423.31 measure7423.8 somebody's7424.2 blood7424.91 alcohol7425.31 level,7425.72 we7426.35 know7426.52 that7426.68 technology7426.91 doesn't7427.64 exist.7428.03 But7429.16 just7431.07 the7431.4 fact7431.56 that7431.8 those7433.14 public7433.38 safety7433.78 groups,7434.18 and7435.7 it's7435.86 an7436.1 important7436.26 conversation7436.74 as7437.38 we7437.62 move7437.78 forward7438.1 to7438.58 communities7438.9 that7439.46 want7439.7 to7439.94 adopt7440.1 social7440.5 consumption,7440.9 the7441.7 public7441.94 safety7442.26 folks7442.74 are7443.3 at7443.46 the7443.62 table.7443.78 Again,7444.82 the7445.14 visit7445.46 I7445.86 had7446.02 on7446.18 Friday7446.42 of7446.74 behavioral,7446.9 the7447.54 police7447.78 chief7448.1 was7448.34 there7449.85 to7450.18 answer7450.18 his7450.18 questions,7450.41 answer7451.06 the7451.38 department's7451.61 questions.7452.18 But7452.73 we7453.22 are7453.38 building7453.53 in7453.94 considerable7454.1 safeguards7454.81 and7455.3 happy7455.77 to7456.1 have7456.18 a7456.34 conversation7456.49 with7457.14 you7457.3 in7457.85 more7457.94 detail7458.18 if7458.65 that7458.73 works.7458.9
7459.69 MCKENNA7459.69 -7459.69 Thank7459.69 you.7459.85 And7460.49 one7460.73 final7460.9 very7461.3 brief7461.53 question7461.77 was,7462.18 you7462.73 mentioned7462.9 new7463.3 licenses7463.45 and7463.94 new7464.02 license7464.33 types,7464.57 and7464.81 I7465.05 know7465.21 that7465.37 one7465.53 license7465.77 type7466.17 that7466.41 existed7466.65 was7467.05 the7467.21 micro7467.37 business.7467.85 It7468.65 wasn't7468.89 very7469.13 utilized.7469.45 And7469.93 while7470.49 it7470.65 appeared7470.81 to7471.09 be7471.37 a7471.61 easy7472.73 way7473.05 into7473.21 the7473.53 industry,7473.61 it7474.01 actually7474.17 kind7474.81 of7474.97 pigeonholed7475.37 people7476.01 and7476.25 didn't7476.41 allow7476.65 for7476.89 growth7477.13 and7477.37 expansion.7477.61 And7479.19 I7479.35 see7479.51 that7479.74 as7479.91 a7480.07 potential7480.23 for7480.78 collaboration7481.19 with7481.82 the7481.99 social7482.15 equity7482.55 piece7482.86 to7483.11 give7483.27 more7483.43 people7483.66 opportunity.7483.91 Has7485.19 that7485.43 micro7485.66 business7486.07 license7486.39 been7486.86 reviewed,7487.11 been7487.66 tweaked7488.31 to7488.7 allow7488.95 it7489.19 to7489.43 be7489.51 more7489.66 functional7489.99 and7490.55 utilized,7491.03 or7491.59 what's7491.82 the7492.07 status7492.23 of7492.55 that?7492.7
7493.37 STEBBINS7493.37 -7493.37 It7493.37 has.7493.53 It's7493.93 a7494.17 great7494.33 question.7494.57 It's7495.13 one7495.93 of7496.09 the7496.17 accomplishments7496.41 that7497.53 we7497.69 had7497.77 in7498.01 our7498.17 last7498.73 regulatory7498.97 round.7499.77 We7500.57 said7500.81 that7500.97 if7501.21 you're7501.37 a7501.53 micro7501.69 business,7502.09 you7502.57 can7502.73 now7502.97 own7503.37 additional7504.01 licenses.7504.57 You'll7505.37 be7505.61 treated7505.85 similar7508.01 to7508.34 how7508.57 we7508.73 treat7508.9 those7509.14 other7509.38 license7509.69 types7510.09 in7510.34 terms7510.49 of7510.73 the7510.9 fees.7511.05 But7512.81 Commissioner7513.3 Roy7513.3 and7513.53 I7513.69 worked7513.85 on7514.09 that,7514.97 we7515.14 were7515.14 coming7515.38 across7515.69 folks,7516.9 a7517.14 micro7517.14 business7517.53 license7518.26 allows7518.65 you7519.05 to7519.3 grow7519.38 up7519.61 to7519.69 5,0007519.85 square7520.49 feet.7520.9 Well,7521.14 Well,7521.36 if7521.44 I'm7521.52 doing7521.76 great,7522 you're7522.4 basically7522.64 telling7523.2 me7523.36 I7524.16 have7524.32 to7524.56 give7524.64 that7524.8 license7525.04 up,7525.44 give7525.76 up7525.92 my7526.08 revenue7526.24 stream7526.72 to7527.12 go7527.2 pursue7527.44 another7527.76 license.7528.56 So7528.8 we've7529.04 removed7529.28 that.7529.76 And7530.4 the7530.64 fact7530.72 that,7532 when7532.16 we7532.32 get7532.48 to7532.64 social7532.88 consumption,7533.36 that7534.08 that7534.4 is7534.56 also7534.88 an7535.2 eligible7535.44 license7536 type7536.48 for7536.72 micro7537.35 business.7537.59 We7538.39 think7538.55 there7538.78 are7538.94 opportunities7539.1 for7539.82 more7539.98 people7540.23 to7540.55 see7540.7 that7540.86 as7541.1 a7541.27 valuable7541.43 step7542.06 forward.7542.31
7546.39 SPEAKER17546.39 -7546.39 Thank7546.39 you.7546.63 Next,7547.35 representative7548.23 Sullivan7549.02 Olmeda.7549.51
7550.84 SULLIVAN-ALMEIDA7550.84 -7550.84 Thank7550.84 you,7550.92 Madam7551.48 Chair.7551.72 And7551.72 I7551.96 will7552.12 try7552.36 to7552.52 be7552.6 brief.7552.76 I7553 know7553.08 everyone's7553.24 that's7553.8 still7554.04 sitting7554.28 here7554.52 is7554.76 probably7554.92 hungry.7555.32 So7556.52 I7556.76 just7556.84 had7557 a7557.24 really7557.4 quick7557.64 question7557.88 around7558.28 the7559.24 oversight7559.4 around7559.88 policy7560.12 and7560.52 procedures.7560.68 And7561.4 it's7561.72 my7562.04 understanding7562.28 that7562.76 the7564.1 dispensaries7564.59 can't7565.3 be7565.55 handing7565.94 out7566.34 free7566.66 marijuana7567.47 or7568.59 incentives,7568.74 loyalty7569.86 programming,7570.51 things7571.7 like7571.94 in7572.26 that7572.43 nature.7572.59 What7575.06 oversight7575.3 does7576.04 the7576.2 commission7576.36 have?7576.92 And7577.64 I7578.04 know7578.2 I've7578.36 heard,7578.52 you7578.84 know,7579 from7579.48 the7579.72 testimony7579.88 that7580.84 there's7580.92 been7581.24 concerns7581.48 around7581.96 funding7582.36 and7582.84 kind7583.32 of7583.56 everything7583.72 evaluating7584.12 as7584.76 we7584.92 go.7585.16 But,7585.4 as7586.52 far7586.68 as7587.16 oversight7587.4 when7588.2 there's7588.44 issues7588.84 around7589.4 either7590.28 promoting7590.98 loyalty7591.55 programming7592.27 and7592.98 or7593.23 gifting,7594.27 I7594.74 guess,7594.82 you7594.98 could7595.06 say?7595.31
7595.94 ROY7595.94 -7595.94 That's7595.94 a7596.51 great7596.59 question.7596.74 We7597.39 did7597.55 get7597.78 a7597.94 lot7598.02 of7598.19 questions7598.27 on7598.66 this.7598.74 I'm7599.06 gonna7599.15 give7599.39 you7599.55 kind7599.7 of7599.86 a7599.94 nuanced7600.02 answer,7600.51 so7600.74 I'm7600.9 gonna7601.06 apologize7601.39 upfront.7601.86 So7602.51 we7602.66 did7602.82 have7603.06 our7603.31 enforcement7604.1 council7604.82 provide7605.59 a7605.91 recommendation7605.99 to7606.79 the7607.03 executive7607.19 director7607.75 and7608.15 the7608.31 commission7608.47 about7608.87 advertising.7609.27 Now7610.31 on7610.79 medical,7611.19 the7611.91 MTCs7612.07 can7612.71 off7612.95 offer7613.27 that,7613.75 right?7613.91 We7613.91 wanna7614.07 give7614.23 discounts7614.47 to7614.79 our7614.87 veterans.7615.03 We7615.43 wanna7615.59 give7615.83 discounts7616.07 to7616.39 our7616.55 seniors7616.71 in7617.11 loyalty7617.43 programs,7617.91 and7618.31 that's7618.39 available.7618.71 But7619.27 we7619.43 have7619.66 kind7619.74 of7620.06 MTC7620.23 deserts7620.78 right7621.19 now,7621.35 and7622.15 not7622.31 everybody's7622.47 a7622.86 medical7623.02 patient7623.35 for7623.66 a7623.78 number7623.91 of7624.15 reasons,7624.7 right?7625.59 But,7625.59 we7626.31 have7626.55 in7626.78 the7626.95 regulations,7627.02 that7627.99 you7628.78 can7629.02 offer,7629.27 you7630.78 can't7631.02 mass7631.43 market,7633.15 okay?7633.71 And7633.71 advertising7633.71 on7634.11 cannabis7634.19 is7634.59 real7634.75 tricky7634.91 because7635.39 you7636.11 can't,7636.27 you7637.15 have7637.23 federal7637.55 agencies7637.87 that7638.43 won't7638.59 let7638.83 you7639.15 market7639.47 in7639.87 certain7640.03 ways7640.27 on7640.67 social7640.83 media,7641.47 right?7641.71 Because7641.71 you7641.95 use7642.03 certain7642.19 words,7643.47 like,7643.71 Instagram,7643.71 and7644.19 it's7644.35 not7644.59 gonna7644.75 get7645.07 through.7645.23
7645.95 So,7645.95 we7646.98 have,7647.06 in7647.47 our7647.63 regulations7647.86 and7648.34 in7648.51 the7648.59 bulletin,7648.74 that7649.47 you7649.7 can't7649.94 just7650.34 send7650.9 it7651.23 to7651.47 everybody7651.78 on7652.26 this,7652.51 committee7653.23 as7654.1 an7654.59 email.7654.82 But7655.3 everybody7655.7 on7656.1 this7656.26 committee7656.51 can7657.15 opt7657.3 in7657.63 to7657.86 Kim7658.02 Roy's7658.66 cannabis.7658.66 And7659.74 if7659.9 you7660.14 opt7660.3 in,7660.62 then7661.1 we7661.34 can7661.5 tell7661.66 you,7661.82 yes,7662.46 we7662.62 have,7662.62 this7663.42 vape7663.66 is7664.78 the7664.94 deal7665.1 of7665.34 the7665.5 day,7665.66 if7665.9 you7666.14 opt7666.38 in.7666.62 Obviously,7666.94 you7667.34 have7667.5 to7667.66 prove7667.74 you're7668.06 217668.22 or7668.7 older7668.78 if7669.42 you7669.58 opt7669.74 in.7669.98 So7670.14 you7670.3 can.7670.7 If7671.02 you7671.1 go7671.26 into7671.5 a7671.74 dispensary,7671.9 you7672.94 can7673.1 ask,7673.26 is7673.5 there7673.66 anything7673.82 on7674.14 special7674.3 today?7674.7 So7674.94 if7675.19 you7675.43 voluntarily7675.66 opt7676.94 in7677.19 or7677.59 inquire,7677.82 you7678.7 can7678.86 avail7679.1 your,7679.35 you7679.59 know,7679.74 the7679.98 dispensary7680.47 can7680.94 avail7681.1 those7681.51 loyalty7682.63 things7683.1 or7683.51 those7683.66 discounts7683.98 to7684.63 you,7684.78 but7685.35 it7685.82 can't7685.98 mass7686.47 market.7686.78 It7687.1 can't7687.35 be7687.67 just,7687.83 like,7688.07 to7688.31 the7688.55 masses.7688.63 So7689.03 I7689.19 know7689.35 it's7689.51 a7689.67 little7689.75 nuanced,7689.99 but7690.87 that's7691.11 currently,7691.51 unless7692.07 we7692.39 address7692.63 advertising7693.11 and7693.67 our7693.83 regs,7693.91 that's7694.23 currently7694.39 where7694.79 it7695.03 sits7695.11 right7695.51 now.7695.67
7696.15 SULLIVAN-ALMEIDA7696.15 -7696.15 Okay.7696.15 So7696.47 does7697.03 the7697.19 commission7697.43 have7698.07 those7698.23 conversations7698.47 with7699.19 different7699.83 dispensaries7700.23 that7700.87 might7701.11 be7701.35 flagged7701.59 by,7702.34 constituents7703.06 or7703.85 just7704.18 general7705.06 public?7705.38 I7705.85 know7705.94 that7706.18 in7706.41 my7706.57 district7706.74 specifically,7707.14 I7708.1 heard7708.18 from7708.41 several7708.74 constituents7709.14 regarding7709.61 a7710.1 billboard7710.26 that7710.74 had7711.06 to7711.22 do7711.38 with7711.53 the7711.7 loyalty7711.78 programming,7712.34 and7712.9 I7713.06 got7713.22 several7713.53 calls.7713.94
7714.37 ROY7714.37 -7714.37 Yeah.7714.37 That7714.53 would7714.69 prompt7715.49 an7715.81 investigation.7716.05
7716.69 SULLIVAN-ALMEIDA7716.69 -7716.69 Okay.7716.69 And7716.93 so7717.09 is7717.33 there7717.49 transparency7717.89 to7718.69 the7718.93 public?7719.73 If7719.89 a7719.89 complaint7719.97 was7720.37 filed7720.61 by7720.93 the7721.17 public,7721.25 I7722.45 guess7722.61 the7722.93 concern7723.17 is7723.57 around7723.81 the7724.21 response7724.37 from7724.77 the7724.93 commission7725.09 to7725.57 the7725.65 public7725.81 because7726.21 then7726.53 they7727.17 come7727.33 to7727.57 us,7727.65 we7727.89 go7728.05 to7728.21 you7728.29 guys,7728.52 and7728.69 it's7728.93 always,7729.01 like,7729.4 kind7729.48 of7729.73 like7729.73 this,7730.69 you7731.01 know,7731.16 merry-go-round.7731.56 So7733.09 are7733.32 you7733.48 guys7733.65 looking7733.8 at7734.13 kind7734.44 of,7734.69 your7735.4 policy7735.65 and7736.05 procedures7736.13 around7736.77 having7737.65 that7737.89 transparency7738.2 with7738.93 the7739.16 public7739.24 but7739.65 also7739.89 respecting7740.44 maybe7741.09 the7741.56 privacy7742.23 and7742.55 barriers7742.79 in7743.51 businesses7743.51 as7743.91 well.7744.07
7744.47 ROY7744.47 -7744.47 Yeah.7744.47 And,7744.71 yes,7744.87 we7745.03 are.7745.19 We're7746.23 gonna7746.47 have7746.63 an7746.79 update7746.87 at7747.19 our7747.35 next7747.51 meeting.7747.67 We're7747.99 gonna7748.15 have7748.31 a7748.47 commission7748.55 tip7748.95 line.7749.11 Right7750.55 now,7750.79 we7751.03 have7751.27 207751.59 different7752.07 avenues,7753.27 if7753.75 you7753.83 will,7753.99 for7754.31 people7754.47 to7754.79 report7755.03 complaints,7756.4 whether7757.84 it's,7758.16 we7758.56 always7758.72 joke7758.95 we're7759.19 in7759.6 complaint7759.84 inbox7760.23 a,7760.72 the7761.03 commissioners,7761.19 but7762.07 it7762.23 goes7762.31 to7762.64 constituent7762.88 services,7763.91 it7764.07 goes7764.07 to7764.31 the7764.48 receptionist7764.72 at7765.27 the7765.35 front.7765.44 It's7765.76 triaged7766.48 all7766.88 over7767.03 the7767.19 place.7767.27 It7767.44 can't7767.6 be7767.76 that7767.91 way.7768.07 It7768.64 has7768.8 to7768.96 be7769.12 one7769.28 place7769.6 where7770.08 one7770.4 email7770.72 address,7771.2 one7771.68 phone7772.08 number7772.32 we7772.64 can7772.8 share7772.96 with7773.2 the7773.28 public.7773.44 We're7773.76 in7773.92 the7774.08 process.7774.16 In7775.12 our,7775.28 we're7776.16 in7776.32 March7776.48 now.7776.72 At7776.96 our7777.04 April7777.28 meeting,7777.6 we're7778 gonna7778.16 have7778.4 an7778.56 update7778.72 on7779.12 that,7779.44 so7779.6 we7779.6 are7779.76 getting7779.92 real7780.24 close.7780.48 The7781.27 commission7781.34 is7781.51 looking7781.74 to,7782.06 we7783.1 talked7783.27 about7783.59 hiring7783.82 an7784.3 intake7784.63 officer,7785.27 a7786.06 person7786.23 solely7786.7 dedicated7787.19 to7787.9 when7788.15 a7789.02 mom7789.43 calls7789.74 or7790.15 one7790.47 of7790.63 your7790.78 constituents7791.02 calls7791.9 that7792.3 it's7792.47 fielded7792.7 appropriately,7793.19 and7793.74 it's7793.98 triaged7794.23 appropriately,7794.7 and7795.43 that7795.59 the7795.82 the7796.27 public,7796.67 has,7797.95 you7798.35 know,7798.59 a7798.83 dedicated7799.31 email7799.87 line7800.19 and7800.75 a7800.83 dedicated7800.99 phone7801.71 number,7801.95 that7802.99 they7803.23 can7803.39 call.7803.63 And7804.67 we7805.07 want7805.31 you7805.55 to7805.71 know7805.79 that7806.03 we7806.27 take7806.43 every7806.67 complaint7806.99 seriously.7807.63 And7808.99 if7809.15 it7809.31 has7809.47 merit,7809.71 we7810.19 do7810.43 follow-up.7810.67 But7811.47 it7811.63 can7811.86 be7811.94 confusing,7812.74 right?7812.9 Where7812.9 do7813.14 I7813.3 go?7813.47 And7813.7 so7814.26 maybe7814.66 we7814.98 do7815.14 need7815.3 to7815.55 be7815.63 more7815.78 transparent7816.1 on7816.66 what7817.14 the7817.39 rules7817.63 are7817.94 advertising.7818.18 I7818.74 know7818.82 the7819.06 memo7819.14 is7819.86 buried7819.94 somewhere7820.26 in7820.66 our7820.82 website,7821.06 but7821.78 maybe7821.94 we7822.26 need7822.34 to7822.51 broadcast7822.66 that7823.14 again7823.48 to7823.64 refresh7823.8 people.7824.28 But7825.08 we7825.24 hopefully,7825.64 over7826.2 the7826.44 next7826.52 couple7826.92 months,7827.16 we'll7827.4 be7827.64 able7827.72 to7827.96 announce7828.04 this7828.44 tip7828.68 line.7828.92
7829.32 SULLIVAN-ALMEIDA7829.32 -7829.32 Well,7829.48 I7829.64 think7829.72 you7829.88 guys7829.96 might7830.2 have7830.28 addressed7830.44 it7830.76 because7830.84 the7831 billboard7831.16 message7831.64 has7832.04 changed.7832.36
7832.84 ROY7832.84 -7832.84 Oh,7832.84 good.7832.92 Okay.7833.48
7834.04 SULLIVAN-ALMEIDA7834.04 -7834.04 I7834.2 know7834.36 that7834.52 from7834.76 hearing7835 from7835.24 constituents,7835.69 it7836.09 was7836.32 the7836.56 response7837.13 back.7837.6 So7838.01 I7838.16 think7838.4 if7838.72 you7838.89 do7838.97 have7839.13 this7839.28 kind7839.52 of7839.69 centralized7839.93 area7841.28 of7841.6 complaints7841.93 or7842.65 concerns,7843.2 that7844.16 they7844.4 will7844.56 get7844.8 a7844.97 response7845.13 back,7845.6 you7846.72 know,7846.8 either7847.05 response7847.36 in7847.76 general7847.84 or7848.32 just7848.48 a7848.65 swifter7849.12 response.7849.36 So7849.68 I7849.84 do7850.24 appreciate7850.4 that.7850.88 And7850.96 I'll7850.96 let7851.2 my7851.36 constituents7851.52 know7852.08 that7852.24 you7852.48 guys7852.64 are7852.8 working7852.96 on7853.2 that.7853.28 So7853.44 thank7853.6 you.7853.76
7854 ROY7854 -7854 Thank7854 you.7854.24
7854.56 SPEAKER17854.56 -7854.56 Thank7854.56 you,7854.72 representative.7854.88 I'm7855.52 gonna7855.68 ask7855.92 the7856.24 panel.7856.4 I7857.04 know7857.2 there7857.36 were7857.52 27857.68 more7857.84 representatives7858.16 that7858.8 had7859.04 question.7859.28 Representative7859.76 Souza7860.4 and7861.23 representative7861.4 Holmes.7862.11 I'm7862.43 gonna7862.59 ask7862.91 you7863.15 if7863.4 you7863.47 can7863.64 answer7863.88 those7864.11 questions7864.35 off7865.31 to7865.64 the7865.8 side.7866.03 To7867.23 the7867.4 members,7867.55 I7867.95 know7868.11 there's7868.27 307868.59 of7868.91 us7869.07 here,7869.31 and7869.72 that's7870.03 a7870.35 lot7870.43 to7870.68 answer7870.84 questions.7871.23 So7872.03 as7872.43 chair,7872.68 looking7873.23 at7873.55 the7873.72 clock7873.88 and7874.11 managing7874.35 the7874.76 clock,7874.97 we7875.69 have7875.85 37876.01 secretaries7876.33 coming7877.05 up7877.37 plus7877.61 27877.93 more7878.17 boards7878.73 and7879.05 commissions.7879.29 At7879.85 the7880.01 rate7880.17 we're7880.41 going,7880.73 we7881.45 will7881.69 not7881.85 finish7882.09 by7882.49 05:00,7882.73 and7883.77 I'm7883.93 not7884.17 sure7884.33 if7884.57 it's7884.73 the7884.89 will7885.05 of7885.21 this7885.37 committee7885.53 to7886.01 have7886.09 a7886.73 second7886.89 hearing.7887.37 I'm7888.19 thinking7888.35 that7888.51 it's7888.66 probably7889.23 not.7889.78 So7890.19 as7890.59 chair,7890.82 I'm7891.63 gonna7891.78 use7892.02 my7892.27 discretion7892.51 and7893.06 say,7893.23 from7893.55 now7893.78 on,7894.02 17894.66 question7894.91 for7895.31 the7895.47 members,7895.63 17896.35 follow-up.7896.66 That's7897.94 gonna7898.27 be7898.43 the7898.59 new7898.66 rule.7898.91 Otherwise,7899.15 we're7899.7 gonna7899.86 have7900.19 to7900.35 have7900.43 a7900.51 second7900.66 hearing7900.91 date.7901.31 If7902.19 you7902.35 do7902.43 have7902.66 a7902.82 question,7902.91 you7903.15 know,7904.24 the7904.4 the7904.64 secretaries7904.8 are7905.52 here.7905.68 You7906 can7906.16 ask7906.4 some7906.8 of7907.04 those7907.12 follow-up7907.36 questions7907.92 afterwards.7908.32 I'm7908.8 sure7908.96 those7909.2 staff7909.52 their7909.84 staffs7910.16 will7910.8 take7911.04 them,7911.28 but7911.52 these7912.48 are7912.72 only7912.88 27913.28 commissions.7913.52 And7915.2 the7915.36 secretaries7915.6 are7916.16 gonna7916.24 come7916.48 up7916.72 with7916.88 a7917.04 lot7917.2 more7917.52 information7918.41 and7918.98 much7919.14 larger7919.61 requests.7920.57 So7921.45 in7921.69 the7921.94 interest7922.02 of7922.41 managing7922.57 the7922.98 clock,7923.14 17923.85 question,7924.1 17925.14 follow-up.7925.45 With7926.98 that,7927.22 we're7927.45 gonna7927.61 take7927.94 a7928.18 57928.41 minute7928.65 recess7929.06 so7929.61 that7929.85 if7930.1 anybody7930.18 needs7930.65 to7930.9 use7931.06 the7931.3 restrooms7931.45 or,7932.51 do7933.07 anything7933.23 in7933.63 that7933.79 process.7933.95 I7934.35 know7934.43 we7934.59 started,7934.83 even7935.95 though7936.19 we7936.35 started7936.51 at7936.83 11,7936.99 most7937.31 of7937.55 you7937.63 are7937.79 here7937.95 until7938.11 10,7938.43 and7938.83 I7938.99 wanna7939.15 give7939.39 you7939.55 that7939.63 opportunity7939.87 to7940.51 take7940.59 a7940.75 bathroom7940.91 break.7941.39 Madam7942.83 secretary,7943.23 thank7943.71 you7943.95 for7944.03 your7944.19 patience7944.35 today.7944.75
7945.31 SPEAKER117945.31 -7945.31 Absolutely.7945.31
7946.3 SPEAKER17946.3 -7946.3 I'm7946.3 gonna,7946.45 turn7947.09 the7947.34 microphone7947.49 over7947.9 to7948.14 you7948.3 and7948.85 have7949.09 you7949.26 give7949.41 you7949.57 a7949.73 presentation.7949.81
7950.77 SPEAKER27950.77 -7950.77 Wonderful.7950.77 Thank7951.34 you.7951.57
7952.53 LAUREN7952.53 JONES7952.53 -7952.53 EOLWD7952.53 -7952.53 Good7952.53 afternoon,7952.85 Senator7954.22 Oliveira,7954.69 Vice7956.05 Chair7956.45 Ferrante,7956.45 and7957.18 members7957.34 of7957.98 the7958.14 Joint7958.61 Committee7959.12 on7959.12 Ways7959.36 and7959.6 Means.7959.84 Good7960.64 afternoon.7960.88 I7961.84 appreciate7962.08 the7962.48 opportunity7962.64 to7963.12 be7963.2 in7963.36 the7963.6 wonderful7963.68 city7964.16 of7964.4 Gloucester.7964.56 And,7965.84 ironically,7966 I'll7966.48 be7966.72 in7967.76 Senator7968.32 Oliveira's7968.32 district7968.32 tomorrow.7969.6 But7969.76 I7969.76 appreciate7969.92 the7970.48 opportunity7970.64 to7971.36 testify7971.52 before7972.7 you7973.19 on7973.99 Governor7974.63 Healey7974.95 and7974.95 Lieutenant7975.51 Governor7975.91 Driscoll's7975.91 labor7976.47 and7976.78 workforce7977.03 development7977.51 budget7978.15 recommendations7978.55 for7979.43 fiscal7979.59 year7979.91 2026.7980.7 Today,7982.47 I7982.78 am7982.95 joined7983.19 by7983.66 Alicia7983.99 Ordway,7984.39 undersecretary7984.95 of7985.91 workforce7985.99 development,7986.55 and7987.27 Josh7987.69 Cutler,7988.01 under7988.73 secretary7989.05 of7989.69 labor.7989.93 Together,7990.97 alongside7991.61 the7992.25 rest7992.33 of7992.65 my7992.73 senior7992.97 staff7993.37 who7993.61 are7993.77 also7993.85 here7994.17 today,7994.49 department7995.53 leaders7996.09 and7996.57 agency7996.81 staff,7997.53 we7998.17 are7998.33 committed7998.57 to7999.13 serving7999.37 Massachusetts7999.85 residents,8000.57 including8001.69 job8002.01 seekers,8002.4 workers,8003.36 employers,8004.24 and8005.05 workforce8005.36 partners8005.84 statewide.8006.4
8008.32 The8008.32 mission8008.56 of8008.89 the8009.05 Executive8009.69 Office8010.01 of8010.01 Labor8010.16 and8010.48 Workforce8011.13 Development,8011.69 or8011.69 I'll8011.93 refer8012.16 to8012.48 in8012.73 my8012.89 testimony8013.05 as8013.69 LWD,8013.93 is8015.2 to8015.36 enhance8015.6 the8016.16 quality,8016.32 resiliency,8017.45 and8018.57 stability8018.89 of8019.37 the8019.61 Commonwealth's8019.77 workforce.8020.49 LWD8021.85 cultivates8022.57 a8023.37 skilled8023.53 workforce8023.93 across8024.57 industries,8024.97 provides8026.09 economic8026.57 stability8027.29 for8028.17 workers8028.33 affected8028.89 by8029.37 job8029.61 loss,8029.93 injury,8030.93 or8031.28 illness,8031.65 and8032.6 uphold8032.85 standards8033.32 for8033.97 safe8034.13 working8034.52 conditions8035.01 within8035.56 the8035.89 workplace.8035.97 Governor8038.05 Healey's8040.13 H18040.44 FY8040.44 268040.44 budget8041.01 proposes8041.56 $112.98043.01 million8045.75 in8045.75 state8045.99 funding8046.31 for8046.87 our8047.03 executive8047.19 office8047.75 and8048.47 departments.8048.71 These8050.23 resources8050.63 are8051.35 complemented8051.67 by8052.31 federal8052.55 funds,8053.03 most8053.43 notably8053.75 for8054.31 our8054.47 departments8054.63 of8055.19 unemployment8055.35 assistance,8056.07 career8057.03 services,8057.51 labor8058.84 standards,8059.15 and8059.8 the8060.03 division8060.19 of8060.59 apprentice8060.84 standards.8061.31 Additionally,8062.84 the8063.47 department8063.64 of8064.11 industrial8064.35 accidents8064.99 and8065.55 the8065.72 department8065.88 of8066.43 family8066.76 and8067.15 medical8067.31 leave8067.72 leverage8068.27 administrative8068.76 costs8069.55 through8070.03 their8070.27 respective8070.51 trust8071.23 funds.8071.55 That8073.07 said,8073.31 the8074.03 112.98074.35 million8076.91 represents8076.91 critical8077.55 dollars8078.03 to8078.51 serve8078.67 workers,8078.91 job8079.71 seekers,8079.95 individuals,8080.83 and8081.47 families8081.63 in8082.11 Massachusetts,8082.27 especially8083.63 dedicated8084.11 to8084.67 meet8084.83 labor8085.15 and8085.63 workforce8085.79 demands.8086.51
8088.59 Additionally,8088.59 with8089.4 workforce8089.8 development8090.27 at8090.76 the8090.99 intersection8091.15 of8091.8 education8092.03 for8092.84 adult8093.07 learners8093.47 and8094.11 economic8094.27 development8094.99 for8095.47 high8095.72 growth8095.95 industries,8096.35 I8097.31 have8097.47 the8097.64 privilege8097.8 of8098.35 chairing8098.51 the8098.91 workforce8099.07 skills8099.64 cabinet8100.03 and8101.17 the8101.41 opportunity8101.57 to8102.13 collaborate8102.29 often8103.25 with8103.65 my8103.81 colleagues8104.05 across8104.61 the8104.93 governor's8105.09 cabinet8105.57 to8106.21 support8106.37 workforce8107.17 initiatives8107.65 in8108.45 the8108.61 governor's8108.77 proposed8109.41 budget.8109.89 First,8112.45 I'll8112.69 speak8112.93 to8113.17 the8113.41 administration's8113.49 workforce8114.45 agenda.8115.01 A8116.2 year8116.36 ago8116.52 I8117.09 joined8117.24 Governor8118.13 Healey,8118.69 in8118.69 March8118.85 of8119.16 2024,8119.73 to8120.69 release8120.85 the8121.16 administration's8121.24 first8122.13 workforce8122.52 agenda,8123.24 meeting8124.2 the8124.6 moment8124.77 to8125.32 attract,8125.56 retain,8126.44 and8127.24 develop8127.48 a8128.05 future8128.2 workforce.8128.6 The8130.11 agenda8130.35 outlines8130.83 four8131.39 pillars8131.71 that8132.11 LWD,8132.43 and8133.15 collaborative8133.39 agencies,8133.95 and8134.59 workforce8134.83 partners8135.31 continue8135.87 to8136.27 pursue8136.43 towards8137.31 a8137.71 shared8137.79 mission8138.11 focused8138.51 on8138.91 reducing8139.15 barriers8139.55 to8140.43 employment,8140.59 increasing8141.95 labor8142.51 market8143.15 participation,8143.55 and8144.95 supporting8145.19 and8145.99 developing8146.23 programs8147.19 to8147.66 deliver8147.82 good8148.39 jobs8148.63 and8149.35 skilled8149.59 workers8149.99 to8151.03 meet8151.19 industry8151.51 demands8151.99 and8152.86 to8153.03 foster8153.27 equitable8153.74 and8154.31 inclusive8154.55 local8155.27 economies8155.74 statewide.8156.55
8158.41 Building8158.41 on8158.81 this8158.97 agenda,8159.21 I8159.69 will8159.77 highlight8159.93 a8160.33 few8160.49 key8160.81 strategies8161.13 that8161.77 are8161.85 also8162.01 tied8162.41 to8162.73 critical8162.89 line8163.37 items8163.69 in8164.33 LWD's8164.57 budget.8165.29 This8166.25 includes8166.49 youth8167.21 employment,8167.45 sector8168.65 based8169.21 career8169.61 training,8169.93 and8170.81 registered8171.05 apprenticeship.8171.61 On8173.48 youth8173.64 employment.8175.48 As8175.72 we8175.72 invest8175.95 in8176.27 long8176.52 term8176.76 strategies8177.16 and8177.88 in8178.03 consideration8178.27 for8178.99 the8179.16 needs8179.31 of8179.56 high8179.8 growth8180.03 industries,8180.44 we8181.4 need8181.64 to8181.8 increase8182.03 the8182.44 employability8182.68 of8183.64 all8183.88 young8184.27 people.8184.6 This8185.67 is8185.91 one8186.07 of8186.15 the8186.39 defining8186.63 messages8187.11 expressed8187.75 by8188.15 businesses8188.47 and8188.95 stakeholder8189.19 groups8189.83 across8190.31 the8190.79 Commonwealth.8190.95 Youth8192.63 and8193.03 young8193.27 adults8193.51 often8194.07 lack8194.39 soft8194.79 skills,8195.11 or8195.51 sometimes8195.75 described8196.31 as8196.79 essential8197.03 or8197.67 durable8197.91 skills.8198.47 However,8199.7 LWD8200.42 has8201.15 a8201.39 track8201.55 record8201.78 of8202.18 investing8202.42 in8202.91 youth8203.06 employment8203.39 to8204.42 help8204.58 youth8204.91 and8205.31 young8205.47 adults8205.7 build8206.34 these8206.58 skills,8206.91 tackling8207.7 a8208.18 major8208.34 barrier8208.75 that8209.31 individuals8209.47 may8210.18 face8210.34 without8211.06 such8211.39 foundational8211.7 skills.8212.42
8213.84 Thanks8213.84 to8214.16 the8214.24 youth8214.4 works8214.72 program,8215.12 we8216.16 deliver8216.32 158217.2 to8217.68 208218 hours8218.32 of8218.72 hands8218.96 on8219.28 curriculum8219.52 known8220.24 as8220.48 signal8220.8 success,8221.28 which8222.16 helps8222.4 young8222.8 people8223.04 develop8223.6 skills8224.08 such8224.88 as8225.12 dependability,8225.36 initiative,8226.89 communication,8227.92 and8229.05 collaboration.8229.28 This8230.65 is8230.89 referring8230.97 to8231.44 one8231.52 of8231.76 our8231.84 line8232 items.8232.32 This8233.36 is8233.6 combined8233.76 with8234.16 at8234.4 least8234.48 1258235.44 hours8236 of8236.4 work8236.56 experience8236.97 often8237.68 subsidized8238.08 for8238.81 opportunities8239.05 in8239.76 the8239.92 public8240 and8240.54 nonprofit8240.7 sector.8242.06 And8242.22 I8242.22 know8242.3 an8242.54 opportunity8242.78 to8243.34 celebrate8243.5 youth8243.9 works8244.14 in8244.38 many8244.54 of8244.78 your,8244.94 if8245.26 not8245.5 all8245.66 of8245.82 your,8245.98 districts.8246.3 The8247.66 governor's8247.9 proposed8248.38 $15.78248.94 million8250.78 in8250.78 FY8251.02 268251.82 for8252.14 the8252.3 youth8252.46 works8252.78 program8253.02 projects8253.5 to8253.9 employ8254.06 approximately8254.7 4,5808255.67 youth8257.91 and8258.39 young8258.63 adults8258.86 for8259.58 summer8259.83 and8260.47 year8260.78 round8261.02 employment8261.34 throughout8262.31 that8262.78 next8263.02 year.8263.42 I'll8265.26 now8265.5 speak8265.75 to8265.99 sector8266.23 based8266.63 career8267.1 training.8267.5
8269.05 The8269.05 FY8269.45 268269.69 budget8270.33 proposes8270.89 continued8271.45 investments8272.01 in8272.57 three8272.81 key8273.53 line8273.77 items8274.09 dedicated8274.49 to8275.13 sector8275.45 based8275.77 career8276.33 training.8276.73 First,8278.25 let's8278.57 consider8278.89 the8279.45 trades8279.61 and8280.01 technical8280.25 training.8280.73 Modeling8282.19 suggests8282.58 that8282.99 over8283.23 the8283.39 next8283.55 five8283.86 to8284.19 108284.34 years,8284.5 Massachusetts8285.15 will8285.78 experience8286.02 workforce8286.58 shortages8286.99 in8287.63 the8287.7 trades8287.86 and8288.34 construction.8288.58 Electricians,8290.02 plumbers,8290.99 HVAC8291.7 operators,8292.27 construction8292.91 laborers,8293.7 and8294.27 more8294.5 are8295.32 among8295.48 many8295.8 technical8296.36 and8296.76 licensed8297 roles8297.56 the8298.12 state8298.28 will8298.52 be8298.68 looking8298.84 to8299.16 fill8299.32 in8299.56 the8299.8 near8299.88 future.8300.2 This8301.4 requires8301.64 the8302.12 Commonwealth8302.28 to8302.76 grow8302.92 capacity8303.24 and8303.72 volume8303.96 for8304.52 training.8304.76 The8305.96 governor's8306.12 budget8306.6 for8306.92 LWD8307.08 invests8307.8 in8308.2 two8308.36 models8308.6 that8309.2 will8309.44 help8309.6 fill8309.84 these8310.17 demands,8310.41 including8310.97 the8311.36 career8311.52 technical8312 initiative8312.81 and8313.76 registered8314 apprenticeship.8314.65 The8316.73 governor's8316.97 proposed8317.44 budget8317.76 recommends8318.25 a8318.65 total8318.81 investment8319.2 of8319.76 nearly8319.92 $148320.41 million8321.6 for8321.6 the8321.76 career8321.92 technical8322.41 initiative8322.89 known8323.89 as8324.05 CTI,8324.29 including8325.57 98325.97 million8326.85 to8326.85 support8327.01 training8327.57 for8327.97 adult8328.29 learners.8328.69
8330.29 CTI8330.29 offers8330.93 industry8331.65 recognized8332.13 credentialing8332.77 pathways8333.41 for8333.89 adult8334.13 learners8334.45 in8334.85 technical8335.01 and8335.81 trade8336.05 fields,8336.45 leveraging8337.67 resources8338.07 at8338.56 over8338.72 308339.19 vocational8339.75 schools8340.4 across8340.8 Massachusetts.8341.27 In8343.03 addition8343.27 to8343.59 this8343.83 line8344.07 item,8344.31 the8345.35 executive8345.51 office8346.07 of8346.4 education's8346.64 budget8347.27 proposes8347.83 an8348.31 additional8348.56 4.88349.11 million8350.56 in8350.56 partnership8350.8 with8351.59 this8351.75 initiative.8351.99 Funds8353.49 go8353.89 to8354.21 vocational8354.45 schools8355.01 for8355.41 tuition8355.57 plus8356.53 placement8356.93 and8357.49 wraparound8357.73 services8358.37 that8359.25 benefit8359.49 the8359.97 unemployed8360.21 and8361.09 underemployed8361.33 in8362.13 training.8362.37 Since8363.97 CTI8364.37 was8364.93 first8365.09 launched8365.41 in8365.73 2020,8365.97 the8366.85 program8367.01 has8367.49 enrolled8367.73 2,2808368.42 students8370.02 across8370.42 208370.98 pathway8371.31 programs8371.94 with8372.91 a8373.15 projected8373.23 1,6888374.34 participating8376.75 students8377.39 in8377.86 the8378.02 current8378.1 round8378.58 of8379.06 funding8379.23 as8379.94 of8380.26 June8380.75 of8381.06 last8381.31 year8381.55 at8381.7 the8381.86 end8381.94 of8382.1 fiscal8382.26 year8382.67 24.8382.91 CTI8384.82 vocational8385.38 schools8385.86 are8386.26 also8386.42 in8386.74 six8387.06 out8387.46 of8387.62 our8387.78 seven8387.94 workforce8388.34 skills8388.9 cabinet8389.22 regions8389.62 and8390.34 328390.66 gateway8391.38 cities.8391.78
8393.62 As8393.62 a8393.86 second8394.02 strategy8394.42 for8395.22 sector8395.62 based8396.02 career8396.34 training,8396.74 registered8397.74 apprenticeship8398.06 is8398.85 a8399.01 proven8399.17 effective8399.9 model8400.45 in8400.94 the8401.01 construction8401.25 and8401.74 building8401.9 trades8402.3 in8402.61 Massachusetts.8402.94 It8404.22 is8404.45 also8404.53 proving8404.94 effective8405.66 for8406.14 expanded8406.38 industries8406.94 such8407.5 as8407.82 advanced8407.98 manufacturing,8408.45 life8409.58 sciences,8409.9 early8411.01 education,8411.42 and8412.14 more,8412.45 combining8413.47 technical8414.03 training8414.51 with8414.99 paid8415.87 on8416.19 the8416.43 job8416.59 training.8416.83 The8418.75 governor's8418.99 proposed8419.63 budget8420.03 includes8420.35 3.38420.75 million8422.35 for8422.35 registered8422.59 apprenticeship8422.99 programming8423.71 to8424.51 support8424.67 expanded8425.07 industries,8425.63 growing8426.81 free8427.44 apprenticeship8427.77 programs,8428.33 and8428.89 to8429.28 diversify8429.52 talent8430.57 for8430.97 the8431.2 construction8431.28 industry.8432.01 This8433.44 line8433.69 item8433.93 is8434.25 crucial8434.41 to8435.05 address8435.28 skills8435.77 gaps8436.08 and8436.57 will8436.81 support8437.05 more8437.52 than8437.69 3,0008438.01 new8438.81 apprentices,8439.05 including8440.25 nearly8440.81 1,0008441.28 in8442.62 our8442.94 expanded8443.18 industries.8443.74 I'd8445.74 like8445.98 to8446.14 also8446.3 acknowledge8446.62 the8447.1 governor's8447.26 recommendation8447.74 to8448.62 establish8448.94 a8449.42 new8449.58 line8449.98 item8450.22 in8450.62 the8450.78 fiscal8451.02 year8451.34 268451.66 budget8452.22 for8452.78 the8452.94 division8453.1 of8453.66 apprentice8453.9 standards.8454.38 This8455.58 is8455.82 a8455.98 net8456.06 neutral8456.53 cost8456.94 in8457.5 addition8457.74 to8458.14 signaling8458.3 the8458.69 governor's8458.85 commitment8459.5 to8460.14 registered8460.38 apprenticeship.8460.85 It8461.98 will8462.06 improve8462.38 operations8462.85 for8463.33 the8463.58 division8463.66 of8463.98 apprentice8464.14 standards8464.61 by8465.25 simply8465.66 moving8466.06 operations8466.53 out8467.09 of8467.33 the8467.5 Department8467.66 of8468.06 Labor8468.14 Standards8468.61 to8469.58 its8469.74 own8469.98 line8470.22 item.8470.45
8473.15 A8473.15 final8473.31 sector8473.71 based8474.11 job8474.51 training8474.75 strategy8475.23 is8475.79 reflected8476.03 in8476.59 LWD's8476.83 commitment8477.63 to8478.27 the8478.43 workforce8478.67 competitiveness8479.55 trust8480.43 fund,8480.75 another8481.39 line8481.79 item8482.03 in8482.27 the8482.43 budget.8482.51 The8483.74 governor's8483.82 budget8484.38 recommends8484.85 $108485.33 million8486.3 in8486.3 state8486.53 funding8486.85 for8487.42 WCTF,8487.9 representing8489.5 LWD's8490.45 most8491.33 flexible8491.58 line8492.77 item8493.02 to8493.58 collaborate8493.82 with8494.77 MassHire8495.25 regional8495.58 workforce8496.14 boards,8496.69 training8497.56 providers,8498.04 and8499 employers8499.24 to8500.2 deliver8500.36 quality,8500.92 training,8501.72 and8502.12 industry8502.28 recognized8502.76 certificates8503.48 and8504.2 credentials8504.44 based8505.56 on8505.8 employer8505.96 engagement8506.44 and8507.48 tied8507.8 to8508.2 employment8508.36 goals.8508.92 Over8510.5 the8510.75 past8510.98 year,8511.31 of8511.94 the8512.18 3,0008512.34 participants8512.98 enrolled8513.94 in8514.42 WCTF8514.75 training8515.55 programs,8515.94 61%8517.63 self8518.42 identified8518.82 as8519.39 people8519.63 of8519.86 color8520.02 and8520.9 97%8521.94 were8522.9 previously8523.15 unemployed8523.78 or8524.58 underemployed.8524.82 WCTF8526.66 delivers8527.38 grant8527.94 programs8528.34 administered8528.9 by8529.62 Commonwealth8530.1 Corporation,8530.66 the8531.3 quasi8531.46 under8531.86 LWD.8532.26 And8533.38 most8533.62 notably,8533.86 this8534.58 includes8534.9 Donnelly8535.7 Workforce8536.82 Success8537.3 grants.8537.3 In8538.53 2024,8540.77 76%8541.33 of8541.33 these8541.5 grants8541.82 represented8542.77 critical8543.33 in8544.38 demand8544.61 job8545.09 training8545.33 in8545.82 healthcare8546.3 and8546.61 human8546.77 services8547.17 alone.8547.66
8549.42 When8549.42 fully8549.74 resourced,8550.14 Commonwealth8550.61 Corporation8551.01 has8551.74 demonstrated8551.9 an8552.93 ability8553.01 to8554.05 move8554.21 significant8554.61 investments8555.33 at8555.97 scale8556.21 and8557.01 to8557.17 address8557.33 needs8557.89 across8558.53 many8559.01 critical8559.33 sectors8559.81 in8560.37 the8560.53 Commonwealth.8560.61 For8561.89 example,8562.13 looking8562.69 back8563.01 in8563.57 fiscal8563.81 year8564.21 24,8564.53 through8565.17 a8565.41 combination8565.49 of8566.13 ARPA8566.72 dollars,8567.11 WCTF8568 dollars,8568.88 CTI,8569.75 and8570.48 the8570.64 use8570.72 of8570.95 the8571.11 workforce8571.19 training8571.75 fund,8572.15 awarded8572.88 grants8573.35 projected8573.75 to8574.31 serve8574.4 41,0008574.95 individuals8576 and8577.11 partnering8577.27 with8577.75 3,0008578 employers.8578.72 And8579.67 so8579.83 this8580.08 is8580.23 a8580.31 huge8580.48 line8581.03 item8581.19 that8581.66 gives8581.9 us8581.98 the8582.22 flexibility8582.46 and8583.58 a8583.74 tool8583.98 for8584.22 Commonwealth8584.46 Corporation,8585.02 by8586.06 extension8586.22 LWD8586.86 ,to8587.74 support8587.98 our8588.38 workers8588.62 and8589.1 employers.8589.34 The8591.58 Healey-Driscoll8592.62 Administration's8593.42 workforce8593.42 agenda8593.82 also8594.38 calls8594.62 for8594.94 strategic8595.34 efforts8595.9 to8596.44 support8596.6 talent8597 development8597.41 for8597.89 key8598.13 populations.8598.36 In8599.89 addition8600.05 to8600.36 youth,8600.6 which8601.08 I8601.33 already8601.49 highlighted,8601.81 LWD8602.52 is8603.08 focused8603.25 on8603.65 formerly8603.81 incarcerated8604.28 individuals8605 and8606.05 young8606.28 adults8606.52 with8607 disabilities.8607.25
8608.77 The8608.77 FY8609.05 268609.17 H18610.61 budget8610.93 recommends8611.41 $2.488611.97 million8614.05 in8614.05 funding8614.29 for8615.01 the8615.25 reentry8615.41 workforce8616.13 development8617.09 demonstration8617.81 program8618.53 also8619.09 administered8619.49 by8620.05 Commonwealth8620.21 Corporation.8620.77 Over8622.68 the8622.92 past8623.08 five8623.4 years,8623.64 investments8624.11 in8624.6 this8624.75 program8624.92 have8625.32 funded8625.4 strategic8625.88 program8626.44 design8626.92 and8627.8 implementation8628.03 via8629.24 a8629.56 sector8629.64 based8630.11 approach8630.52 to8631.32 support8631.48 job8631.88 training8632.11 programs8633.08 for8633.64 individuals8633.88 formerly8634.75 incarcerated.8635.32 These8637.16 reentry8637.48 partnerships8638.44 typically8639.24 provide8639.72 behind8640.52 the8640.76 wall8641 case8641.32 management8641.64 that8642.76 includes8642.84 education,8643.32 training,8644.2 and8644.6 engagement8644.76 along8645.88 with8646.12 direct8646.36 connection8646.68 to8647.16 employment8647.32 organizations8647.88 upon8648.68 release,8649.08 and8650.04 supports8650.28 individuals8650.68 to8651.4 increase8651.56 employment8652.56 and8653.11 stability.8653.27 Additionally,8655.6 the8656.24 governor's8656.4 budget8656.88 proposes8657.35 $1million8657.83 for8658.8 the8659.03 young8659.19 adults8659.44 with8659.76 disabilities8660 program,8660.72 an8661.35 effective8661.6 job8662.24 training8662.48 program8662.95 for8663.6 young8663.76 adults8664 up8664.48 to8664.64 the8664.8 age8664.95 of8665.19 358665.35 years8666.08 old.8666.4
8667.44 In8667.44 fiscal8667.68 year8668 25,8668.32 LWD,8669.04 in8669.68 partnership8669.92 with8670.4 Commonwealth8670.64 Corporation,8671.12 awarded8671.84 more8672.24 than8672.4 $850,0008672.64 to8674.8 support8674.96 job8675.36 training8675.6 for8676.56 nearly8676.88 1208677.36 individuals8678.24 in8679.45 occupations8679.61 such8680.25 as8680.5 culinary8680.66 arts,8681.22 retail,8681.93 construction,8682.9 and8683.93 hospitality,8684.17 and8685.3 in8685.45 partnership8685.69 with8686.25 training8686.33 providers8686.74 across8687.53 the8687.85 state.8688.01 Now,8690.25 I'll8690.58 speak8690.66 to8690.9 a8691.06 few8691.22 other8691.38 agency8691.69 priorities8692.25 within8692.9 our8693.22 budget.8693.38 LWD's8694.54 budget8695.18 also8695.5 represents8695.98 programming8696.62 and8697.18 administration8697.34 beyond8698.22 workforce8698.54 development.8699.1 At8700.46 LWD,8700.7 our8701.5 agencies,8701.66 including8702.7 finance,8703.26 human8703.98 resources,8704.38 internal8705.18 control,8705.66 and8706.54 information8706.7 technology,8707.34 are8708.62 consolidated8708.7 under8710.25 one8710.5 central8710.73 service,8711.3 creating8712.01 significant8712.58 budget8713.14 savings8713.61 through8714.17 economies8714.5 of8714.98 scale.8715.14 H8716.65 18716.98 proposes8717.3 $21.58717.77 million8719.53 for8719.53 LWD's8719.77 shared8720.58 services,8720.81 a8721.93 $1.38722.17 million8723.53 increase8723.53 from8723.93 last8724.25 year's8724.5 budget.8724.81
8725.97 This8725.97 increased8726.53 funding8727.01 will8727.33 allow8727.57 LWD8727.81 to8728.61 invest8728.77 in8729.01 critical8729.17 technology8729.65 and8730.69 better8730.93 support8731.25 of8731.81 our8731.97 agencies8732.13 in8732.61 delivering8732.85 services.8733.49 H8735.57 18735.81 also8736.13 proposes8736.45 a8736.93 slight8737.09 increase8737.41 in8737.81 funding8737.97 for8738.37 the8738.53 department8738.69 of8739.17 industrial8739.33 accidents,8739.89 the8740.53 department8740.69 of8741.09 labor8741.17 standards,8741.8 and8742.19 the8742.43 department8742.59 of8742.99 economic8743.15 research8743.72 to8744.67 support8744.83 increases8745.23 for8745.72 IT,8746.03 leases,8746.83 and8747.31 salaries.8747.64 These8748.67 proposed8750.67 increases8751.15 will8751.64 ensure8751.8 that8752.11 LWD's8752.27 agencies8752.92 can8753.72 provide8753.95 the8754.27 critical8754.43 services8754.92 within8755.72 its8756.11 mission.8756.35 The8758.22 Department8758.38 of8758.78 Labor8758.94 Relations8759.34 is8760.06 a8760.22 small8760.38 but8760.7 effective8761.02 agency,8761.5 historically8762.14 charged8762.78 with8763.18 enforcing8763.5 collective8764.14 bargaining8764.54 laws8765.1 for8765.74 our8765.98 public8766.06 sector8766.46 workforce8766.86 across8767.66 state8768.14 government8768.46 and8769.18 all8769.34 3518769.58 cities8770.86 and8771.26 towns.8771.42 Within8772.7 DLR,8772.94 the8773.58 Joint8775.1 Labor8775.58 Management8775.58 Committee8775.58 and8775.58 the8775.75 Commonwealth8776.55 Employee8778.15 Relations8778.55 Board8778.55 play8778.55 key8778.94 roles8779.34 in8779.75 managing8779.91 and8780.47 resolving8780.63 labor8781.75 matters8782.23 or8782.78 disputes.8782.94
8784.39 More8784.39 recently,8784.55 DLR8785.5 has8785.75 been8785.91 charged8786.15 with8786.55 the8786.78 implementation8786.86 of8788.74 Mass8790.26 General8790.82 Law8790.82 Chapter8790.82 150F,8790.82 which8790.82 was8791.54 enacted8791.62 following8791.78 the8792.26 passage8792.34 of8792.66 ballot8792.74 question8793.46 38793.62 in8794.1 November.8794.66 A8796.1 first8796.26 in8796.58 the8796.66 nation8796.74 initiative8797.06 to8797.86 allow8797.94 transportation8798.34 network8798.98 drivers8799.54 the8800.1 right8800.18 to8800.5 unionize8800.66 and8801.46 collectively8801.7 bargain8802.26 with8802.74 transportation8802.9 network8803.75 companies.8804 DLR8805.43 is8805.92 responsible8806.07 for8806.64 oversight8806.88 of8807.43 this8807.59 new8808 body8808.23 of8808.48 work.8808.64 The8809.67 H8809.83 18810 proposed8810.23 budget8810.64 includes8810.95 an8811.27 increase8811.43 of8811.83 nearly8812 400,0008812.31 in8813.35 funding8813.51 for8813.92 DLR8814.15 for8814.95 a8815.11 total8815.27 of8815.59 3.98815.67 million.8817.44 DLR's8817.44 proposed8818 funding8818.4 increase8818.88 is8819.2 necessary8819.44 for8820 the8820.16 department8820.32 to8820.72 address8820.96 new8821.44 requirements8821.68 as8822.64 a8822.8 result8822.88 of8823.2 ballot8823.36 question8823.68 38824.16 in8824.88 addition8825.04 to8825.44 maximizing8825.68 operational8826.56 efficiencies8827.28 and8828.48 to8828.64 support8828.8 staff8829.36 capacity8829.76 to8830.32 address8830.48 the8831.45 recent8831.53 increase8831.77 in8832.17 illegal8832.33 strike8832.81 activity8833.22 at8833.61 schools8833.85 across8834.17 the8834.58 state.8834.74
8836.81 LWD8836.81 is8837.61 unique8837.85 because8838.66 a8839.06 majority8839.22 of8839.61 our8839.77 larger8839.93 departments8840.33 are8840.74 significantly8840.98 or8841.77 entirely8841.93 federally8842.74 funded.8843.22 Despite8844.57 the8844.97 evolving8845.21 federal8845.85 landscape,8846.17 LWD8846.89 remains8848.97 committed8849.53 to8850.01 maximizing8850.25 resources8850.97 and8851.77 partnerships8852.01 to8852.73 ensure8852.89 the8853.37 greatest8853.53 level8854.09 of8854.41 impact.8854.65 The8855.77 state's8855.93 unemployment8856.25 rate8856.89 is8857.13 a8857.29 factor8857.45 for8858.01 the8858.25 amount8858.33 of8858.65 federal8858.81 funds8859.21 issued8859.53 to8860.01 the8860.26 Department8860.34 of8860.67 Career8860.82 Services8861.31 and8862.1 to8862.34 the8862.5 Department8862.67 of8863.06 Unemployment8863.23 Assistance.8863.94 The8865.23 state's8865.39 current8865.7 unemployment8865.94 rate,8866.58 as8866.9 of8867.15 January,8867.31 our8867.78 most8867.94 recent8868.1 preliminary8868.5 data,8869.15 is8869.55 4.2%.8869.78 And8871.31 over8871.55 the8871.7 past8871.94 138872.5 months,8872.82 the8873.15 state's8873.23 unemployment8873.55 rate8875.04 has8875.12 averaged8875.2 to8875.28 4%.8875.44 The8877.6 governor's8877.84 proposed8878.32 budget8878.8 of8879.36 $2.18879.6 million8881.04 in8881.04 state8881.2 funding8881.52 will8882.16 support8882.4 the8882.72 Department8882.96 of8883.28 Career8883.52 Services.8883.92
8885.28 Additionally,8885.28 the8886 governor's8886.16 budget8886.64 proposes8886.96 8.28887.52 million8888.56 in8888.56 state8888.72 funding8889.04 for8889.76 the8889.92 one8890.17 stop8890.25 career8890.81 centers,8891.13 the8891.76 line8892 item8892.25 that8892.48 supports8892.73 MassHire8893.2 career8894.17 centers8894.48 in8894.89 regions8895.05 across8895.76 the8896.17 state.8896.32 As8898.17 part8898.4 of8898.65 DCS,8899.05 which8899.84 again8900.08 is8900.4 federally8900.56 funded8901.05 beyond8901.84 the8902.32 line8902.56 items8902.81 I8903.2 just8903.28 cited,8903.52 the8904.39 MassHire8904.55 career8905.11 centers8905.35 are8905.75 tasked8905.91 with8906.23 providing8906.39 job8906.87 seekers8907.19 with8907.75 career8907.91 guidance8908.31 and8908.71 referrals8908.95 to8909.51 jobs8909.67 and8910.31 job8910.55 training,8910.79 and8911.59 with8911.83 assisting8911.99 businesses8912.55 in8913.03 finding8913.27 qualified8913.67 workers.8914.15 DCS8915.35 provides8915.99 oversight8916.39 to8916.87 the8916.95 298917.11 career8917.81 centers,8918.2 including8919.08 218919.56 comprehensive8920.28 full8921.48 service8921.81 centers,8922.28 many8923.17 across8923.56 your8924.05 districts,8924.36 four8925.17 affiliated8925.56 sites8926.13 with8926.52 some8926.84 services,8927.08 and8928.13 referrals8928.44 to8929.08 comprehensive8929.24 centers8929.97 and8930.36 four8930.6 youth8930.84 specific8931.24 sites.8931.73 DCS8933.1 also8933.58 provides8933.98 oversight8934.46 to8934.94 the8935.18 168935.5 MassHire8936.3 regional8936.62 workforce8937.1 boards,8937.58 including8938.94 policy8939.42 guidance,8939.9 technical8940.38 assistance,8940.86 and8941.74 extensive8941.98 monitoring8942.62 on8943.18 behalf8943.26 of8943.58 the8943.74 US8943.9 Department8944.22 of8944.54 Labor.8944.7 It's8945.57 a8945.73 model8945.81 in8945.97 Massachusetts8946.2 that8947.01 other8947.25 states8947.49 across8947.81 the8948.2 country8948.36 also8948.85 adhere.8949.57
8951.33 Across8951.33 Massachusetts,8951.81 in8952.69 2024,8952.93 MassHire8953.97 served8954.6 as8955.01 a8955.17 resource8955.33 for8955.73 more8955.97 than8956.13 126,3008956.52 job8958.93 seekers,8959.25 including8960.26 but8960.58 not8960.82 limited8960.9 to8961.38 unemployment8962.02 insurance8962.58 claimants,8963.14 and8964.1 more8964.26 than8964.5 15,4008964.74 companies.8966.66 Finally,8968.42 our8968.98 department8969.22 of8969.54 career8969.7 services8970.02 partners8970.58 with8970.98 the8971.22 Mass8971.3 AFL8972.03 CIO,8972.35 often8973.24 leveraging8973.72 their8974.35 proposed8974.67 budget8975.08 line8975.4 item8975.64 of8975.72 a8975.88 $150,000,8976.59 which8978.03 supports8978.27 our8979.08 active8979.32 partnership,8979.8 with8980.92 MassHire's8981.4 rapid8981.88 response8982.19 team8982.67 that8983.32 provides8983.56 companies8983.95 and8984.43 workers8984.59 with8985 services8985.24 if8985.72 there's8985.88 a8986.11 layoff.8986.27 Our8987.18 partnership8987.26 with8987.9 AFL8988.06 CIO8988.46 partners8988.94 with8989.34 rapid8989.58 response8990.06 if8990.46 there8990.54 is8990.7 a8990.94 focus8991.1 on8991.34 impacted8991.9 union8992.46 workers.8992.86 Lastly,8995.18 the8995.82 department8995.98 of8996.3 unemployment8996.46 assistance8997.18 is8997.82 the8997.98 agency8998.14 responsible8998.7 for8999.26 administering8999.42 the8999.98 state's9000.14 unemployment9000.46 insurance9001.1 system,9001.69 including9002.42 processing9002.74 unemployment9003.3 compensation9003.53 claims,9004.9 payments,9005.85 and9006.33 dispute9006.58 resolution.9007.14
9008.5 DUA9008.5 also9008.9 registers9009.38 employers,9010.01 assesses9010.9 employment9011.45 status,9012.17 and9012.98 calculates9013.22 levies9013.77 and9014.17 collects9014.33 unemployment9014.74 contributions.9015.38 DUA9016.81 also9017.13 maintains9017.53 the9017.85 UI9018.09 trust9018.49 fund,9018.73 which9019.13 pays9019.37 benefit9019.93 payments9020.41 to9020.81 claimants9020.97 from9021.61 a9021.93 fee9022.01 assessed9022.49 and9024.17 collected9024.25 by9024.73 employers.9024.97 The9026.81 administration9026.97 of9027.69 DUA9027.85 is9028.25 federally9028.41 funded9028.89 through9029.61 an9029.77 allocation9029.85 from9029.94 the9030.66 US9030.9 Department9031.22 of9031.45 Labor's9031.69 Employment9034.58 and9035.14 Training9035.3 Administration.9035.77 When9037.45 economic9037.77 times9038.33 are9038.66 strained9038.82 and9039.22 unemployment9039.38 increases,9040.09 the9041.14 federal9041.3 government,9042.17 after9042.5 a9042.82 lag9042.98 period9043.3 of9043.69 what9044.01 can9044.17 be9044.33 more9044.49 than9044.65 a9044.89 year9045.05 or9045.61 more,9045.85 increases9046.25 administrative9046.81 funding9047.53 in9048.17 response9048.33 to9048.81 the9048.89 growing9048.97 need9049.37 of9050.01 the9050.09 agency.9050.25 The9051.77 base9051.93 federal9052.25 administrative9052.65 funding9053.29 is9053.69 determined9053.85 by9054.41 USDOL's9054.65 cost9055.53 model9055.77 and9056.09 does9056.33 not9056.49 fluctuate9056.65 based9057.29 on9057.61 actual9057.77 changes9058.17 in9058.73 expenses,9058.89 such9060.07 as9060.31 increased9060.47 salary9060.94 costs9061.35 due9061.83 to9062.55 cost9062.63 of9062.94 living9063.1 adjustments,9063.91 like9064.55 we've9064.7 seen9064.94 in9065.1 Massachusetts.9065.27
9066.78 To9066.78 illustrate,9067.02 in9067.5 January9067.83 2020,9068.47 DUA9069.1 maintained9069.58 over9070.07 $909070.31 million9071.35 through9071.35 its9071.58 federal9071.75 grant.9072.23 In9073.13 January9073.37 2025,9074.22 DUA9075.45 operates9075.93 with9076.33 just9076.49 over9076.73 609077.05 million9077.69 in9077.69 federal9077.85 funding,9078.33 yet9079.21 with9079.37 a9079.53 post9079.69 pandemic9080.01 backlog,9080.57 increased9081.45 complexity9081.93 of9082.49 claims,9082.73 and9083.45 implemented9083.69 program9084.41 integrity9084.81 measures9085.37 to9085.93 combat9086.01 fraud9086.49 and9087.1 improve9087.43 fraud9087.99 prevention.9088.31 As9090.07 such,9090.31 DUA's9090.63 administrative9091.27 costs9091.83 heavily9092.15 rely9092.55 on9092.86 funding9093.02 structure9093.43 that9094.15 does9094.23 not9094.55 approach9094.7 operational9095.27 funding9095.75 the9096.55 way9096.7 the9096.86 Commonwealth9096.94 addresses9097.75 its9098.15 operational9098.39 budget.9099.02 It's9100.66 also9100.9 worth9101.14 noting9101.46 that9101.86 DUA9102.18 in9102.66 person9102.9 services9103.3 are9103.86 currently9104.02 being9104.5 established9104.74 at9105.94 MassHire9106.5 career9106.82 centers9107.54 across9107.86 the9108.34 Commonwealth,9108.42 a9110.18 feature9110.34 that9110.74 will9110.9 enhance9111.14 customer9111.62 service9112.1 yet9112.8 required9113.11 DUA9113.92 to9114.4 identify9114.56 already9115.19 limited9115.51 federal9116 funds9116.31 to9116.64 support.9116.8 These9118.23 new9118.56 staff9118.8 members9119.11 are9119.75 in9119.92 the9120.08 process9120.23 of9120.56 onboarding9121.43 and,9121.75 once9121.75 in9122 our9122.15 centers,9122.4 will9122.8 bridge9123.03 the9123.27 gap9123.35 in9123.67 services9123.83 to9124.4 address9124.48 technical9124.88 deficiencies9125.27 and9126.64 provide9126.72 immediate9126.96 relief9127.52 for9127.92 claimants.9128.16 This9129.2 is9129.44 one9129.6 of9129.76 many9129.92 strategies9130.32 underway9130.96 or9131.84 recently9132.08 deployed9132.64 to9133.12 improve9133.36 DUA9133.92 customer9134.4 service,9134.96 which9135.44 is9135.6 a9135.76 top9135.84 priority9136.16 for9136.72 both9136.96 LWD9137.52 and9138.32 DUA.9138.56
9140.6 While9140.6 DUA9140.84 is9141.24 not9141.4 part9141.72 of9141.88 the9142.03 state's9142.11 operating9142.44 budget,9142.84 I9143.16 recognize9143.4 this9143.88 is9144 a9144.11 major9144.27 element9144.6 of9145.16 our9145.32 services9145.56 that9145.95 you9146.19 and9146.52 your9146.76 constituents9146.92 experience.9147.95 In9149.32 May,9149.56 thanks9150.52 to9150.76 state9151.08 capital9151.4 investments,9151.8 DUA9152.68 will9153.16 launch9153.32 the9153.72 claimant9153.88 experience9154.44 for9155.28 our9155.52 multiyear9155.76 modernization9156.4 project9157.44 known9158.32 as9158.48 EMT9159.44 following9160.72 the9161.12 20249161.28 launch9162.16 on9162.48 the9162.64 employer9162.8 revenue9163.28 side.9163.68 We9164.64 look9164.8 forward9165.04 to9165.52 keeping9165.68 you9166 apprised9166.24 of9166.72 this9166.8 important9167.2 project.9167.76 Our9168.67 team9168.92 remains9169.08 committed9169.4 to9169.8 working9169.95 diligently9170.35 to9171.08 utilize9171.23 the9171.8 resources9172.03 Massachusetts9172.59 afforded9173.31 to9174.11 best9174.35 serve9174.67 impacted9175.08 workers9175.56 and9176.19 partner9176.51 with9176.92 employers9177.16 through9178.11 our9178.35 UI9178.59 system.9179 Now9181.17 in9181.41 closing,9181.65 once9182.45 again,9182.77 I9183.25 would9183.41 like9183.57 to9183.81 thank9183.89 the9184.21 joint9184.37 committee9184.69 for9185.01 giving9185.17 me9185.49 the9185.57 opportunity9185.73 to9186.61 present9186.85 this9187.33 testimony9187.57 in9188.05 support9188.21 of9188.53 the9188.61 governor's9188.77 proposed9189.25 budget9189.65 for9190.37 the9190.53 Executive9191.25 Office9191.57 of9191.57 Labor9191.73 and9191.97 Workforce9192.69 Development.9193.82 I9193.82 look9193.98 forward9194.22 to9194.53 working9194.69 with9195.02 the9195.1 committee9195.33 and9195.74 the9195.98 legislature9196.22 on9196.77 advancing9197.02 our9197.42 initiatives9197.58 and9198.14 building9198.38 on9199.1 key9199.33 investments9199.66 that9200.53 help9200.77 to9201.02 support9201.26 workers,9201.9 job9202.53 seekers,9202.85 individuals,9203.74 and9204.3 families9204.53 across9205.1 our9205.66 commonwealth.9205.9 I'm9206.94 certainly9207.18 happy9207.42 to9207.82 answer9207.98 any9208.3 questions9208.62 you9209.26 may9209.5 have9209.58 for9209.82 me9210.06 or9210.54 my9210.78 senior9210.94 team9211.34 today.9211.66 Thank9212.38 you9212.62 very9212.86 much.9213.02
9214.46 SPEAKER19214.46 -9214.46 Thank9214.46 you,9214.7 madam9214.94 secretary.9215.26 At9216.38 the,9216.54 before9217.18 the9217.58 break,9217.74 for9218.14 those9218.3 of9218.54 you9218.62 who9218.86 are9219.02 not.9219.18 Wanna9221.31 make9221.63 sure9221.7 everybody9221.94 hears9222.34 me.9222.67 For9223.39 the9223.63 members,9223.78 before9224.26 the9224.75 break,9224.91 in9225.39 case9225.7 anybody9226.02 was9226.5 not9226.75 here9226.98 and9227.23 did9227.39 not9227.63 hear9227.78 me,9227.94 I've9228.58 instituted9228.98 a9229.63 new9229.78 rule9230.02 for9230.26 the9230.42 remainder9230.58 of9231.06 the9231.15 rest9231.31 of9231.86 the9232.02 afternoon,9232.26 which9233.55 is9233.86 19234.26 question9234.5 per9235.69 member,9235.93 and9236.57 if9236.81 absolutely9237.21 necessary,9238.17 19239.37 follow-up9239.69 question.9240.09 It9241.29 is9241.45 now9241.61 a9242.01 little9242.09 bit9242.33 past,9242.57 the9243.13 02:009243.29 hour.9243.93 I9244.33 just9244.41 wanna9244.65 be9244.97 mindful9245.05 of9245.53 the9245.69 fact9245.77 we9246.01 have9246.17 39246.41 secretaries9246.73 coming9247.37 in.9247.69 We9248.09 just9248.25 heard9248.57 from9248.81 the9249.21 first,9249.37 plus9249.69 29250.01 more9250.17 commissions,9250.41 to9251.38 do.9251.61 This9251.77 building9252.17 is9252.5 gonna9252.66 close9252.98 at9253.38 05:00,9253.61 and9254.5 so9254.74 we're9254.98 gonna9255.22 squish9255.61 everybody9256.01 in.9256.42 If9257.3 you,9257.45 are9258.33 not9258.5 I'm9258.9 gonna9259.06 allot9259.38 up9259.77 until9259.93 03:00,9260.33 for9261.77 the9261.93 secretary9262.17 of9262.66 labor.9262.81 Hopefully,9263.22 we'll9263.77 finish9264.01 a9264.42 little9264.5 bit9264.74 before9264.9 that9265.3 to9265.53 add9265.69 time9265.93 to9266.17 the9266.64 boards9266.8 and9267.2 commissions.9267.36 If9268.32 you9268.48 have9268.64 a9268.8 question9268.88 after9269.6 that,9269.92 I9270.24 think9270.4 if9270.56 you9270.72 approach9270.88 the9271.28 secretary9271.52 and9272 her9272.16 staff,9272.4 she9272.88 will9273.12 make9273.28 somebody9273.52 available9274.08 to9274.72 answer9274.88 all9275.36 remaining9276 questions.9277.04 With9278.4 that,9278.56 I'm9278.8 gonna9278.96 ask9279.28 the9279.6 first9279.76 question,9280 and9282.06 then9282.22 turn9282.45 to9282.85 my9283.42 cochair,9283.66 second.9284.69
9285.5 FERRANTE9285.5 -9285.5 And9285.5 the9285.81 first9285.98 question,9286.22 Madam9287.66 Secretary,9288.22 is9288.22 that,9288.38 are9289.66 there9289.81 opportunities9290.06 for9290.69 workforce9290.85 expansion9291.42 with9292.22 the9292.45 recent9292.61 influx9293.01 of9293.5 migrants9293.66 into9294.14 the9294.38 state?9294.53 And9295.23 if9295.47 so,9295.71 what9296.11 is9296.35 EOL9296.59 doing9297.07 to9297.39 capitalize9297.55 on9298.35 these9298.75 opportunities?9299.15
9300.83 JONES9300.83 -9300.83 I9300.83 appreciate9300.99 the9301.71 question,9301.87 Madam9303.15 Vice9305.31 Chair.9305.31 As9305.31 we9305.47 think9305.63 about9305.87 our9306.27 immigrant9306.51 population9306.99 as9307.71 well9307.87 as9308.11 newly9308.65 arrived9308.97 migrants9309.84 to9310.25 Massachusetts,9310.49 we9311.28 appreciate9311.52 their9312.57 contributions9313.05 and9313.77 their9313.92 skills.9314.17 Over9315.6 the9315.92 past9316.17 year9316.65 and9316.89 a9316.97 half,9317.13 the9317.77 Executive9318.49 Office9318.81 of9318.81 Labor9318.97 and9319.28 Workforce9319.92 Development9320.41 has9320.41 been9320.57 working9320.73 very9321.05 closely9321.36 with9322.08 the9322.42 Executive9322.82 Office9323.22 of9323.22 Housing9323.38 and9323.7 Livable9324.18 Communities9325.22 and9325.22 the9325.46 Executive9326.1 Office9326.5 of9326.5 Health9326.66 and9326.98 Human9327.54 Services9328.1 in9328.1 addition9328.26 to9328.82 the9328.98 governor's9329.14 office9329.62 and9330.02 A9330.34 and9330.42 F,9330.58 to9331.54 really9331.7 have9332.02 a9332.18 cross9332.34 secretariat9332.66 approach9333.54 to9334.45 supporting9334.94 the9335.66 EA9335.9 shelter9336.3 challenges9337.58 that9338.06 we9338.22 have9338.38 experienced.9338.61 At9339.82 that9339.98 front9340.3 door,9341.18 in9342.14 welcoming9342.14 migrants9343.01 that9343.42 have9343.58 been9343.74 living9343.9 in9344.3 our9344.45 EA9344.69 shelter,9344.94 we9345.25 have9345.42 integrated9345.66 an9346.85 assessment9346.94 of9347.78 workforce9347.94 development,9348.5 which9348.9 previously9349.38 had9349.86 not9350.1 been9350.26 part9350.42 of9350.58 those9350.74 wraparound9351.14 services9351.7 that9352.26 typically9352.42 would9352.82 include9352.98 HHS9353.46 or9354.02 HLC.9354.18
9355.86 Over9355.86 the9356.18 past9356.34 189356.98 plus9357.38 months,9357.78 we9358.9 have9359.14 been9359.3 able9359.54 to9359.86 lead9360.66 by9361.38 supporting9361.62 work9361.64 authorized9361.67 individuals9361.69 living9361.71 in9361.73 shelter9361.76 as9361.78 well9361.8 as9361.83 all9361.85 resident9361.87 or9361.92 all9367.92 individuals9367.92 living9368.56 in9368.8 shelter,9368.88 whether9369.27 they9369.51 were9369.67 of9370.08 migrant9370.23 status9370.8 or9371.11 not.9371.19 When9372.16 looking9372.4 at9372.72 the9373.11 current9373.35 or9374.16 exited9374.4 EA9375.03 shelter9375.43 residents,9375.75 really9376.4 to9376.72 help9376.88 stabilize9377.27 the9378 system,9378.16 but9378.56 also9378.72 to9379.49 lead9379.65 to9379.89 work9380.53 and9380.85 housing9381.09 stability,9382.53 we've9382.77 been9382.77 able9382.85 to9383.17 support9383.49 over9384.13 4,6759388.13 individuals9389.25 to9389.25 gain9389.49 employment9390.13 opportunities9390.69 thanks9391.81 to9392.13 this9392.29 partnership.9392.77 In9393.49 addition9393.83 to9394.16 teaming9394.4 up9394.64 with9394.88 MassHire9395.11 and9395.67 the9395.83 regional9396 workforce9396.4 boards9396.95 who9397.19 have9397.35 added9398 this9398.23 as9398.48 part9398.64 of9398.88 their9398.95 priority9399.43 and9399.92 commitment.9400.64 And9400.95 I9400.95 see9401.11 Senator9401.92 Comerford9402.72 nodding9402.72 her9403.03 head,9403.19 a9403.59 perfect9403.75 example9404.16 of9405.51 many9405.67 examples9406.16 across9406.72 many9407.34 of9407.58 your9407.74 districts,9407.98 and9408.46 thank9408.7 you9408.86 for9409.1 your9409.26 partnership,9409.5 is9410.62 in9412.14 Senator9412.7 Comerford's9412.7 region9412.7 working9413.18 with9413.42 UMass9413.58 Amherst.9414.78 And9414.86 we9414.86 were9415.02 able9415.18 to9415.5 team9416.14 up9416.38 with9416.46 MassHire9416.7 in9417.26 Franklin9417.5 County9417.98 to9418.86 provide9419.74 employment9420.14 opportunities9420.62 around9421.5 this9421.74 time9421.9 last9422.22 year,9422.46 in9423.1 their9423.27 culinary9423.5 services.9424.07
9425.02 We've9425.02 seen9425.35 examples9425.58 from9426.23 that9427.5 region,9427.67 to9428.15 the9428.31 Berkshires,9428.47 to9429.19 Worcester,9429.35 to9429.99 all9430.78 parts9431.02 along9431.35 Massachusetts,9431.67 especially9433.02 recognizing9433.83 where9434.39 employers9434.63 have9435.42 been9435.5 looking9435.75 for9436.07 talent.9436.31 And9437.43 so9437.67 many9438.07 examples,9438.39 I9439.27 visited9439.51 a9439.99 company9440.07 in9441.35 Worcester,9441.67 for9442.23 example.9442.39 They9442.95 were9443.11 not9443.27 able9443.43 to9444.39 fill9444.55 the9444.79 vacancies9444.95 that9445.59 they9445.75 long9446.15 had.9446.87 But9447.19 because9447.19 of9447.67 our9447.99 intentionality,9448.23 our9449.6 investments,9449.84 and9450.72 the9450.95 partnership,9451.19 they're9452.08 now9452.4 at9452.56 full9452.8 capacity.9453.03 And9454.08 that's9454.24 a9454.56 great9454.8 example.9455.03 That9455.44 example9455.68 I9456.08 just9456.24 highlighted9456.72 as9456.88 a9456.88 human9456.95 service9458.16 provider,9459.11 where9459.11 we've9459.27 been9459.52 seeing9459.76 a9460.08 lot9460.16 of9460.64 great9460.88 results9461.19 by9461.68 leaning9462.32 in9462.56 and9462.88 recognizing9463.04 the9463.76 needs9463.92 in9464.56 human9464.72 services9465.04 and9465.76 the9465.92 opportunities9466.16 of9466.96 transitioning9467.28 these9468.48 individuals9468.72 to9469.36 employment,9469.52 and9470.32 ensuring9470.48 that9470.96 essential9471.44 component9472 to9472.8 housing9473.04 stability9473.44 in9473.92 Massachusetts.9474.16
9476.78 SPEAKER19476.78 -9476.78 Thank9476.78 you.9477.02 Senator9477.42 Olivera?9477.98
9478.94 OLIVEIRA9478.94 -9478.94 Thank9478.94 you,9479.1 Madam9479.74 Chair.9480.06 Thank9480.06 you,9480.31 Secretary9480.63 Jones9481.26 and9481.74 your9481.82 entire9482.06 team,9482.39 particularly9482.7 Undersecretary9483.9 Cutler,9484.63 who's9485.02 no9485.34 stranger9485.58 to9486.31 committee9486.55 hearings9487.02 like9487.42 this.9487.58 Thank9488.78 you9489.02 for9489.18 going9489.42 over9489.74 how9490.31 the9490.55 unemployment9490.63 system9492.01 operates9492.33 here9492.73 in9492.97 Massachusetts.9493.29 I9494.25 think9494.41 for9494.57 us9494.89 on9495.37 this9495.69 side9495.93 of9496.09 the9496.25 dais,9496.33 we9496.73 know.9497.69 We've9497.93 been9497.93 getting9498.01 the9498.25 calls9498.41 from9498.65 constituents9498.97 on9500.01 customer9500.49 service9500.97 there9501.29 in9501.53 the9501.69 backlog.9501.85 And9502.97 thank9503.37 you9503.61 to9503.85 your9503.93 team.9504.25 When9504.65 our9504.89 offices9505.13 call9505.77 the9506.77 department,9507.02 they9508.45 usually9508.69 get9509.02 somebody9509.17 right9509.5 away9509.74 and9509.98 can9510.06 help9510.3 out9510.53 our9510.69 constituents.9510.85 Unfortunately,9512.22 though,9512.85 residents9513.42 of9513.74 the9513.9 Commonwealth9514.06 shouldn't9514.53 have9514.85 to9515.09 call9515.17 one9515.74 of9515.9 us9516.06 on9516.22 this9516.38 side9516.61 of9516.77 the9516.94 table9517.09 in9517.58 order9517.74 to9518.06 process9518.22 their9518.61 unemployment9518.77 claim.9519.5 So9520.2 looking9520.44 at9521 the9521.24 structure9521.48 of9522.2 the9522.36 Department9522.52 of9522.84 Unemployment9523.08 Assistance9523.72 in9524.2 Massachusetts,9524.76 understanding9525.72 that9526.84 that9527.08 roughly9527.32 $679527.72 million9529.08 within9529.08 the9529.32 budget9529.48 is9529.8 coming9529.96 from9530.2 the9530.36 federal9530.52 government,9530.92 and9531.8 looking9532.04 at9532.36 ways9532.52 in9532.76 which9532.92 we9533.16 can9533.24 increase9533.48 the9533.96 customer9534.04 service9534.68 of9535.72 the9535.88 department9536.19 to9537.88 benefit9538.03 our9538.51 constituents.9538.75 what9540.19 can9540.35 we9540.59 do,9540.75 absent9541.23 of9541.95 putting9542.11 additional9542.51 funds9543.15 in,9543.4 which,9543.88 according9545.07 to9545.64 the9545.88 department,9546.03 could9546.83 impact9547.07 what9547.44 we9547.68 receive9547.84 from9548.16 the9548.32 federal9548.48 government?9548.8 So9549.2 even9549.44 if9549.68 we9549.84 wanted9550 to9550.4 put9550.48 more9550.72 money9551.28 into9551.84 the9552.24 department,9552.4 it9553.12 could9553.28 hit9553.52 us9553.68 on9553.92 what9554.08 we9554.24 receive9554.48 from9554.88 the9555.04 federal9555.12 government.9555.6 And9556.24 I9556.4 think9556.48 that's9556.64 extremely9557.12 frustrating9557.68 on9558.64 our9558.8 side9558.88 because9559.45 of9559.69 it.9559.77 But9560.1 what9560.42 are9560.5 the9560.66 types9560.82 of9561.06 policy,9561.3 the9562.01 policy9562.25 changes9562.66 within9563.53 the9564.01 department9564.17 of9564.74 unemployment9564.98 assistance9565.61 that9566.09 your9566.42 team9566.66 is9566.9 putting9567.06 in9567.3 place9567.45 to9567.94 improve9568.17 that9568.58 customer9568.74 service9569.3 and9569.85 also9570.17 ways9570.5 in9570.74 which9570.9 we9571.14 can9571.3 be9571.45 a9571.53 little9571.61 bit9571.85 more9572.01 forward9572.25 thinking9572.58 in9573.45 anticipating9574.33 those9575.14 upticks9575.51 in9576.47 claims9576.87 that9577.35 need9577.51 to9577.75 be9577.83 processed9577.99 by9578.39 the9578.55 department?9578.71
9579.99 JONES9579.99 -9579.99 I9579.99 appreciate9580.15 the9580.71 question,9581.11 senator.9582.23 And9582.55 I9582.55 recognize9582.63 that,9583.35 through9584.39 some9584.63 outreach9584.79 with9585.59 many9585.75 in9586.07 the9586.15 legislature,9586.31 this9587.03 is9587.19 top9587.35 of9587.51 mind9588.28 for9588.36 you,9588.52 and9589.32 I9589.56 wanna9589.73 emphasize9590.05 it's9590.52 top9590.76 of9590.92 mind9591.08 for9591.56 me,9591.81 for9592.76 our9593.08 director9593.32 of9593.81 the9594.05 Department9594.2 of9594.6 Unemployment9594.76 Assistance,9595.48 and9596.05 many9596.52 of9596.68 my9596.84 senior9597 team9597.32 that9597.56 has9597.73 been9597.97 looking9598.13 at9598.44 this9598.52 in9598.92 very9599.17 creative9599.56 ways.9600.84 To9601.32 answer9601.56 your9601.88 question,9602.04 senator,9602.44 we9603.8 saw9604.04 an9604.28 uptick9604.52 in9605.72 January9606.04 that9606.84 is9607.08 part9607.32 of9607.48 a9607.64 seasonal9607.72 uptick9608.12 that9608.52 we9608.6 would9608.76 typically9608.92 get.9609.48 But9610.28 at9610.52 the9610.68 time,9610.92 we9611.32 also9611.56 recognize9611.96 we9612.92 had9613.08 a9613.32 staffing9613.48 shortage.9614.94 And9615.27 that9615.27 caused9615.42 a9616.23 greater9616.55 need9617.5 that9617.83 I9617.99 think9618.07 each9618.39 of9618.55 you9618.7 probably9619.1 experienced9619.58 on9620.07 the9620.23 receiving9620.39 end.9620.78 And9620.94 most9621.1 certainly,9621.35 the9621.99 solution9622.23 for9622.78 a9623.42 very9623.58 vulnerable9623.91 person9624.31 going9624.7 through9624.94 a9625.19 most9625.27 trying9625.5 time9625.83 shouldn't9626.15 have9626.47 to9626.7 call9626.78 their9626.94 legislator9627.45 to9627.77 be9628.01 able9628.17 to9628.33 reach9628.41 someone.9629.37 And9630.09 that's9630.25 not9630.49 the9630.65 goal.9630.81
9631.29 Our9631.29 goal9631.53 is9631.93 to9632.09 make9632.33 sure9632.49 that9633.13 we9633.37 are9633.53 providing9633.93 greater9634.33 capacity9634.81 both9635.61 on9635.85 the9636.09 phones9636.25 and9636.65 in9636.89 our9637.13 overall9637.29 service.9637.85 And9639.23 some9639.39 of9639.55 the9639.63 initiatives9640.42 that9640.9 we9641.06 have9641.23 deployed9641.55 most9642.74 recently9643.06 integrates9643.86 with9644.5 our9644.9 modernization9645.23 project.9646.34 So9647.47 in9647.63 May9647.86 of9648.26 2025,9648.74 as9649.23 I9649.39 mentioned,9649.55 we're9649.94 launching9650.18 a9651.06 modernized9651.31 system,9653.05 a9653.85 new9654.01 overhaul9654.49 of9654.97 our9655.13 UI9655.37 online9655.77 system9656.25 that9656.65 will9656.81 provide9657.93 a9658.25 more9658.49 customized9658.81 system9659.69 that9660.17 will9660.41 be9660.57 user9660.73 friendly.9661.05 We've9661.93 been9662.17 investing9662.33 in9662.81 this.9662.89 We9663.13 saw9663.29 great9663.53 success9663.77 on9664.09 the9664.17 employer9664.33 side9664.73 and9664.97 we're9665.13 gonna9665.29 see9665.61 hopefully9665.77 success9666.25 on9666.57 the9666.73 claimant9666.89 experience9667.37 come9667.85 May.9668.17 Because9669.27 we9669.59 were9669.75 planning9669.92 for9670.31 that9670.48 in9671.35 May,9671.59 including9672.15 an9674.48 increase9674.64 in9675.19 staffing9675.43 to9675.99 support9676.23 that9676.64 launch,9676.88 we9677.75 moved9678.07 up9678.48 the9679.11 opportunity9679.35 to9680.15 increase9680.31 customer9681.19 service9681.75 on9682.23 the9682.4 phones9682.62 from9683.66 really9684.14 the9684.38 end9684.54 of9684.54 April9684.54 to9685.58 literally9686.06 just9686.7 last9687.02 week.9687.26 And9688.22 we9688.46 were9688.62 able9688.78 to9689.02 increase9689.34 adding1409690.22 more9691.5 customer9693.02 call9693.74 staff9693.74 to9694.7 our9695.02 department.9697.68 And9697.76 that's9697.76 been9698.16 through9698.24 an9698.48 emergency9699.35 contract9699.52 that9700 we9700.16 look9700.32 to9700.56 have9700.72 an9701.03 RFP9701.27 to9702.16 then,9702.4 have9703.11 a9703.35 long9703.44 term9703.68 support9704.24 for9704.8 the9705.19 EMT9705.44 launch9706 in9706.32 May9706.48 and9707.03 for,9707.44 hopefully,9708.24 six9708.64 months9708.95 after9709.27 that.9709.6
9710.66 This9710.66 is9710.82 helping9710.98 to9711.46 stabilize9711.62 the9712.58 customer9713.22 experience9713.78 so9714.34 that9714.58 people9714.82 are9715.22 actually9715.38 able9715.7 to9716.1 get9716.5 to9716.82 someone9717.06 in9717.62 an9717.94 expedited9718.26 time.9719.06 And9719.7 we're9719.86 seeing9720.1 early9720.58 success.9720.98 Granted,9721.7 it's9722.02 only9722.18 been9722.42 the9722.58 first9722.74 few9722.98 days,9723.22 but9723.46 we9723.62 are9723.78 monitoring9723.94 it9724.42 very9724.66 closely.9724.9 But9726.09 we9726.25 also9726.42 recognize9726.73 the9727.22 number9727.38 19727.61 driver9727.85 for9728.33 why9728.57 people9728.73 are9728.98 calling9729.22 is9730.01 due9730.17 to9730.42 adjudication.9730.65 People9732.17 are9732.5 calling9732.65 because9732.98 they9733.38 have9733.53 questions9733.85 on9734.33 the9734.5 claim.9734.65 Adjudication9735.77 basically9736.42 means9736.9 there's9737.3 something9737.61 that9737.93 is9738.17 needing9738.94 to9739.1 be9739.26 looked9739.5 into9739.66 for9740.06 a9740.3 claim.9740.38 You9740.78 have9741.02 to9741.18 call9741.34 the9741.58 employer9741.74 to9742.22 verify9742.38 something.9742.86 There's9743.26 a9743.58 ID9743.74 verification9744.14 issue.9744.86 So9745.5 we9745.66 wanna9745.82 make9746.06 sure9746.22 that9746.38 we9746.54 are9746.7 staffing9746.86 up9747.26 to9747.9 support9748.06 that9748.54 essential9748.78 need9749.26 knowing9749.58 there's9749.82 a9750.06 backlog9750.14 and9751.22 a9751.38 need9751.45 that9751.61 we9751.69 will9751.85 have9752.09 moving9752.33 forward.9753.06 And9753.22 we're9753.22 continuing9753.38 to9753.77 explore9753.93 those9754.58 resources9754.9 with9755.77 A9756.09 and9756.17 F,9756.33 as9757.3 we9757.45 also9757.69 think9758.01 creatively9758.42 with9759.3 how9759.53 to9759.77 leverage9760.33 some9761.77 DOA9762.01 dollars,9762.5 federal9762.9 dollars9763.3 that9763.61 we9763.85 currently9763.93 have.9764.42
9765.47 We9765.47 also9765.63 recognize9766.03 we're9766.43 in9766.59 20259766.75 and9767.39 we9767.55 should9767.71 continue9767.95 to9768.35 think9768.43 with9768.83 technology9769.23 in9769.79 mind.9769.95 And9770.27 so9770.51 we9770.83 are9770.99 working9771.63 closely9771.95 with9772.35 EOTSS,9772.59 who9773.07 I9773.15 know9773.23 testified9773.47 just9774.03 last9774.27 week,9774.51 in9774.99 thinking9775.23 about9775.55 ways9775.87 to9776.27 augment9776.59 AI9778.92 or9779.23 other9779.56 technology9779.88 services9780.51 that9781.56 will9781.88 add9782.19 more9782.51 capacity9783 to9783.8 our9784.03 staff,9784.27 whether9785.23 it's9785.48 note9785.72 taking9785.95 or9786.35 other9786.51 cumbersome9786.75 things9787.31 that9787.56 they9787.72 have9787.88 to9788.03 do9788.11 after9788.35 talking9788.67 to9789 somebody.9790.03 Ways9790.35 to9790.35 augment9790.51 that9790.95 through9791.27 technology9791.43 so9792.07 that9792.23 they9792.47 can9792.55 expedite9793.11 it9793.51 more9793.99 efficiently9794.15 and9794.63 pick9794.63 up9794.87 the9795.03 phone9795.11 for9795.43 the9795.51 next9795.67 caller.9795.91 We9797.11 are9797.27 open9797.67 to9797.99 any9798.15 and9798.39 all9798.55 ideas.9798.79 I've9799.27 had9799.43 a9799.51 wonderful9799.67 conversation9800.15 with9801.35 Senator9801.75 Oliveira,9801.75 Senator9802.23 Lewis,9802.71 and9803.03 Senator9803.67 Jehlen.9804.08 I9804.08 look9804.23 forward9804.56 to9804.88 hearing9805.27 other9805.59 ideas9805.83 that9806.15 you9806.31 may9806.4 have9806.56 because9806.8 it9807.11 is9807.19 a9807.67 need9807.83 for9808.08 us9808.15 to9808.4 think9809.11 quickly,9809.43 and9810.4 efficiently,9810.72 but9811.92 also9812.08 creatively9812.4 as9812.95 well.9813.19
9816.15 SPEAKER19816.15 -9816.15 Thank9816.15 you.9816.4 Representative9816.64 Dix.9817.35
9818.99 DIGGS9818.99 -9818.99 Thank9818.99 you,9819.31 Secretary9819.47 Jones.9819.87 It's9821.95 an9822.19 honor9822.35 to9822.67 be9822.75 here9822.91 with9823.07 you9823.15 guys9823.31 because,9823.55 you9824.43 know,9824.59 last9824.91 year,9825.23 I9825.47 was9825.55 with9826.99 Chairman9828.03 Josh9828.03 Cutler,9828.35 and9829.23 I9829.39 was9829.47 the9829.63 vice9829.79 chair.9830.11 So,9830.43 I9831.63 know9831.71 we9831.95 worked9832.03 hard9832.91 on9833.23 a9833.55 lot9833.63 of9833.87 issues9834.41 on,9835.44 our9836.97 workforce,9837.13 especially9838.41 with9838.81 our9839.05 young9839.2 adults9839.85 and9840.33 apprenticeship9840.57 programs9841.44 in9842.81 the9843.13 hospitality9843.28 aspect.9844.81 You9845.28 know,9845.44 I9845.52 know9845.69 that9845.85 Cape9846 Cod9846.25 Healthcare9846.41 is9846.81 our9846.97 biggest9847.05 employer9848.17 and9848.33 they're9848.33 doing9848.49 a9848.81 lot9848.89 of9849.05 special9850.04 things9850.44 that9850.76 we9850.92 can9851.08 try9851.24 to9851.48 make9851.64 our9851.8 apprenticeship9853 programs9853.64 go9854.28 even9854.52 more9854.84 and9855.24 especially9856.52 with9856.92 even9857.16 early9857.88 education9858.12 for9858.68 the9858.92 Cape.9859.08 And9859.8 knowing9860.12 that9860.44 this9860.68 year9860.84 you9861.16 know,9861.32 not9861.56 this9861.8 year,9861.96 but9862.2 every9862.36 season,9863.08 where9864.25 seasonal9864.41 communities,9865.68 we9866.81 need9867.05 to9867.2 make9867.28 sure9867.44 that9867.6 we9867.76 have9867.92 plenty9868.08 of9868.48 jobs.9868.65 I9869.44 guess9869.6 the9869.84 only9869.92 real9870.17 question9870.41 I9870.81 have9870.97 is,9871.13 because9872.73 we9872.97 don't9873.13 know9873.36 what's9873.52 going9873.76 on9874 with9874.17 the9874.33 federal9874.48 government,9875.28 how9875.6 do9875.76 we9875.92 know9876.08 how9876.41 much9876.65 money9876.89 we're9877.13 gonna9877.28 get9877.59 or9877.75 how9877.91 much9877.99 we're9878.07 gonna9878.23 have?9878.55 That's9878.79 my9879.03 question.9879.67
9880.63 JONES9880.63 -9880.63 I9881.03 appreciate9881.11 the9881.83 question,9881.99 Representative9882.87 Diggs.9883.59 As9885.35 we9885.51 know,9885.75 it's9886.31 kind9886.55 of9886.79 very9887.11 much9887.35 evolving9888.31 times9888.87 and9889.67 we9889.91 are9890.07 maintaining9890.31 a9890.95 close9891.03 pulse9891.43 as9891.75 to9891.99 what's9892.23 happening9892.55 in9893.61 DC9893.85 and9894.33 the9894.5 impact9894.73 that9895.06 it9895.22 would9895.3 have9895.45 here9895.77 in9895.93 Massachusetts.9896.9 And9897.45 for9897.45 my9897.61 purview,9897.85 specifically9898.65 on,9899.22 workforce9899.85 and9900.42 our9900.65 workers9901.22 and9901.69 employers,9901.93 I9903.53 think9903.69 we9903.93 need9904.09 to9904.33 stay9904.57 closely9904.9 attendant9906.5 to9906.9 this9907.14 issue,9907.38 and9908.27 making9908.51 sure9908.83 that9909.23 as9909.55 you9909.79 continue9909.95 with9910.35 your9910.59 budget9911.39 process,9911.87 we'd9912.43 be9912.67 more9912.75 than9912.99 happy9913.15 to9913.47 continue9913.71 to9913.95 keep9914.19 you9914.43 apprised9914.67 of9915.39 what9915.55 we9915.71 learn9915.95 and9916.51 what9916.67 could9916.83 be9916.99 informative9917.23 for9918.03 you.9918.19 What9918.75 I9918.99 can9919.07 tell9919.23 you9919.47 today9919.63 is9919.95 the9920.11 investments9920.35 that9920.91 Governor9922.24 Healey9922.56 has9922.56 proposed9922.88 in9923.35 her9923.52 budget9923.68 are9924.48 critically9924.72 important.9925.11 Making9926.24 sure9926.56 that9926.8 we9927.03 are9927.19 investing9927.92 in9928.24 opportunities9928.48 to9929.11 enroll9929.27 more9929.75 and9929.92 more9930.08 individuals,9930.4 who9931.27 either9931.52 may9931.83 be9931.92 on9932.08 the9932.24 sidelines9932.4 today9932.88 or9933.19 may9933.35 be9933.52 on9933.68 the9933.75 sidelines9933.83 in9934.32 the9934.48 future9934.64 to9935.86 gain9936.18 the9936.58 skills9936.74 to9937.3 be9937.54 competitive9937.7 when9938.26 employers9938.58 are9938.98 ready9939.14 to9939.38 hire.9939.62 All9940.66 of9940.9 our9941.06 programs9941.38 require9942.02 having9942.5 employers9942.82 at9943.38 the9943.54 table.9944.58 And9944.74 we9944.74 have9944.98 been9945.22 and9945.54 will9945.7 continue9946.02 to9946.5 work9947.14 closely9947.38 with9947.86 industry9948.1 to9949 get9949.17 a9949.33 sense9949.41 of9949.49 what9949.73 they're9949.97 seeing,9950.2 especially,9951.25 in9952.2 the9952.36 times9952.44 that9952.68 we're9952.84 in9953 today.9953.17
9953.81 And9953.81 so9953.97 all9954.28 this9954.52 work9954.68 that9954.92 we9955.08 do9955.49 in9955.73 workforce9955.89 development,9956.44 I9957.25 often9957.49 say,9957.81 is9958.2 very9958.36 collaborative.9958.68 In9959.49 order9959.65 for9959.89 us9960.05 to9960.2 get9960.28 this9960.44 right9960.68 we9961.08 have9961.33 to9961.49 build9961.81 strong9962.13 partnerships9962.44 that9963.39 includes9963.47 with9963.87 industry,9964.03 that9964.43 includes9964.67 with9965.07 you,9965.31 that9966.03 includes9966.27 our9966.67 training9966.91 partners.9967.31 And9968.11 I9968.43 wish9968.75 I9968.91 could9968.99 give9969.15 you9969.31 a9969.47 more9969.63 definitive9969.87 answer9970.43 on9970.75 what's9970.91 to9971.23 come9971.31 in9971.47 the9971.63 future,9971.79 but9972.43 I9972.59 will9972.67 certainly9973.31 commit9973.79 to9974.11 staying9974.59 closely9974.83 connected9975.23 to9975.63 this9975.79 committee,9975.95 to9977.02 the9977.19 Labor9977.58 and9977.91 Workforce9979.02 Development9979.5 Committee,9979.5 and9979.5 others9979.75 that9980.07 are9980.23 interested9980.55 because9981.19 we9981.67 need9981.83 to9981.99 stay9982.07 closely9982.31 attended9982.86 to9983.19 this9983.42 and9983.67 continue9983.91 to9984.31 monitor9984.47 every9985.27 day9985.42 has9985.75 seemed9985.99 to9986.15 be9986.23 very9986.47 different.9986.78
9988.55 SPEAKER19988.55 -9988.55 Thank9988.55 you.9988.78 Senator9989.1 Comerford?9989.58
9992.86 COMERFORD9992.86 -9992.86 Thank9992.86 you,9993.02 Madam9993.5 Chair.9994.14 Secretary,9994.14 thank9994.62 you9994.86 so9995.02 much,9995.18 to9995.5 you9995.66 and9995.82 your9995.98 team,9996.14 for9996.7 today's9996.86 testimony.9997.26 I9998.3 wonder9998.54 if9998.86 you9999.02 could9999.18 give9999.5 us9999.66 a10000.46 look10000.62 inside10001.02 the10002.14 workforce10002.3 skills10002.86 cabinet.10003.26 How10004.78 the10005.34 cabinet10005.5 comes10005.9 together,10006.22 where10007.02 you10007.34 meet,10007.58 how10008.38 that10008.61 information,10008.93 how10009.41 the10009.57 decisions10009.73 that10010.3 you10010.45 make10010.61 trickle10010.85 down10011.25 to10011.57 the10011.73 regions,10011.9 how10013.25 they10013.49 influence10013.81 vocational10014.45 training10015.01 programs10015.33 or10015.73 community10015.98 college10016.45 certificate10017.25 programs,10017.81 you10018.22 know,10018.45 how10019.01 they10019.25 engage10019.57 with10019.98 workers.10020.22 I10020.93 would10021.01 just10021.74 love10022.1 to10022.46 see10022.62 it10022.86 in10023.18 3D10024.06 if10024.3 you10024.54 can.10024.62
10025.74 JONES10025.74 -10025.74 I10025.74 will10025.82 try10025.98 my10026.3 best10026.38 to10026.62 illustrate10026.86 it10027.26 and10027.5 will10027.66 tap10027.98 Alicia10028.62 to10030.22 compliment10031.42 my10031.42 initial10031.66 thoughts.10032.3 I10032.78 also10032.94 will10033.42 offer10033.82 a10034.59 deeper10034.75 dive,10035 recognizing10035.64 time10036.19 because10036.43 we10036.75 probably10036.92 could10037.31 talk10037.48 about10037.72 the10037.88 workforce10038.03 skills10038.35 cabinet's10038.67 portfolio10039.4 much10040.75 longer10041 than10041.31 we10041.56 will10041.72 in10042.19 our10042.35 short10042.51 response.10043 So,10044.27 workforce10044.43 skills10044.83 cabinet,10045.15 for10045.48 anyone10045.56 that10045.95 does10046.11 not10046.27 know,10046.43 is10046.75 comprised10046.92 of10047.4 labor10047.56 and10047.88 workforce10047.95 development,10048.43 education,10049.31 and10052.06 healthcare10052.22 and10052.22 human10052.46 services,10052.78 and,10053.34 obviously,10053.74 what10054.38 did10054.54 I,10054.7 labor10055.1 and10055.34 workforce10055.42 development,10055.82 education,10056.3 economic10056.94 development,10057.34 and10057.74 we10057.98 added10058.06 healthcare10058.62 and10058.78 human10058.86 services10059.18 when10060.46 we10060.62 came10060.78 into10060.94 our10061.82 administration10062.06 just10062.7 over10062.94 two10063.26 years10063.42 ago.10063.58 This10065 has10065.33 been10065.49 a10065.81 dynamic10066.13 and10066.77 really10067 essential10067.41 function.10068.77 We10070.28 meet10071.57 as10072.13 a10072.44 secretariat10073 level10073.73 at10074.85 least10075 quarterly,10075.33 if10075.81 not10075.97 more10076.28 frequently.10076.44 We10077.67 just10077.83 met10077.99 on10078.23 Friday.10078.55
10080.07 Our10080.07 teams,10080.39 including10080.87 our10081.35 undersecretaries10081.51 in10082.55 each10082.79 of10082.95 the10083.11 respective10083.27 secretariats10083.91 meet10084.63 weekly.10084.87 And10086.39 that10086.87 touch10087.43 point10087.67 across10088.31 secretariat10088.79 is10089.77 how10090.01 we10090.49 help10090.65 to10090.97 kind10091.6 of10091.85 build10092.25 that10092.57 braided10092.89 approach10093.28 in10094.25 how10094.41 education10094.97 meets10095.6 labor10095.93 and10096.17 workforce10096.33 development,10096.73 meets10097.6 economic10098.33 development.10099.44 And10099.69 we10099.69 added10099.85 that10100.25 focus10100.49 on10100.89 healthcare10101.28 and10101.85 human10102.01 services,10102.33 not10102.97 only10103.2 because10103.44 of10103.77 the10103.85 industry10104.36 applicable10105 in10105.4 every10105.64 region,10105.96 but10106.28 because10106.52 of10106.84 the10107 vulnerable10107.16 populations10107.72 that10108.68 HHS10108.92 supports.10109.56 I'll10111 just10111.24 say10111.48 when10111.96 we10112.12 then10112.36 take10112.6 what10113 we10113.24 do10113.4 within10113.64 kind10114.12 of10114.28 the10114.44 state10114.52 house,10114.76 we10114.92 know10115.08 we10115.16 can't10115.32 do10115.48 that10115.64 in10115.8 a10115.96 vacuum.10116.12 And10116.76 so10116.97 we've10117.05 extended10117.44 our10118 reach10118.25 by10118.73 establishing10119.05 seven10119.92 workforce10120.73 skills10121.2 cabinet10121.6 regions10122 across10122.81 every10123.6 region10124 of10124.4 the10124.73 Commonwealth,10124.81 partnering10125.84 with10126.25 our10126.48 MassHire10126.97 regional10127.2 workforce10127.6 boards,10128.17 also10129.05 partnering10129.36 with10129.76 our10129.92 community10130.08 colleges,10130.62 our10131.66 vocational10131.9 schools,10132.46 and10132.94 employer10133.34 partners10133.74 in10134.14 each10134.38 of10134.62 those10134.86 super10136.14 cluster10136.46 regions,10136.86 if10137.26 you10137.5 will.10137.58
10138.94 Through10138.94 that10139.18 engagement,10139.34 we10139.98 then10140.22 created10140.54 blueprints.10141.1 The10141.54 previous10141.98 administration10142.46 did10143.18 too.10143.5 When10143.98 we10144.14 came10144.3 into10144.46 office,10144.7 there10145.02 was10145.18 not10145.34 a10145.58 blueprint10145.66 post10146.51 pandemic,10146.92 and10147.4 so10147.56 we10147.72 got10147.88 to10148.03 work10148.19 early10148.59 on10148.92 to10149.56 engage10149.8 with10150.27 our10150.51 regional10150.67 partners10151.15 through10152.51 a10152.75 series10152.83 of10153.15 engagement,10153.31 lending10153.88 our10154.27 labor10154.43 market10154.83 data,10155.15 identifying10156.03 the10156.75 top10156.92 industries10157.23 that10158.35 each10158.92 of10159.07 the10159.23 regions10159.4 are10159.72 seeing10159.88 unique10160.35 to10160.75 each10160.92 region.10161.15 What10161.48 may10161.64 be10161.8 applicable10161.95 in10162.38 the10162.46 Berkshires10162.54 is10163.1 not10163.26 necessarily10163.42 the10163.74 same10163.9 on10164.06 The10164.22 Cape,10164.78 is10164.94 not10164.94 necessarily10165.1 the10165.58 same10165.74 in10166.38 Pioneer10166.62 Valley.10167.02 And10167.9 by10168.14 understanding10168.38 those10169.02 top10169.26 industries,10169.66 we10170.86 then10171.02 have10171.26 now10171.58 a10171.74 blueprint.10171.98 You10172.7 can10172.78 visit10173.02 our10173.34 website10173.5 to10173.98 see10174.14 the10174.38 ones10174.62 that10174.94 are10175.1 relevant10175.26 to10175.74 your10175.82 region,10176.06 that10177.03 identifies10177.35 the10177.92 top10178.07 industries10178.72 as10179.35 well10179.59 as10179.75 the10179.92 occupations10180.15 that10181.35 helps10181.59 to10181.92 serve10182 as10182.31 a10182.56 guide10182.64 both10183.19 in10183.51 the10183.92 grants10184.07 that10184.4 LWD10184.56 helps10185.59 to10185.83 administer,10186 but10186.72 also10186.95 the10187.27 partnerships10187.51 with10187.92 our10188.07 community10188.23 colleges10188.64 and10189.11 other10189.27 institutions10189.51 of10190.07 higher10190.23 ed.10190.56
10191.32 Also10191.32 amd10191.64 working10191.72 with10192.04 our10192.36 quasi,10192.52 whether10193.24 it's10193.56 Commonwealth10193.96 Corporation10194.52 or10195.24 the10195.64 Mass10195.72 Life10195.96 Science10196.2 Center,10196.6 Mass10197.24 Technology10197.56 Collaborative,10198.12 the10198.6 Mass10198.76 Clean10199 Energy10199.24 Center.10200.36 They10200.6 all10200.6 are10201 part10201.24 of10201.48 this10201.64 kind10202.04 of10202.28 effort10202.36 to10202.84 make10202.92 sure10203.16 that10203.4 we10203.56 are10203.72 singing10203.96 from10204.28 a10204.76 similar10204.92 sheet10205.24 of10205.56 music.10205.64 And10207.03 I10207.19 think10207.27 one10207.51 of10207.67 the10207.92 initiatives10208.15 that10208.72 have10208.88 come10209.11 from10209.35 this10209.92 work10210.15 under10210.48 the10210.72 Healey-Driscoll10211.03 administration10211.43 is10212.07 Mass10212.56 Talent.10213.83 I10213.83 will10214.15 just10214.31 touch10214.56 on10214.72 it10214.95 very10215.03 briefly.10215.27 It's10216.07 to10216.95 add10217.19 an10217.51 extra10217.67 front10218.07 door,10218.31 if10218.64 you10218.8 will.10218.95 Our10219.72 front10219.8 door10220.04 certainly10220.36 within10220.68 your10220.92 communities10221.08 are10221.48 our10221.64 MassHire10221.72 regional10222.12 workforce10222.52 boards10222.92 and10223.08 career10223.24 centers.10223.56 But10223.88 to10224.04 try10224.12 to10224.36 navigate10224.44 1-80010225.4 government,10225.88 it's10226.28 kind10226.52 of10226.68 hard10226.84 to10227.32 make10227.4 those10227.64 connections10227.88 if10228.36 you10228.52 don't10228.6 know10228.76 where10228.92 to10229.08 turn.10229.24 And10229.72 so10229.88 if10230.04 you10230.2 visit10230.28 mass.gov/masstalent,10230.6 it's10233.58 an10233.83 opportunity10233.99 to10234.47 connect10234.55 employers10234.86 to10236.39 skilled10236.7 talent.10237.1 And10237.67 it's10237.83 tied10238.15 into10238.47 the10239.1 resources10239.91 that10240.39 MassHire10240.86 already10241.34 deploys,10241.75 but10242.23 with10242.39 a10242.63 filter10242.78 for10243.75 life10243.99 sciences,10244.23 healthcare10245.26 and10245.5 human10245.58 services,10245.91 clean10246.55 energy,10246.86 advanced10247.74 manufacturing,10248.3 and10249.02 tech10249.26 jobs,10249.66 knowing10250.46 that10250.78 those10251.1 are10251.34 industries10251.5 that10251.98 we10252.22 are10252.38 seeing10252.54 in10253.42 many10253.58 of10253.82 the10254.06 workforce10254.22 skills10254.62 cabinet10254.94 regions.10255.26 I10256.7 don't10256.78 know10257.02 if10257.18 I10257.34 missed10257.5 anything,10257.82 Alicia,10258.14 but10258.62 that10258.86 was10259.02 a10259.18 quick10259.34 snapshot.10259.66 We'd10261.48 be10261.64 happy10261.8 to10262.11 dive10262.35 into10262.6 more,10263 but10263.32 if10263.48 there10263.64 is10263.8 anything10264.11 further10264.67 to10265 say.10265.16
10266.19 SPEAKER110266.19 -10266.19 Thank10266.19 thank10266.52 you,10266.67 madam10266.92 secretary.10267.24 I10267.64 think10267.72 that10268.03 was10268.27 comprehensive.10268.67 Thank10269.32 you.10269.56 Yes.10269.8 Representative10270.75 Souza?10271.4
10285.44 SOUSA10285.44 -10285.44 Thank10285.44 you10285.69 so10285.85 much,10286 Madam10287.05 Secretary10287.44 and10287.44 Madam10288.08 Chair.10288.89 I10288.89 have10289.13 one10289.28 quick10289.52 question10289.69 and10290 I'll10290.17 try10290.25 to10290.49 make10290.57 it10290.73 as10290.81 brief10290.97 as10291.2 possible.10291.36 I10291.77 was10291.92 really10292.08 encouraged10292.33 to10293.77 hear10294 the10295.52 talent10296.08 development10296.41 for10296.89 the10297.28 reentering10297.44 population.10298 I10299.03 have10299.11 the10299.35 distinct10299.39 honor10299.43 of10300.15 representing10300.39 a10300.63 part10300.87 of10301.03 Framingham10301.19 where10301.59 MCI10301.83 Framingham10302.31 is10302.79 located.10303.03 Truth10304.55 is,10304.87 95%10305.03 of10305.75 our10305.91 incarcerated10306.07 population10306.87 will10307.27 join10307.51 all10307.83 of10307.99 us10308.07 at10308.39 some10308.55 point,10308.79 and10309.59 they10309.75 should10309.99 be,10310.23 the10311.86 better10312.02 chance10312.19 we10312.5 have10312.67 that10312.91 everybody10313.15 is10313.86 a10314.02 contributing10314.19 member10314.58 of10314.75 society,10314.91 I10315.1 think10315.31 the10315.47 better10315.63 we10316.26 all10316.42 are.10316.58 MCI10318.1 Framingham10318.67 in10319.31 many10319.55 different10319.86 areas,10320.19 because10320.83 it10321.47 is10321.7 women's10322.19 population,10324.19 they're10324.34 smaller,10324.34 they10324.34 get10324.34 overlooked10326.56 for10327.12 a10327.68 great10327.84 deal10328.08 of10328.32 many10328.4 things.10328.64 How10331.28 does,10331.52 within10332.48 this10332.8 program,10333.04 this10333.52 initiative,10333.76 how10335.04 is10335.28 the10335.52 female10336.32 population,10336.8 population10336.8 of10338.15 MCI10338.47 Framingham10338.86 being10339.43 considered10339.67 so10340.07 that10340.23 they're10340.39 also10340.63 prepared10340.94 and10341.27 not10341.43 overlooked?10341.67
10344.07 JONES10344.07 -10344.07 I10344.07 appreciate10344.31 the10344.86 question,10345.02 representative.10345.58 And10347.1 I10347.43 will10347.58 say10347.83 at10347.99 a10348.15 high10348.31 level,10348.55 we10349.67 recognize10349.99 the10350.63 value10350.78 of10351.5 our10351.75 formerly10351.99 incarcerated10352.47 individuals,10353.02 and10354.67 that10354.75 is10354.83 why10354.91 we10355.67 appreciate10356.43 the10356.59 partnership10356.66 with10356.74 the10356.81 legislature10356.89 to10356.96 be10357.04 able10357.32 to10357.61 invest10357.89 in10358.18 our10358.46 program10358.99 to10359.55 do10359.71 so.10359.79 We10360.51 also10360.59 work10360.91 closely10361.31 with10362.51 Secretary10363.07 Reedy10363.07 and10363.39 the10363.47 Executive10364.19 Office10364.51 of10364.51 Public10365.15 Safety.10365.95 I10365.95 can't10366.2 speak10366.44 specifically10366.76 to10367.33 the10367.57 outcomes10367.89 at10368.28 MCI,10368.44 but10369.08 we'd10369.25 love10369.41 to10369.65 make10369.81 sure10369.97 that10370.52 our10370.68 team10370.84 follows10371.08 up10371.41 with10371.57 you,10371.73 because10372.6 we10372.84 wanna10373 make10373.33 sure10373.41 that10373.65 we10373.89 are10374.05 teaming10374.52 up10374.84 with10374.92 EOPSS10375.17 through10376.05 our10376.44 programming10376.68 that10377.57 we10377.81 are10377.97 highlighting10378.2 in10378.6 our10378.8 budget,10379.04 but10379.44 also10379.68 just10379.92 generally10380.24 recognizing10380.64 they10381.12 also10381.36 have10381.6 programming,10381.84 and10382.32 we10382.48 should.10383.28 Make10383.44 sure10383.44 we10383.76 are10383.92 doing10384 so10384.24 in10384.4 sync10384.56 to10384.88 meet10384.96 the10385.2 needs10385.28 of10385.6 the10385.92 women10386.08 population10386.48 at10387.12 MCI.10387.36
10388.48 SPEAKER110388.48 -10388.48 Thank10388.48 you.10388.72 Thank10390.48 you,10390.72 senator10390.96 Pagano.10391.36
10394.31 PAYANO10394.31 -10394.31 Thank10394.31 you,10394.55 Madam10395.1 Chair.10396.78 Well,10396.78 first10396.94 of10397.26 all,10397.34 Madam10398.06 Secretary,10398.55 I10398.55 wanna10398.63 thank10398.86 you10399.1 for,10399.34 your10400.31 testimony10400.63 and10401.18 your10401.34 service10401.58 to10401.91 the10402.06 Commonwealth.10402.23 It10402.94 is10403.1 always10403.34 great10403.67 seeing10403.98 you10404.31 at10405.44 the10405.52 district10405.68 because10406.16 that10406.4 means10406.56 that10407.1 there10407.64 are10408.18 tons10408.72 of10408.96 individuals10410.08 that10410.88 are10411.2 getting10412.32 their10412.56 opportunity10412.72 for10413.28 the10413.44 American10413.6 dream.10414.08 I10414.64 also10414.8 wanna10414.96 thank10415.28 you10415.44 for10415.68 emphasizing10415.92 the10416.56 importance10416.72 of10417.28 training10417.44 adult10417.84 learners10418.16 and,10419.23 you10420.1 know,10420.19 talking10420.43 about10420.75 vocational10421.15 education.10422.67 I10423.23 feel10423.39 like,10423.63 you10424.23 know,10424.5 every10424.67 week,10424.91 I'm10425.7 out10425.94 there10426.1 marketing10427.15 MassHire10427.86 because10428.35 sometimes,10428.67 I10429.07 don't10429.15 know10429.39 about10429.55 all10429.78 the10429.94 programs10430.02 but10430.43 I10430.67 know10430.75 the10430.91 folks10431.07 at10431.78 MassHire,10432.02 do.10433.47 And10433.7 I've10436.01 seen10436.25 their10436.57 efforts,10436.81 and10437.77 I'm10438.49 always10438.73 wondering,10439.13 you10439.61 know,10439.69 what10439.93 else10440.09 can10440.33 be10440.57 done10440.65 to10440.89 try10441.05 to10441.21 make10441.29 sure10441.53 that10441.85 this10442.33 information10442.57 is10444.01 going10444.17 out10444.57 to10445.13 general10445.69 public.10446.01
10446.57 And,10446.57 you10446.81 know,10446.97 my10447.21 question10447.37 is10447.77 the10448.09 programs10448.49 that10449.27 we10449.67 have10449.83 across10450.15 the10450.55 commonwealth,10450.7 are10452.23 they,10452.86 you10454.07 know,10454.23 are10454.47 we10454.63 basic10454.78 are10455.1 we10455.27 at10455.5 capacity?10455.75 Is10456.47 there10456.63 still,10456.78 you10457.5 know,10457.67 tons10458.15 of10458.39 room10458.55 for10458.86 folks10459.35 to10459.67 go10459.83 in?10459.91 And10460.15 if10460.39 there10460.55 is10460.7 tons10460.86 of10461.19 more10462.15 room,10462.47 you10463.27 know,10463.35 what10463.51 are10463.67 the10463.75 key10463.91 barriers10464.23 that10464.79 sort10466.23 of10466.55 halt10467.11 or10468.31 stop10468.47 these10470.23 programs10470.47 for10471.91 being10472.31 at10472.71 capacity?10472.87 Because,10473.83 like,10473.99 I'm10474.15 highly10474.31 interested10474.63 in10475.27 trying10475.95 to10476.11 figure10476.27 out10476.44 how10476.83 we10477 can10477.16 get10477.4 more10477.8 individuals10478.11 that10479.32 are10479.56 in10480.35 districts10480.59 like10481 mine10481.24 where10481.48 this10481.72 is10481.95 extremely10482.03 important10483.88 in10484.19 these10484.44 programs,10485.72 so10485.95 they're10485.95 not10486.11 working10486.35 factories,10487.16 they're10487.4 not10487.4 working10487.56 jobs10487.95 that,10488.35 basically,10488.83 they10491.02 find10491.26 themselves10491.42 unable10491.98 to10492.3 pay,10492.46 the10493.26 increasing10493.5 cost10493.98 of10494.22 living?10496.14
10496.14 JONES10496.14 -10496.14 So10496.14 MassHire10496.54 is10497.1 a10497.26 terrific10497.42 tool,10497.82 and10498.06 I10498.22 appreciate10498.38 that10498.86 you're10499.02 an10499.18 ambassador10499.42 for10500.46 MassHire,10500.78 and10501.58 would10501.9 appreciate10502.22 others10502.86 that10503.18 continue10503.26 to10503.82 promote10504.06 MassHire10504.54 within10504.94 your10505.26 respective10505.5 region.10506.06 It10506.78 is10507.08 that10507.24 front10507.4 door10507.88 experience10508.43 for10509.08 both10509.24 job10509.56 seekers10509.88 and10510.35 employers.10510.59 And10511.48 I10511.59 would10511.72 say,10511.95 I10512.92 hope10513.16 that10513.4 there10513.56 is10513.72 never10513.95 an10514.19 opportunity10514.43 where10515.16 someone10515.48 goes10515.8 to10516.03 that10516.11 front10516.19 door10516.43 and10516.59 they10516.75 can't10516.92 gain10517.16 service.10517.4 The10517.95 MassHire10518.51 system10519.16 is10519.48 an10519.64 extension10519.8 of10520.43 our10520.75 service.10522.44 And10522.76 they10522.76 partner10523.32 with10523.72 each10524.36 of10524.52 your10524.68 respective10524.92 regions10525.48 to10525.96 make10526.04 sure10526.28 that10526.6 job10526.84 seekers10527.08 and10528.28 employers10528.6 are10529.08 working10529.24 together10529.64 to10530.2 meet10530.36 both10530.76 employer10531 needs10531.48 and10531.72 the10531.88 opportunities10532.04 for10532.84 our10533 job10533.08 seekers.10533.58 The10533.98 investments10534.22 in10534.69 the10534.77 governor's10534.94 budget10535.42 helps10536.14 to10536.45 enhance10536.85 each10538.3 of10538.45 our10538.61 career10538.85 centers'10539.17 capacity.10539.9 It10541.25 is10541.5 pretty10541.98 much10542.22 level10542.53 funded10542.85 this10544.14 year10544.38 but10544.77 it10545.01 was10545.17 a10545.33 huge10545.5 increase10545.74 in10546.14 the10546.38 previous10546.45 year's10546.94 budget,10547.25 recognizing10548.95 that10549.75 by10550.15 working10550.39 closer10550.87 with10551.35 MassHire,10551.91 they10553.35 can10553.67 help10554.07 bring10554.39 in10554.63 more10554.79 people10555.03 into10555.99 the10556.95 industry10557.43 and10557.99 employer10558.31 opportunities10558.79 that10559.27 we10559.43 have.10559.59
10560.15 We're10560.15 always10560.31 monitoring10560.71 our10561.51 labor10561.59 market10561.99 data10565.41 statewide10565.41 but10565.41 also10565.41 within10565.41 each10565.41 of10565.41 our10565.41 respective10565.41 regions.10566.13 And10566.28 we10566.36 know10566.44 that10567.17 there10567.25 are10567.49 unemployed10567.65 or10568.13 underemployed10568.28 individuals10569.33 in10570.05 every10570.2 region10570.6 of10570.92 the10571 Commonwealth.10572.13 And10572.28 we10572.28 wanna10572.36 make10572.69 sure10572.84 that10573 our10573.57 career10573.73 centers,10574.13 who10574.84 are10575.08 right10575.25 on10575.49 Main10575.65 Street10575.81 often10576.13 in10576.44 your10576.52 communities10576.76 or10577.72 other10578.28 parts10578.6 of10578.92 the10579.16 region.10579.24 And10579.56 then10579.72 that's10579.96 the10580.2 brick10580.36 and10580.6 mortar,10580.68 but10581 also10581.16 online10581.4 that10582.12 people10582.28 have10582.6 that10582.76 ease.10582.92 So10583.48 we10583.72 have10583.8 a10583.96 terrific10584.04 team10584.44 in10584.68 all10585 of10585.16 our10585.32 2910585.48 career10586.04 centers.10586.36 We10587.32 also10587.48 have10587.72 a10587.88 team10587.96 within10588.12 our10588.44 department10588.6 of10588.92 career10589.08 services,10589.4 most10589.96 notably,10590.12 our10591.08 rapid10591.24 response10591.64 team.10592.2
10592.8 So10592.8 when10592.95 someone10593.11 sees10593.75 an10594.08 employer10594.31 that10594.8 may10595.03 be10595.19 experiencing10595.92 a10596.4 layoff,10596.56 we10597.03 try10597.19 to10597.43 quickly10597.51 catch10597.92 those10598.4 impacted10598.8 workers10599.27 to10600.16 reemploy10600.4 them10600.88 for10601.35 opportunities10601.59 within10602.31 the10602.56 region.10602.72 But10603.43 then10603.59 also10603.83 when10604.08 we10604.31 know10604.4 that10604.64 there's10604.72 employers10605.11 that10605.51 are10605.72 looking10605.8 for10606.12 work10606.44 that10606.76 may10606.92 not10607.08 have10607.4 yet10607.72 been10608.12 able10608.28 to10608.52 take10608.6 advantage,10608.84 there's10609.32 also10609.56 the10609.88 opportunity10610.04 to10610.6 make10610.68 sure10610.84 their10611.08 skills,10611.32 the10611.88 job10612.04 seeker10612.2 skills10612.6 can10612.92 be10613.08 transferred10614.04 to10614.6 another10614.76 employer,10615.16 especially10615.72 having10616.36 that10616.52 regional10616.76 lens.10617.48 So10618.68 I10618.84 would10619 say,10619.16 we10619.56 hope10619.64 that10619.88 the10620.04 investments10620.12 represented10620.76 in10621.24 the10621.32 governor's10621.66 budget10621.98 can10622.53 continue10622.77 to10623.33 enhance10623.5 the10623.9 services10624.06 that10624.61 we10624.77 look10624.94 to10625.09 deliver,10625.25 and10626.3 welcome10626.45 your10627.02 continued10627.33 advocacy10627.98 and10628.53 support.10628.69 But10629.5 if10629.66 you10629.82 have10629.98 more10630.14 questions,10630.38 we'd10630.77 also10630.94 be10631.17 happy10631.33 to10631.74 talk10632.06 in10632.22 greater10632.45 detail.10632.85
10635.35 SPEAKER110635.35 -10635.35 Madam10635.35 Secretary,10635.67 I10636.15 wanna10636.31 thank10636.63 you.10636.95 I10637.91 don't10638.07 believe10638.31 I10638.55 have10638.71 anybody10638.87 else10639.27 on10639.59 Madam.10640.15 My10640.87 list.10641.03 Oh,10641.35 wait.10641.51 Who's?10642.07 Rep10643.03 Holmes.10643.27 Oh,10643.75 okay.10644.31 Rep10644.63 Holmes.10644.87 I'm10645.27 so10645.43
10645.99 HOLMES10645.99 -10645.99 Alright.10645.99 Sorry.10646.39 Madam10647.19 secretary,10647.51 I10647.99 wanna10648.07 go10648.39 back10648.55 to10648.79 unemployment,10649.91 and10651.02 that,10651.18 making10651.42 sure10651.67 I10651.91 understand,10652.94 there10653.1 was10653.1 a10653.18 letter10653.34 being10653.58 drafted,10653.83 you10654.47 know,10654.7 to10654.86 sign10655.02 and10655.26 things10655.34 of10655.5 that10655.67 nature.10655.91 I10658.23 didn't10658.39 sign10658.63 it10658.78 because10658.86 this10659.18 has10659.26 been10659.42 an10659.58 issue10659.75 since10660.23 the10660.47 day10660.63 I10660.78 walked10660.86 in10661.1 the10661.18 building.10661.34 So10661.67 to10661.91 all10661.99 of10662.15 a10662.23 sudden10662.31 send10662.63 you10662.78 a10662.94 letter10663.02 to10663.26 say10663.42 unemployment's10663.75 falling10664.47 apart,10664.7 doesn't10665.47 make10665.63 sense10665.79 because10665.95 it's10666.27 been10666.35 falling10666.51 apart10666.75 since10666.99 we10667.23 got10667.31 here?10667.63 So10668.35 my10669.07 question10669.31 is,10669.71 what10671.07 do10671.31 you10671.39 do10671.63 when10672.27 you10672.59 go10672.75 from10672.91 9010673.23 million10674.75 in10674.75 a10674.83 budget10674.99 to10675.47 6710675.71 million?10677.79 Does10677.79 that10677.95 mean10678.11 that10678.35 we10678.51 go10678.59 through10678.83 an10678.99 awful10679.15 lot10679.39 of10679.55 layoffs?10679.79 I10680.43 mean,10680.73 what10680.89 happens10681.05 when10681.6 you10681.76 have10681.92 to,10682.08 you10682.65 know,10682.73 substantially10683.13 reduce,10683.68 budget10685.28 from10685.68 year10685.92 to10686.08 year?10686.16 And10686.97 then10687.13 embedded10687.44 in10687.84 that,10688 can10688.24 you10688.4 kind10688.56 of10688.89 just10688.89 walk10689.13 through,10689.36 Madam10693.36 Secretary,10693.6 Undersecretary10693.6 Cutler,10693.6 can10693.6 you10693.6 kinda10693.76 walk10694.16 through,10694.48 when10696.09 you10696.25 said10696.41 there10696.65 were10696.81 14010697.05 new10697.69 members,10697.85 this10699.53 that10699.85 still10700.09 is10700.33 not10700.49 gonna10700.57 solve10700.89 the10701.13 real10701.29 problem?10701.53
10702.41 Like,10702.41 years10703.21 ago,10703.45 I10703.69 heard10703.85 the10704.01 real10704.17 problem10704.33 was,10704.73 like,10704.89 the10705.53 software10705.77 was10706.33 old,10706.49 5010706.89 years10707.21 old.10707.45 You10708.36 couldn't10708.52 put10708.77 your10708.85 whole10709.08 name10709.33 in.10709.57 If10709.97 your10710.2 whole10710.36 name10710.6 wasn't10710.77 spelled10711.08 correctly,10711.57 you10712.44 can10712.6 only10712.77 put10713 certain10713.25 characters10713.65 in.10714.2 All10714.92 of10715.17 those10715.33 things10715.57 I've10715.81 heard10716.05 for10716.28 the10716.44 last10716.6 1510716.92 years10717.33 about10717.57 the10718.52 system.10718.69 So10719.25 does10719.57 this10719.89 new10720.28 system,10720.52 does10721.77 it10722.01 make10722.09 it10722.33 so10722.57 I10722.65 can10722.73 put10722.89 my10723.05 whole10723.21 name10723.45 in?10723.61 Does10724.41 it10724.57 make10724.73 it10724.97 so10725.21 that10725.37 I10727.13 can10727.29 get10727.53 a10727.85 status?10728.01 Because10728.41 you're10728.65 saying10728.81 no10729.13 matter10729.21 what,10729.53 even10730.73 if10730.97 you10731.13 have10731.29 a10731.45 call10731.61 center,10731.93 the10732.97 person10733.13 will10733.61 not10733.85 be10734.25 able10734.41 to10734.57 move10734.73 through10734.89 the10735.05 process10735.13 until10735.45 you10735.69 still10735.85 do10736.09 the10736.17 interaction10736.33 of10736.81 getting10737.33 outreach10737.66 from10738.06 the10738.38 employer,10738.53 things10738.93 of10739.17 that10739.25 nature.10739.5 So10739.81 will10740.3 this10740.53 new10740.85 system10741.09 at10741.66 least10741.9 give10742.61 them10742.85 a10743.01 status?10743.17 I10743.5 log10743.66 in,10743.9 I10744.3 say,10744.45 hey,10745.01 you10745.17 can10745.17 see10745.42 contacting10746.61 the10747.09 employer.10747.33 You10748.22 don't10748.38 even10748.61 have10748.93 to10749.09 call10749.17 a10749.42 person10749.58 if10749.9 you10750.06 can10750.14 just10750.3 do10750.53 some10750.69 of10750.85 the10751.01 basics10751.17 because10751.42 that's10751.66 sometimes10751.9 what10752.3 my10752.45 office10753.09 is10753.41 replying10753.57 back10754.05 to.10754.29 They10754.53 have10754.77 to10754.93 reach10755.17 out.10755.41 They10755.81 have10756.05 three10756.21 days10756.37 to10756.69 give10756.77 me10756.93 back10757.09 an10757.25 answer.10757.41 Will10757.73 no10757.89 one10758.05 answer?10758.21 Will10758.77 this10759.01 system10759.25 communicate10760.29 things10760.69 of10761.01 that10761.17 nature10761.97 because10762.29 some10762.29 of10762.45 this10762.61 has10762.77 to10763.01 be10763.17 solved10763.33 by10763.65 technology?10763.81 It'd10764.37 be10764.45 great.10764.61
10765.94 JONES10765.94 -10765.94 Well,10765.94 thank10766.18 you,10766.34 Representative10767.47 Holmes.10767.78 I10767.78 know10767.94 you're10768.1 a10768.58 long10768.75 standing10768.98 interest10769.47 in10771.63 DUA10772.1 but10772.1 most10772.26 specifically10772.5 in10773.23 the10773.55 UI10773.78 online10774.1 system10774.5 and10774.82 modernizing10774.98 it.10775.55 First,10776.67 I10777.15 wanna10777.31 make10777.63 sure10777.78 that10777.94 everyone10778.24 here10778.56 knows10778.72 we10779.12 are10779.36 standing10779.52 up10779.92 an10780.24 information10780.48 session10781.12 for10781.52 you10781.68 or10781.92 your10782.16 aids10782.4 to10783.28 get10783.76 a10784.08 preview10784.16 for10784.8 the10785.04 modernization10785.52 system.10786.48 I10787.12 believe10787.28 that's10787.52 scheduled10787.76 for10788.24 the10788.64 end10788.8 of10788.8 March10788.8 or10789.36 the10789.52 beginning10789.68 of10789.68 April.10789.68 It10790.56 is10790.75 on10790.91 the10791.15 books,10791.23 so10791.47 we'll10791.55 be10791.7 making10791.78 sure10792.02 that10792.26 you10792.42 are10792.58 personally10793.31 invited,10793.78 because10794.58 we10794.91 wanna10795.07 make10795.47 sure10795.63 you10795.78 have10796.5 trust10796.67 in10796.91 the10797.15 new10797.23 system10797.47 that10797.78 we10797.94 will10798.1 be10798.26 launching10798.42 in10798.75 May.10798.91 That10800.58 said,10800.83 the10801.23 new10801.47 system10801.78 is10802.26 modernized.10802.58 It10803.38 is10803.54 a10803.78 proven10803.94 product10804.58 that10804.9 other10805.06 states10805.3 have10805.62 also10805.86 deployed.10806.26 We're10807.22 working10807.46 with10807.78 Fast.10808.02 We10809.14 also10809.38 know10809.7 that10809.86 it10810.1 was10810.18 successful10810.5 on10811.14 the10811.3 employer10811.46 side.10813.06 And10813.54 the10813.54 claimant10814.1 side,10814.5 which10814.66 is10814.9 being10815.06 launched10815.3 in10815.7 May,10815.94 really10816.53 reflects10816.94 that10817.17 automated10817.5 support,10818.61 more10819.01 user10819.25 friendly10819.58 system.10820.14 And10821.42 we10821.66 hope10821.82 that10822.06 it10822.3 is10822.45 going10822.61 to10822.94 correct10823.09 what10823.5 has10823.66 been10823.82 a10823.98 broken10824.14 system10824.45 that10824.94 we've10825.09 been10825.33 operating10825.58 off10826.22 of.10826.45
10828.71 That10828.71 combined10829.51 with10830.31 looking10831.27 at10831.67 our10831.99 current10832.23 needs,10832.71 the10833.59 14010833.83 individuals10834.71 are,10835.67 through10836.47 a10836.71 vendor10836.79 that10837.19 we're10837.35 working10837.51 with10837.83 to10838.23 augment10838.47 our10839.03 staff10839.19 that10839.51 was10839.67 intended10839.83 for10840.39 our10840.63 EMT10840.87 launch.10841.35 And10841.91 we10842.15 basically10842.31 looked10843.13 at10843.36 an10843.6 opportunity10843.76 to10844.33 move10844.41 it10844.65 up,10844.81 recognizing10846 the10847.13 backlog10847.52 and10848.25 the10848.57 severity10848.81 and10849.28 long10849.44 wait10849.68 times10849.92 that10850.25 individuals10850.41 were10851.05 experiencing.10851.2 But10852.49 we10852.65 know10852.81 that10852.97 there10853.13 is10853.28 still10853.52 a10853.65 need10853.76 to10854 go10854.08 through10854.33 that10854.65 backlog,10854.89 which10855.28 is10855.52 why10855.68 we're10855.84 continuing10856 to10856.57 stay10856.65 at10856.97 the10857.13 table10857.2 to10857.52 identify10857.99 creative10858.87 resources10859.27 that10859.99 we10860.15 can10860.31 use10860.55 with10861.11 the10861.27 federal10861.43 funding10861.75 that10861.99 we10862.15 do10862.31 have.10862.63 And10862.87 we're10862.87 having10862.95 close10863.27 conversations10863.59 with10864.15 A10864.39 and10864.47 F10864.63 to10865.19 provide10866.15 for10866.55 those10866.79 kinds10867.03 of10867.19 opportunities.10867.43 I'll10868.87 also10869.11 acknowledge10869.51 that10870.42 when10870.75 we10870.83 look10870.91 at10871.15 DUA's10871.47 budget,10872.1 I10872.5 know10872.67 that10872.91 you10873.15 see10873.39 firsthand10873.63 the10874.67 call10874.83 center10875.15 staff.10875.7 DUA10876.91 has10877.7 a10878.42 whole10878.58 team10878.83 that10880.02 is10880.34 supporting10880.91 hearings10881.39 and10882.1 adjudications,10882.34 other10883.6 functions10883.92 of10884.48 the10884.64 department.10884.88 We10886 wanna10886.16 make10886.4 sure10886.64 that10886.96 we10887.12 not10887.84 just10888 solve10889.04 one10889.36 area10889.6 and10889.92 move10890.08 resources10890.4 around,10891.04 because10891.44 we10891.76 do10891.92 cross10892.32 train10892.72 staff10893.04 when10893.68 we10893.84 know10893.92 that10894.08 there10894.24 is10894.4 a10894.56 backlog.10894.72 We10895.44 also10895.6 wanna10895.84 make10896.16 sure10896.32 that10896.48 we10896.72 are,10896.88 supporting10897.7 all10898.18 aspects10898.5 of10898.98 DUA10899.15 now10899.86 and10900.1 into10900.5 the10900.82 future.10900.98
10903.15 HOLMES10903.15 -10903.15 Alright.10903.15 My10903.63 follow-up,10903.86 because10904.5 I10904.75 still10904.82 didn't10905.06 get10905.31 the10905.55 what10906.42 happens10906.67 when10907.06 you10907.31 go10907.78 from10908.02 9010908.26 million10909.58 to10909.58 67,10910.62 does10910.86 that10910.86 mean10911.02 that10911.66 there10911.82 are10912.06 layoffs10912.22 that10912.62 happen?10912.86 I10913.26 mean,10913.34 when10914.14 you10914.38 have10914.54 that10914.86 much10915.02 of10915.26 a10915.74 deduction,10917.02 over10917.26 the10917.26 last10917.34 couple10917.58 years,10917.9 have10918.38 we10918.62 been10918.78 having10919.5 to10920.38 lay10920.62 off10920.86 people?10921.02
10921.66 JONES10921.66 -10921.66 Yeah.10921.66
10921.9 HOLMES10921.9 -10921.9 And10921.9 then10922.06 you've10922.94 mentioned10923.27 the10923.58 word10923.75 backlog10924.07 a10924.55 couple10924.63 of10924.94 times.10925.02 What10926.15 is10926.39 the10926.63 backlog?10926.78 How10927.99 many10928.31 people10928.63 is10929.02 that?10929.19 How10930.15 long10930.39 it's10930.55 gonna10930.63 take10930.94 you10931.1 to10931.27 clear10931.35 that10931.58 backlog?10931.75 What10932.47 are10932.63 we10932.7 looking10932.86 at?10933.1 That10933.27 would10933.42 be10933.58 great.10933.67
10934.55 JONES10934.55 -10934.55 So10934.55 when10934.86 I10935.1 referred10935.35 to10935.75 the10936.23 funding10936.98 in10937.22 2020,10937.62 that10938.34 was10938.5 in10938.66 January10938.82 202010939.38 before10939.94 the10940.34 pandemic,10940.58 I10941.86 can10942.1 say10942.5 here,10942.74 and10942.98 I'd10943.14 be10943.22 happy10943.38 to10943.7 follow-up10943.86 in10944.18 more10944.34 detail,10945.78 when10945.94 you10945.94 look10946.1 at10946.26 the10946.9 outcomes10947.22 in10947.78 what10948.02 DUA10948.18 has10948.66 been10948.82 able10948.98 to10949.22 produce,10949.38 whether10950.74 it's10950.98 responsive10951.3 to10951.73 initial10952.2 claims10952.68 filed10953.08 or10953.73 the10953.97 active10954.2 claims10954.52 that10954.76 we10954.84 have10955 in10955.17 our10955.32 system,10955.48 it's10955.89 still10956.05 pretty10956.28 comparable.10956.6 So10957.65 pretty10958.05 much10958.28 our10958.52 staff10958.76 are10959.17 doing10959.32 about10961.08 the10961.4 same10961.56 or10962.05 if10962.28 not10962.44 more,10962.6 and10963.56 managing10963.81 through10964.28 with10964.52 less10964.68 resources.10965.08 That's10965.8 taxing10966.12 certainly10966.6 for10967 our10967.4 team,10967.64 but10968.68 we10968.92 also10969.08 know10969.32 that10969.56 augmented10969.8 staff10970.36 is10970.76 going10970.92 to10971.16 help10971.4 provide10971.64 some10972.28 immediate10972.52 relief.10973.16 As10974.52 I10974.76 mentioned,10974.92 we10975.4 wanna10975.56 get10975.88 to10976.04 the10976.2 root10976.36 of10976.52 the10976.68 problem.10976.92 To10977.4 your10977.64 point,10977.88 as10979.1 Governor10979.67 Healey10979.91 has10979.91 often10980.07 said,10980.39 this10980.55 is10980.7 not10980.78 an10980.94 administration10981.1 that10981.67 wants10981.75 to10981.91 kick10982.07 the10982.23 can.10982.39
10983.35 In10983.35 working10983.51 with10983.83 the10984.15 DUA10984.31 team,10984.78 we10985.35 are10985.51 trying10985.83 to10986.07 get10986.15 at10986.31 the10986.39 heart10986.55 of10986.78 some10986.86 of10987.1 the10987.27 issues,10987.35 including10987.75 the10988.23 adjudication10988.39 backlog.10990.31 And10990.7 that10990.7 will10990.94 take10991.35 some10991.58 additional10991.83 resources,10992.47 which10992.94 is10993.1 why10993.27 we're10993.43 continuing10993.94 to10994.1 explore.10994.26 The10995.3 backlog10995.54 includes10996.58 individual10999.54 areas.11000.02 And11000.66 so11000.98 it's11001.54 not11001.78 where11002.1 it's11002.34 a11002.5 backlog11002.66 where11003.14 we11003.3 haven't11003.38 been11003.62 able11003.78 to11004.02 reach11004.18 x11004.82 number11005.06 of11005.3 individual11005.54 people.11006.1 It's11006.9 the11007.3 number11007.54 of11007.78 actual11009.53 issues.11010.09 And11010.58 so11010.82 I'd11011.69 rather11012.02 make11012.66 sure11012.82 that11013.06 we11013.22 focus11013.45 on11013.85 strategies11014.33 for11014.82 moving11015.06 forward11015.38 and11015.69 getting11015.77 out11016.09 of11016.25 that,11016.42 and11016.74 that's11016.9 what11017.14 we're11017.3 focused11017.53 on11017.94 right11018.09 now.11018.33 And11018.58 we11018.82 hope11018.98 to,11019.3 in11019.69 the11019.85 coming11020.02 weeks,11020.33 have11020.66 an11020.74 update11021.09 for11021.81 you11021.97 because11022.21 it11022.53 is11022.69 something11022.77 that11023.01 we11023.17 are11023.33 trying11023.57 to11023.81 address11023.97 in11024.37 the11024.61 moment.11024.69
11025.97 SPEAKER111025.97 -11025.97 Thank11025.97 you.11026.21 I11027.17 wanna11027.33 turn11027.65 now11027.89 to11028.21 our11028.53 Republican11028.77 colleagues,11029.57 and,11029.97 I11030.61 just11030.77 wanna11031.01 apologize.11031.33 The11032.77 ranking11032.85 member11033.25 sent11033.65 me11033.81 a11033.97 text,11034.05 and11034.29 that11034.45 text11034.53 didn't11034.85 go11035.17 through.11035.33 So11035.73 I11036.05 don't11036.13 want11036.37 anybody11036.75 to11036.91 think11037.07 that11037.23 that's11037.39 just,11037.86 like,11038.1 rep11038.58 smaller.11038.91
11039.47 SPEAKER611039.47 -11039.47 I'm11039.47 completely11039.7 insulted,11040.1 madam11040.5 chair.11040.83
11041.07 SPEAKER2111041.07 -11041.07 Thank11041.07 you11041.15 very11041.31 much.11041.47
11043.39 SMOLA11043.39 -11043.39 Thank11043.39 you11043.55 so11043.78 much11043.94 for11044.1 your11044.26 testimony11044.5 and11045.55 for11045.63 being11045.78 here11046.02 today.11046.19 Quick11046.58 question.11046.91 I11047.23 wanna11047.39 talk,11047.63 very11048.26 quickly,11048.58 about11049.61 the11049.77 census.11049.93 So11050.41 we11050.49 heard11050.65 from11050.89 the11051.05 secretary,11052.57 Secretary11053.61 Galvin11053.61 last11053.61 week11053.85 relative11054.25 to11054.73 the11055.21 calculations11055.37 being11056.09 used11056.33 in11056.65 order11056.73 to,11057.05 get11057.93 what11058.09 our11058.33 census11058.41 numbers11058.81 are11059.21 now.11059.45 That11060.01 we11060.25 now11060.49 are11060.65 counting11060.97 the11061.37 number11061.53 of11061.77 individuals11061.93 and11062.49 it's11062.65 boosted11062.89 up11063.29 our11063.45 population11064.09 number.11064.65 I'm11065.22 not11065.45 as11065.61 concerned11065.77 about11066.17 that11066.49 number.11066.65 I'm11066.9 more11067.14 concerned11067.3 about11068.98 the11069.14 correlation11069.14 between11069.77 out11070.25 migration11070.49 in11071.06 the11071.22 Commonwealth11071.38 of11071.77 Massachusetts.11072.01 So,11072.73 my11073.45 question11073.69 is,11074.09 who11074.42 are11074.65 we11074.81 losing11075.14 in11075.93 Massachusetts?11076.25 There's11076.9 been11077.14 some11077.3 studies11077.45 recently11077.85 released11078.94 relative11079.66 to11080.06 Massachusetts11080.38 seeing11080.94 out11081.18 migration11081.34 of11081.9 talent,11082.46 of11083.34 wealth.11083.5 And,11084.46 obviously,11084.78 we11085.34 can11085.5 point11085.82 to11086.14 whether11087.1 it's11087.34 tax11087.58 policy,11087.9 new11088.46 regulation,11088.7 cost11089.26 of11089.58 housing,11089.66 cost11089.98 of11090.22 transportation11090.54 in11091.1 Massachusetts.11091.26
11092.38 But11092.38 I'm11092.78 concerned11092.94 about11093.34 the11093.5 out11093.76 migration11093.92 numbers11094.56 in11094.81 Massachusetts.11095.05 Who11095.76 are11096 we11096.17 losing?11096.32 What11096.73 are11096.89 we11097.05 doing11097.13 about11097.44 that?11097.84 Because11099.2 I11099.6 imagine11099.76 that's11100.24 a11100.56 huge11101.28 issue,11101.6 no11101.92 doubt,11102.08 for11102.32 the11102.48 governor11103.2 and11103.6 for11103.76 your11104 team,11104.17 particularly11104.97 because11105.6 how11106.87 do11107.11 we11107.19 fill11107.35 those11107.59 gaps11107.91 if11108.31 we11108.47 are11108.63 losing11108.95 in11109.51 this11109.91 talent11110.15 pool?11110.47 And11111.19 what11111.51 are11111.67 we11111.83 gonna11111.91 do11112.15 as11112.23 a11112.39 legislature11112.47 in11112.95 order11113.03 to11113.27 address11113.43 policy11113.75 that11114.07 may11114.31 discourage11114.55 this11114.95 from11115.11 happening?11115.35 Because11115.67 that's11115.99 really,11116.15 it's11116.39 not11116.55 just11116.63 bottom11116.95 line11117.19 numbers,11117.75 but11118.15 at11118.31 the11118.47 end11118.55 of11118.71 day,11118.79 the11118.95 policy11119.03 that11119.43 we11119.51 write11119.67 has11119.91 a11120.07 huge11120.15 impact11120.39 on11120.63 what11120.79 people11120.95 do.11121.27 And11121.59 those11121.8 people11121.95 that11122.19 have11122.24 more11122.27 resources,11122.75 they11123.31 can11123.48 pick11123.64 up11123.8 and11123.95 they11124.11 can11124.19 take11124.35 off.11124.51 Most11124.75 of11125 the11125.08 constituents11125.31 that11125.88 we11126.03 represent11126.27 here,11126.67 whether11127.16 you're11127.48 from11127.64 Berkshires11127.8 to11128.27 Cape11128.43 Cod,11128.67 can't11129.31 just11129.56 pick11129.8 up11129.95 and11130.11 and11130.27 take11130.43 off11130.59 out11130.75 of11130.83 Massachusetts.11131.08 You11131.56 got11131.72 to11131.95 kinda11131.95 suck11132.19 it11132.43 up11132.51 and11132.59 deal11132.67 with11132.92 it.11133.08 But11133.24 there's11133.4 a11133.64 lot11133.72 of11133.88 folks11133.95 out11134.19 there11134.35 with11134.59 those11134.83 resources11135.08 that11135.64 can11135.88 do11136.03 that.11136.27 So11136.67 I'm11136.83 just11136.91 wondering11136.99 if11137.39 you'd11137.47 like11137.71 to11137.87 address11138.11 the11138.35 out11138.59 migration11138.75 issue.11139.55 Thank11140.19 you.11140.43
11141.55 JONES11141.55 -11141.55 I11141.55 appreciate11141.79 the11142.27 question,11142.43 representative,11142.91 and11143.55 I11144.43 would11144.59 say11144.83 a11145.07 couple11145.23 of11145.55 things11145.63 to11145.87 answer11146.75 your11146.99 question.11147.23 First,11147.63 we11148.35 recognize11148.91 the11149.55 in11149.79 migration.11150.67 And11150.91 wanna11150.91 also11151.32 make11151.48 sure11151.64 that11151.8 as11152.03 we11152.27 bring11152.68 in11152.92 new11153.08 talent,11153.32 we11153.72 are11153.95 supporting11154.19 them11154.52 and11154.68 connecting11154.83 them11155.16 to11155.4 jobs.11155.56 But11156.03 to11156.27 your11156.44 question11156.6 on11157.08 out11157.24 migration,11157.4 that11158.76 is11159 also11159.16 top11159.48 of11159.64 mind.11159.8 If11160.27 you11160.44 look11160.6 back11160.76 on11161 the11161.08 past11161.24 five11161.72 years,11161.88 the11162.83 way11163 people11163.24 work11163.48 has11164.47 drastically11164.87 changed.11165.43 People11165.99 are11166.23 more11166.47 mobile,11166.63 talent11167.11 can11167.59 be11167.83 more11167.99 mobile,11168.15 and11168.87 there's11169.03 more11169.27 choices11169.43 for11169.99 individuals11170.15 to11170.95 make.11171.11 I11171.59 think11171.67 that's11171.91 exactly11172.15 why11172.55 Governor11173.91 Healey11174.95 has11174.95 invested11174.95 in11175.43 partnering11175.59 with11175.99 the11176.15 legislature11176.31 on11177.47 a11177.78 dramatic11177.86 housing11179.06 production11179.47 bond11180.26 bill.11180.58 It's11181.23 why11181.47 the11181.7 governor,11181.86 and11182.34 with11182.58 the11182.75 support11182.83 of11183.15 the11183.23 legislature,11183.47 is11184.26 investing11184.5 in11184.83 the11184.98 Mass11185.15 Leads11185.47 Act11185.86 because11186.34 we11186.67 wanna11186.83 make11187.06 sure11187.31 that11187.55 we11187.7 are11187.94 being11188.67 bullish11188.98 in11189.55 ensuring11189.86 that11190.42 we11190.67 are11191.15 not11191.39 only11191.55 a11191.78 commonwealth11191.94 that11192.58 can11192.75 attract11193.57 new11194.13 talent,11194.29 but11194.93 ensuring11195.17 that11195.57 we11195.73 can11195.81 retain11196.05 talent.11197.41
11197.73 And11197.73 investing11197.73 in11198.53 opportunities11199.25 like11199.73 the11199.89 Mass11200.05 Leads11200.37 Act11200.77 so11201.17 that11201.33 we11201.49 can11201.57 remain11201.81 a11202.13 global11202.29 leader11202.61 in11202.93 life11203.17 sciences,11203.41 so11204.21 we11204.37 can11204.53 remain11204.69 a11205.33 major11205.49 leader11205.89 in11206.21 clean11206.45 energy11206.77 and11207.17 grow11207.41 in11207.73 that11207.97 area,11208.13 so11209 that11209.17 we11209.33 can11209.41 be11209.97 a11210.05 leader11210.2 in11210.52 AI,11210.84 are11212.13 critical11212.44 to11213.25 have11213.89 Massachusetts11214.2 be11214.92 an11215.08 attractive11215.17 hub.11215.81 It's11216.6 also11216.92 important11217.25 that11217.73 we're11217.81 investing11218.05 in11218.44 our11218.6 infrastructure11218.84 and11219.89 the11220.2 resources11220.44 that11221 are11221.17 coming11221.25 through11221.56 our11221.73 housing11221.97 bond11222.44 bill.11222.68 The11223.69 infrastructure,11223.85 as11224.41 we11224.65 look11224.73 at11224.89 more11225.05 shovels11225.29 in11225.69 the11225.77 ground11225.85 in11226.09 all11226.17 of11226.33 our11226.41 regions,11226.57 is11226.89 gonna11227.05 be11227.29 critical11227.45 to11227.93 create11228.41 opportunities11229.05 for11229.77 people11230.01 to11230.33 live11230.73 and11231.37 work11231.61 here.11231.85 And11232.49 so11232.73 this11233.05 is11233.29 an11233.45 area11233.61 that11234.01 I11234.25 find11234.33 is11234.57 top11235.21 of11235.45 mind,11235.53 but11236.03 it's11236.19 also11236.48 an11236.75 area11236.92 which11237.72 I11237.95 really11238.11 appreciate11238.51 that11238.92 I'm11239.16 able11239.31 to11239.56 collaborate11239.72 across11240.83 the11241.24 governor's11241.4 cabinet11241.95 because11242.35 it11242.83 is11243.08 something11243.24 that11243.56 is11243.8 an11243.95 intersection11244.11 talent11244.83 with11245.8 housing,11245.95 with11246.75 economic11247 development,11247.56 with11248.46 transportation.11248.78 And11249.66 that's11249.82 exactly11250.14 why11250.86 the11251.1 governor11251.26 was11251.66 always11251.82 team11252.06 Massachusetts11252.38 because11253.18 the11253.82 investments11253.98 that11254.46 we're11254.62 making11254.78 in11255.1 one11255.26 area11255.58 is11255.82 gonna11255.9 have11256.22 a11256.3 direct11256.46 impact11256.94 in11257.66 ensuring11257.9 that11258.46 we11258.62 are11258.86 able11259.02 to11259.26 attract11259.42 and11260.3 retain11260.62 the11261.02 talent11261.18 that11261.5 we11261.66 have11261.82 here.11261.98
11262.76 I11262.76 will11262.92 also11263.08 say11263.25 that11263.73 in11263.97 our11264.2 labor11264.44 and11264.68 workforce11264.84 development11265.25 budget,11265.73 the11267.56 investments11267.89 in11268.36 areas11268.52 like11269 workforce11269.4 competitiveness11270.05 trust11270.84 fund11271.08 support11271.56 unemployed11272.2 and11272.76 underemployed11272.92 individuals.11273.56 Some11274.6 investments11274.84 also11275.4 support11275.45 retaining11275.5 existing11275.55 talent.11275.59 Not11275.64 included11275.69 in11275.73 the11275.78 budget11275.83 is11275.88 our11276.13 workforce11276.38 training11287.55 fund,11287.55 which11287.55 is11287.55 built11287.55 through11287.55 a11287.55 fee11287.55 through11287.55 the11287.55 UI11287.55 trust11287.55 fund11287.55 that11287.55 helps11287.55 to11287.55 stand11287.55 up11287.55 roughly11287.55 $2011289.88 million11289.95 annually.11289.95 And11289.95 that's11289.95 totally11290.19 focused11290.75 on11291.31 retaining11292.03 and11293 upskilling11293.24 existing11293.88 workers.11294.43 Employers11295.48 across11296.03 the11296.43 Commonwealth11296.59 have11297.24 been11297.31 able11297.48 to11297.64 generously11298.35 leverage11299.08 this.11299.56 It's11299.88 investing11300.03 in11300.51 dollars11300.67 they're11301.08 putting11301.31 in11301.56 to11302.19 help11302.35 retain11302.51 and11303 upscale11303.24 their11303.72 own11303.88 talent,11304.03 becoming11304.35 more11306.58 productive.11307.22 Supporting11307.22 anything11307.22 from11307.62 higher,11308.34 credentials11309.14 that11309.94 they11310.1 can11310.26 leverage11310.66 in11311.38 various11311.86 industries11312.82 like11313.3 manufacturing,11313.54 to11314.74 even11314.9 leveraging11315.14 the11315.62 workforce11315.7 training11316.18 fund11316.58 to11316.9 upscale11317.14 and11318.24 retain11318.4 talent11318.88 with11319.19 ESOL.11319.51 It's11320.16 been11320.32 very11320.56 creative11320.8 use,11321.19 and11321.51 we11321.75 see11322.08 that11322.24 also11322.48 as11322.8 a11322.88 great11323.03 opportunity11323.27 if11323.75 we11323.92 look11324.08 at11324.24 specifically11324.72 the11325.27 tools11325.44 within11325.67 LWD's11326 toolbox.11326.72
11330.73 SPEAKER111330.73 -11330.73 Thank11330.73 you.11330.89 Next,11330.97 we11331.21 have11331.45 rep11331.69 McKenna.11332.09
11332.65 MCKENNA11332.65 -11332.65 Thank11332.65 you,11332.89 Madam11333.37 Chair,11333.53 and11333.53 thank11333.69 you,11333.85 Madam11334.33 Secretary,11334.73 and11334.73 thank11334.89 you11335.05 for11335.21 visiting11335.37 Blackstone11336.17 Valley11336.65 Vogue11336.97 Tech11337.29 last11337.61 week11337.85 to11338.09 highlight11338.17 women11338.57 in11338.89 construction.11339.05 It11339.69 was11339.77 a11339.93 great11340.01 visit.11340.25 And11341.61 that11341.85 shows11342.01 one11342.49 of11342.73 the11342.81 highlights11342.89 of11343.37 my11343.45 district,11343.61 a11344.7 very11344.94 diverse11345.26 district11345.75 that11346.15 has11346.31 both11346.7 wealthier11347.5 communities11348.39 but11348.94 also11349.18 some11349.5 areas11349.83 that11350.31 are11350.78 struggling11350.94 a11351.42 little11351.5 bit,11351.75 and11351.91 that11352.06 have11352.23 seen11352.47 some11352.78 direct11353.02 benefit11353.42 from11353.83 investment11354.06 in11354.55 opportunity11354.78 zones11355.34 and11355.67 areas11355.83 like11356.23 that,11356.39 as11356.94 I11357.18 think11357.26 many11357.5 of11357.75 our11357.91 districts11358.06 have.11358.55 Looking11359.26 at11359.58 the11359.75 budget,11359.91 it11360.52 looks11360.76 like11361 there11361.08 are11361.4 some11361.48 caps11361.72 and11362.04 some11362.2 limits11362.44 placed11363 on11363.32 incentivizing11364.76 that11365.64 sort11366.04 of11366.28 investment11366.52 in11367.16 opportunity11367.4 zones.11368.04 And11368.2 I'm11368.36 wondering11368.52 if11368.84 you11369 can11369.08 detail11369.32 what11370.52 went11370.76 into11370.92 that11371.24 decision11371.4 making11371.88 and11372.44 whether11372.68 the11373.72 potential11374.81 revenue11375.2 recapture11375.92 was11377.36 weighed11377.6 against11377.92 any11378.57 potential11378.89 decrease11380 in11380.33 investment11380.57 in11381.05 our11381.13 communities.11381.36
11382.89 JONES11382.89 -11382.89 I11382.89 appreciate11383.13 the11383.6 opportunity11383.76 to11384.25 be11384.33 with11384.49 you11384.65 just11384.81 last11385.05 week11385.28 celebrating11385.6 Women11386.08 in11386.41 Construction11386.57 Week.11387.13 And11388.06 just11388.14 to11388.46 illustrate,11388.62 to11389.1 answer11389.26 your11389.42 question,11389.58 I'll11389.9 illustrate11390.06 with,11390.54 after11390.86 I11391.26 visited11391.5 Blackstone11391.9 Valley,11392.46 I11393.18 went11393.34 up11393.5 the11393.74 road11393.9 by11394.22 about11394.46 1511394.78 minutes11395.1 to11395.5 the11395.66 workforce11395.82 hub.11397.18 And11397.42 it11397.42 was11397.58 a11397.82 perfect11397.98 example11398.38 of11399.5 where11399.66 there11400.06 are11400.3 state11400.54 dollars11400.86 reflected11401.26 in11401.74 Governor11402.38 Healey's11402.86 budget,11402.86 including11404.17 programs11404.57 like11405.2 our11405.44 workforce11405.92 competitive11406.41 trust11407.05 fund,11407.52 registered11408.17 apprenticeship,11408.65 and11409.6 other11409.77 tools11410 in11410.33 our11410.41 toolbox.11410.65 But11411.44 it's11411.6 also11411.77 a11412.08 perfect11412.17 example11412.57 where11413.2 that11413.77 workforce11414 hub11414.73 is11415.13 leveraging11415.9 other11416.14 things11416.62 within11416.78 our11417.18 workforce11417.42 ecosystem.11418.06 I11418.7 was11418.86 joined11419.02 by11419.9 MassHire11420.06 regional11420.7 workforce11421.26 director,11421.74 Jeff11422.3 Turgeon.11423.58 And11423.82 he11423.82 helped11424.06 to11424.54 broker11424.78 relationships11425.66 with11426.38 the11426.54 Blackstone11426.7 Valley11427.34 Chamber11427.78 of11427.99 Commerce11428.19 to11429.07 stand11429.31 up11429.55 that11429.78 workforce11429.94 hub.11430.42 It's11430.75 a11430.91 resource11431.39 to11432.34 provide11432.58 job11432.99 training,11433.23 to11434.19 meet11434.42 the11434.67 exact11434.83 needs11435.15 of11435.47 employers11435.63 in11436.1 the11436.26 Blackstone11436.42 Valley.11436.99
11437.78 And11437.78 so11437.94 while11438.19 we11438.42 certainly11438.67 stand11439.23 by11439.47 and11439.86 appreciate11441.06 the11441.62 governor's11441.86 investments11442.34 that11442.9 she's11443.06 proposing11443.38 and11444.02 the11444.18 support11444.42 from11444.74 the11444.9 legislature,11445.14 we11446.18 really11446.42 go11446.66 a11447.62 step11447.78 further11448.02 in11448.5 extending11448.74 our11449.46 reach11449.62 and11449.86 capacity11450.18 through11451.14 our11451.3 workforce11451.54 system11452.1 and11452.9 making11453.06 sure11453.46 that11453.78 that11454.1 partnership11454.66 is11454.98 reflected11455.22 not11455.69 only11455.77 in11456.01 leaning11457.45 on11457.77 our11458.66 Mass11459.06 Hire11459.38 regional11459.38 workforce11459.69 directors11460.66 who11461.14 help11461.38 to11461.61 further11462.17 extend11462.74 my11463.3 reach11463.45 and11463.77 my11463.85 team's11464.09 reach11464.42 by11464.82 being11464.98 local,11465.3 but11465.94 also11466.17 working11466.5 closely11466.74 with11467.14 regional11467.3 chambers,11467.77 statewide11468.25 business11468.74 groups,11469.06 industry11469.58 organizations11469.9 to11471.26 have11471.58 those11471.82 dollars11472.06 go11472.46 as11472.7 far11472.86 as11473.02 possible.11473.26
11477.34 SPEAKER111477.34 -11477.34 Thank11477.34 you.11477.58 Representative11478.7 Peace.11479.42
11482.91 PEASE11482.91 -11482.91 Thank11482.91 you,11483.07 Madam11483.7 Chair,11484.02 and11484.02 thank11484.34 you,11484.5 secretary.11484.75 Appreciate11485.47 it.11485.86 And11486.34 it's11486.58 great11486.75 that11486.99 we're11487.15 here11487.31 in11487.47 Gloucester.11487.63 I11488.1 mean,11488.19 they11488.34 got11488.5 this11488.75 mural11488.91 up11489.31 here11489.47 just11489.7 for11489.86 you,11490.02 I11490.26 believe.11490.42 They're,11490.91 you11491.7 know,11491.78 not11492.31 build11492.91 that11493.23 for11493.39 today11493.63 alone,11493.94 but11494.26 for11494.42 the11494.58 future11494.75 as11495.15 well.11495.31 But11496.7 my11497.02 question11497.1 is,11497.5 according11498.78 to11499.18 the11499.34 Massachusetts11499.58 Taxpayer11500.22 Foundation,11500.78 total11501.74 workforce11502.14 spending11503.18 in11503.58 this11503.74 year's11503.9 budget11504.14 is11504.54 actually11505.58 down11506.06 8.611506.54 million11508.22 from11508.22 last11508.54 year.11508.78 And11509.98 so11510.22 I'm11510.38 wondering11510.54 how11510.94 the,11511.18 you11511.91 know,11511.99 how11513.02 did11513.1 the11513.27 governor's11513.42 office11513.83 arrive11514.15 at11514.47 this11514.63 decrease?11514.94 Because11515.34 did11515.67 the11515.91 governor,11516.07 did11516.39 we11516.55 expect11516.78 a11517.19 dip11517.34 in11517.5 demand11517.75 for11519.58 the11519.75 services11519.99 among11520.47 the11520.78 residents11521.5 or11521.91 where11522.15 do11522.39 we11522.47 come11522.63 about11522.86 them?11523.19
11525.33 JONES11525.33 -11525.33 Representative,11525.33 I'm11525.89 unfortunately11526.21 not11526.85 familiar11527.57 with11527.97 that11528.13 exact11528.37 citation11528.69 that11529.17 you're11529.33 referring11529.57 to11529.89 from11530.05 the11530.21 Massachusetts11530.37 Tax11530.93 Foundation.11531.41 But11532.45 I11532.61 can11532.85 tell11533.09 you11533.25 that11533.41 we11533.65 certainly11533.81 use11534.21 their11534.85 research11535.09 as11536.13 a11536.37 source.11537.49 And11537.97 we11537.97 have11538.13 been11538.29 closely11538.45 monitoring11539.01 labor11539.98 market11540.22 trends,11540.61 year11541.26 over11541.58 year.11541.82 And11542.77 we11543.1 are11543.26 basically11543.66 at11544.3 roughly11544.94 where11545.74 we11545.9 were11545.98 right11546.3 at11546.45 the11546.61 time11546.77 of11547.02 the11547.1 pandemic.11547.5 We've11547.98 been11548.22 able11548.3 to11548.53 recover11548.69 jobs11549.1 and11549.66 we11549.9 look11549.98 forward11550.14 to11550.45 continuing11550.61 to11551.1 make11551.26 investments11551.5 to11552.38 grow11552.94 our11553.34 labor11553.58 force11553.9 participation11554.3 as11555.34 well11555.5 as11555.66 our11555.82 workforce.11556.06 As11557.18 we11557.42 look11557.58 back11557.82 over11558.14 the11558.38 last11558.46 year,11558.78 we11559.1 actually11559.26 have11559.58 grown11559.82 our11560.14 labor11560.38 force11560.62 participation,11561.18 and11562.62 that's11562.78 kind11563.02 of11563.18 how11563.26 you11563.42 look11563.58 at11563.74 the11563.82 unemployment11563.98 rate.11564.54 More11564.86 people11565.1 are11565.42 looking11565.66 for11565.9 work,11566.06 and11567.01 so11567.17 our11567.33 unemployment11567.5 rate11567.98 has11568.14 also11568.38 gone11568.85 up11569.09 from,11569.33 you11569.82 know,11569.98 4.011570.3 to11571.58 now11571.82 4.211572.06 as11572.77 more11572.94 people11573.17 look.11573.42 So11573.58 it's11573.74 why11574.06 we11574.45 wanna11574.69 make11574.94 sure11575.09 the11575.25 programs11575.42 we're11575.82 investing11575.98 in11576.38 could11576.53 be11576.69 intentional11577.09 to11577.74 then11577.9 help11578.14 get11578.38 those11578.53 people11578.69 not11579.42 only11579.58 looking11579.98 for11580.22 work11580.38 but11580.61 actually11580.94 employed11581.33 as11581.82 well.11581.9 I'd11582.3 be11582.51 happy11582.59 to11582.83 follow-up11582.91 with11583.31 you,11583.47 though,11583.63 on11583.79 that11583.95 specific11584.11 citation11584.59 so11584.99 that11585.23 our11585.47 team11585.63 can11585.95 dive11586.19 deeper11586.43 into11586.67 it.11586.91
11587.15 SPEAKER1211587.15 -11587.15 I11587.15 appreciate11587.23 that.11587.63 Since11587.87 we're11588.11 getting11588.27 close11588.59 on11588.83 time,11588.99 I've11589.23 talked11589.39 to11589.63 you.11589.87
11590.27 SPEAKER211590.27 -11590.27 Okay.11590.27 Great.11590.51 Thank11591.63 you.11591.87
11592.03 SPEAKER111592.03 -11592.03 And11592.03 and11592.19 thank11592.35 you,11592.59 representative11592.83 Peace,11593.31 for11593.55 being11593.71 cognizant11593.95 of11594.51 the11594.67 time.11594.91 Representative11595.87 Jason?11596.51
11598.53 CHAISSON11598.53 -11598.53 My11598.53 question11598.69 was11599.02 already11599.17 kind11599.58 of11599.82 hit11599.82 on11600.06 by11600.3 Representative11600.45 Holmes11600.94 over11601.25 there.11601.33 So11601.66 just11601.98 wanna11602.22 say11602.45 thank11602.53 you,11602.69 madam11602.85 secretary,11603.17 and11603.58 your11603.66 team11603.82 for11604.45 testifying11604.85 today.11605.42
11605.9 SPEAKER111605.9 -11605.9 Thank11605.9 you.11606.06 Thank11606.38 you.11606.53 Representative11606.77 Marcy?11607.5
11608.94 MARSI11608.94 -11608.94 Thank11608.94 you,11609.1 Madam11609.74 Chairman.11610.22 Hi,11610.22 secretary11610.53 and11611.1 team.11611.25 Thank11611.58 you11611.74 for11611.9 coming.11612.06 So11613.96 sort11614.36 of11614.6 follow-up11614.84 on11615.24 Rep11615.64 Pease's11616.04 question11616.04 a11616.6 little11616.68 bit.11616.84 So,11618.92 you11619.96 know,11620.12 funding11620.52 for11620.92 the11621.08 technical11621.32 education11621.88 programs11622.52 is11623.24 down11623.72 a11623.79 bit,11624.92 right?11625.86 You11625.86 know,11626.02 for11626.1 example,11626.34 one11627.07 of11627.31 the11627.39 ones11627.47 I11627.7 took11627.78 note11628.02 of11628.26 were11628.34 Commonwealth's11628.67 Career11629.31 Technical11629.63 Institutes,11630.1 MassHire11631.63 Career11632.19 Centers.11632.58 They're11633.23 seeing11633.47 some11633.7 cuts,11633.86 probably11634.19 about11634.42 almost11634.83 a11635.15 million11635.23 and11635.55 a11635.63 half11635.7 for11635.94 that.11636.19 And,11636.42 you11636.83 know,11636.99 the11637.8 genesis11638.92 behind11639.48 my11639.8 question11639.96 was,11640.36 you11640.52 know,11640.68 a11640.84 lot11640.92 of11641 the11641.08 unemployment11641.4 calls11641.96 that11642.2 we11642.36 get11642.52 every11642.92 day,11643.24 all11643.72 day,11643.88 in11644.28 all11644.6 of11644.76 our11644.84 districts.11645.08 And11645.56 I11645.72 thank11645.8 you11645.96 for11646.12 addressing11646.36 that11646.76 earlier.11647.32 You11648.36 know,11648.52 I11648.76 know11648.84 we11649 need11649.16 to11649.32 tighten11649.48 our11649.8 belts11649.88 in11650.2 this11650.28 budget,11650.52 but11650.84 are11651.24 these11651.72 the11652.04 right11652.12 programs11652.44 to11653 cut?11653.16
11654.53 JONES11654.53 -11654.53 I11654.53 can11654.69 speak11655.02 to,11655.25 you11656.06 may11656.22 have11656.38 to11656.45 remind11656.53 me11656.77 of11656.94 the11657.02 second11657.17 line11657.42 item,11657.66 but11657.9 when11658.06 you11658.14 were11658.3 citing11658.45 the11659.17 Department11659.5 of11659.98 Career11660.3 Services,11661.17 we11662.3 have11662.45 the11664.38 One11664.77 Stop11664.77 Career11664.77 Center11664.77 line11664.77 item.11665.02 The11666.31 slight11666.55 deduction11666.95 in11667.91 that11668.15 line11668.39 item11668.55 reflects11668.95 the11669.99 ending11670.31 of11670.71 a11670.87 program11671.19 that11671.51 was11671.67 a11671.91 pandemic11671.99 era11672.63 program11672.87 supporting11673.43 market11673.99 makers11674.31 in11675.27 each11675.43 of11675.67 our11675.75 regions.11675.99 That11676.71 was11676.95 given11677.19 the11677.51 influx11677.75 in11678.31 ARPA11678.55 dollars11678.87 to11679.27 be11679.43 able11679.59 to11679.75 extend11680.07 reach11680.55 within11681.11 our11681.51 MassHires11682.05 to11682.84 employers.11683.17 We've11684.28 been11684.44 able11684.6 to11684.84 sustain11685.08 that11685.56 model11685.81 with11687 our11687.32 existing11688.2 model11688.6 that11688.92 we11689.08 have11689.25 through11689.56 the11689.81 MassHire11690.2 regional11690.44 workforce11690.92 boards,11691.4 our11691.73 career11691.89 centers,11692.28 and11693 the11693.25 technical11693.32 support11693.81 through11694.2 our11694.36 Commonwealth11695.35 Corporation11696.55 team11696.55 that11696.87 has11697.03 really11697.43 helped11697.67 to11697.91 kind11698.55 of11698.79 fill11698.87 whatever11699.11 resources11700.15 were11700.71 when11700.95 we11701.19 were11701.35 at11701.51 the11701.67 height11701.75 of11701.99 the11702.15 pandemic11702.55 with11702.95 a11703.19 significant11703.35 federal11703.91 funding11704.23 increase.11704.71
11705.43 And11705.43 I11705.59 think11705.67 the11705.83 second11705.99 one11706.31 was11706.47 our11706.71 career11706.95 technical11707.27 initiative.11707.75 And11708.17 we11709.85 know11710.73 that11710.81 this11711.38 is11711.47 a11711.56 relatively11711.65 new11711.74 program11711.83 in11712.01 comparison11712.17 to11713.25 some11714.33 long11714.5 standing11714.81 programs11715.3 in11715.61 our11715.77 budget.11715.93 And11716.98 we11717.45 appreciated11717.61 that11718.33 there11718.5 was11718.9 increased11719.22 funding,11719.53 especially11720.58 support11722.5 through11722.9 ARPA11723.39 dollars11723.71 to11724.27 help11724.35 support11724.59 this,11724.91 and11725.15 also11725.31 in11725.55 the11725.79 the11725.95 early11726.11 stages11726.35 of11726.75 getting11726.91 this11727.15 program11727.39 off11727.71 the11727.87 ground.11728.03 We11728.67 are11728.91 appreciative11729.07 of11729.63 nearly11729.79 3011730.19 plus11730.59 vocational11731.15 schools11731.71 teaming11732.35 up11732.67 with11732.83 us,11732.99 along11733.47 with11733.79 the11733.95 executive11734.11 office11734.59 of11734.91 education.11736.03 And11736.2 we11736.2 wanna11736.44 be11736.52 able11736.68 to11736.84 continue11737 to11737.33 sustain11737.56 this11737.89 program11738.13 to11738.76 best11738.92 reach11739.17 individuals.11740.28 It11741 is11741.17 a11741.65 program11741.81 that11742.13 also11742.36 supports11742.68 very11743.56 specific11743.89 industries,11744.36 including11744.84 construction11745.41 and11746.13 manufacturing.11746.6 So11747.73 as11747.89 we11748.05 look11748.2 at11748.52 where11748.84 we11749.08 see11749.41 a11749.65 need,11749.73 certainly,11750.18 in11750.58 supporting11750.74 CTI,11751.22 we11751.94 also11752.1 know11752.42 there's11752.58 other11752.74 tools11752.98 in11753.22 our11753.38 toolbox,11753.54 including11754.02 the11754.66 WCTF11754.98 program11755.78 that11757.14 is11757.3 our11757.54 most11757.62 flexible11757.94 program11758.58 combined11759.22 with11759.54 investments11759.78 like11760.26 registered11760.5 apprenticeship.11760.98 I11763.08 hope11763.08 this11763.08 answers11763.08 your11763.08 question.11763.16
11763.56 MARSI11763.56 -11763.56 It11763.56 does.11764.03 Thank11764.03 you.11764.27
11766.67 SPEAKER111766.67 -11766.67 Madam11766.67 secretary,11767.08 with11767.48 that,11767.72 thank11768.11 you.11768.35 Thank11769 you11769.24 very11769.4 much,11769.56 everybody.11769.8 And,11770.52 of11770.83 course,11771 if11771.32 anybody11771.4 has11771.88 any,11772.11 follow-up11772.67 question,11773.08 feel11773.56 free11773.8 to11774.11 talk11774.19 to11774.44 the11774.52 secretary11774.67 or11775.51 her11775.83 staff11775.99 on11776.39 her11776.63 way11777.03 out.11777.35 Thank11777.75 you.11777.99 Thank11778.39 you.11778.63
11779.19 FERRANTE11779.19 -11779.19 And,11779.19 secretary,11780.23 if11780.55 I11780.71 may11780.79 just11781.03 say,11781.27 it11781.83 was11781.99 very11782.15 good,11782.47 hearing11783.43 an11783.83 overview11784.07 of11784.55 what11784.79 you're11784.95 doing.11785.19 Unfortunately,11786.39 I11787.75 think11787.91 between11788.23 folks11789.11 that11789.43 are11789.51 in11789.81 the11789.97 a11790.05 system,11790.13 folks11790.52 that11790.76 are11790.92 just11791 arriving,11791.32 folks11791.89 that11792.13 are11792.28 being11792.36 laid11792.6 off11792.76 by11792.92 the11793.08 federal11793.25 government,11793.48 I11794.05 think11794.13 you're11794.28 gonna11794.52 be11794.76 very11794.84 busy.11795.56 But11795.89 it's11795.89 like11796.05 you11796.28 have11796.44 a11796.6 plan11796.68 to11797 to11797.17 deal11797.32 with.11797.48
11797.81 JONES11797.81 -11797.81 I'm11797.81 on11798.05 my11798.2 third11798.36 espresso11798.68 shot,11799.17 so11799.4 thank11799.65 you11799.89 very11800.13 much,11800.92 vice11801.81 chair.11802.2
11802.52 Thank11802.52 you.11802.68 Thank11803.17 you.11803.32
11804.14 SPEAKER111804.14 -11804.14 Okay.11804.14 For11804.7 the11804.86 members,11805.02 it's11805.42 now11805.66 03:00.11806.06 We11806.62 have11806.78 211806.94 hours11807.18 late.11807.42 In11807.74 budgeting11807.98 the11808.38 time,11808.46 I'm11808.78 gonna11808.94 up,11809.42 Bruce11810.22 Babbitt11810.7 from,11811.1 the11812.06 cultural11813.18 council,11813.66 then,11814.3 mass11815.18 status,11815.5 of11816.94 women,11817.1 commission11818.17 on11818.33 the11818.49 status11818.65 of11818.97 women.11819.2 I'm11819.68 gonna11819.84 allot11820.17 each11820.49 111820.65 of11820.89 them11821.05 1511821.36 minutes,11821.92 and11822.73 then11822.89 the11823.28 remainder11823.52 of,11824.08 the11824.56 day,11824.81 an11825.05 hour11825.2 and11825.44 a11825.6 half,11825.68 will11826.25 be11826.41 dedicated11826.56 to11827.13 housing11827.36 and11827.68 economic11827.92 development.11828.41 So,11829.76 mister11830.08 Babbitt,11830.33 if11830.65 you11830.81 can11830.97 come11831.13 up.11831.36
11845.06 Michael,11845.06 I'm11845.54 sorry.11845.78 I11846.1 don't11846.18
11846.5 SPEAKER411846.5 -11846.5 know11846.5 where11846.59 all11846.87 good.11846.97
11847.14 SPEAKER111847.14 -11847.14 Bruce11847.14 came11847.56 from.11847.72
11847.95 SPEAKER411847.95 -11847.95 It's11847.95 all11848.03 good.11848.27
11848.51 SPEAKER111848.51 -11848.51 But,11848.51 Michael,11848.75 I'm11849.07 sorry.11849.23 Yeah.11849.8 Bruce11850.03 didn't11850.92 got11851.23 my11851.48 attention.11851.72 Okay.11852.27
11853.07 SPEAKER411853.07 -11853.07 All11853.07 good.11853.23
11853.48 SPEAKER111853.48 -11853.48 Sorry11853.48 about11853.64 that.11853.88
11854.03 SPEAKER3411854.03 -11854.03 No11854.03 worries.11854.19 No11854.59 worries.11854.75
11856.43 MICHAEL11856.43 BOBBIT11856.43 -11856.43 MASS11856.43 CULTURAL11856.43 COUNCIL11856.43 -11856.43 Good11856.43 afternoon,11856.75 Chair11857.07 Ferrante11857.31 and11857.88 Chair11859.48 Oliveira,11859.72 and11859.72 through11859.72 you11860.03 to11860.35 the11860.51 members,11860.75 great11861.23 to11861.48 see11861.56 everyone's11861.72 faces.11862.27 Thank11865.01 you11865.33 for11865.49 the11865.65 opportunity11865.81 to11866.29 testify11866.53 today11867.01 here11867.49 in11867.73 beautiful11868.05 Gloucester11868.53 City11869.09 Hall11869.33 with11869.65 these11869.89 historic,11870.29 beautiful,11870.93 and11871.81 awe11872.21 inspiring11872.61 murals11873.41 before11873.89 us.11874.21 For11875.09 the11875.25 record,11875.33 my11875.65 name11875.81 is11875.97 Michael11876.13 J11876.53 Bobbitt.11876.69 I11877.09 am11877.25 the11877.41 director11878.2 of11878.68 Mass11878.84 Cultural11879.08 Council,11879.48 your11879.97 independent11880.36 state11880.92 arts11881.25 agency.11881.65 I'm11882.76 joined11883 by11883.48 Bethann11884.2 Steiner,11884.52 our11885 senior11885.25 director11885.65 of11886.05 public11886.13 affairs.11886.44 We're11887.81 honored11888.05 to11888.36 be11888.52 here11888.6 to11888.76 speak11888.92 to11889.08 you11889.17 on11889.4 behalf11889.56 of11889.81 Massachusetts'11889.97 creative11890.6 and11891 cultural11891.17 sector11891.65 and11892.51 to11892.75 outline11892.91 our11893.47 funding11893.71 request11894.19 for11894.67 fiscal11894.83 year11895.23 2026.11896.03 First,11897.47 I11897.79 wanna11897.95 express11898.27 my11898.83 sincere11899.31 gratitude11899.87 for11900.35 the11900.51 partnership11900.67 and11901.15 support11901.39 that11901.87 this11902.03 committee11902.27 has11902.75 consistently11903.15 demonstrated11903.95 towards11904.59 our11905.07 sector11905.31 and11905.79 our11906.03 work.11906.35
11907.41 Mass11907.41 Cultural11907.65 Council11908.05 is11908.36 eager11908.52 to11909.57 continue11909.65 our11910.13 collaboration11910.36 with11911 you11911.25 to11911.73 implement11911.97 strategic11912.44 policies11913 and11913.49 investments11913.81 that11914.28 will11914.52 strengthen11914.76 the11915.17 cultural11915.33 sector11915.73 and11916.05 contribute11916.2 to11916.68 the11916.84 economic11917 growth11917.57 and11918.28 competitiveness11918.52 of11919.49 our11919.65 state.11919.89 Mass11921.8 Cultural11921.96 Council11922.36 is11922.84 requesting11923.32 a11923.96 $2811924.2 million11925.8 appropriation11925.8 for11926.44 fiscal11926.6 year11926.92 26,11927.24 with11928.44 a11928.68 new11928.84 dedicated11929.32 and11929.96 funded11930.2 $15,00011930.84 earmark11932.04 contained11932.84 within11933.4 our11933.8 line11933.96 item11934.28 to11934.68 support11934.84 the11935.16 governor's11935.32 new11935.88 state11936.12 poet11936.69 laureate11936.94 position,11937.5 as11938.45 we11938.61 are11938.77 working11938.94 with11939.17 the11939.33 administration11939.5 to11939.98 implement11940.22 this11940.61 new11940.77 program,11941.02 which11941.42 was11941.66 established11941.82 last11942.53 month11942.85 through11943.09 executive11943.42 order.11944.06 This11945.9 figure,11946.22 which11946.69 matches11947.02 our11947.5 fiscal11947.66 year11948.06 2511948.38 request,11948.94 and11951.09 is11951.33 a11951.49 $1.1511955.97 million11956.61 higher11956.61 than11957.09 our11957.49 current11957.73 $26.8511958.45 million11960.37 appropriation,11960.37 will11961.65 allow11961.89 us11962.13 to11962.29 make11962.45 additional11962.69 investments11963.17 in11963.65 grants11963.81 supporting11964.21 creative11964.61 individuals,11965.17 youth11966.1 arts,11966.43 and11966.75 operating11966.99 support11967.47 for11967.7 cultural11967.86 organizations.11968.35 It11969.94 would11970.1 also11970.27 strengthen11970.58 our11970.99 local11971.15 cultural11971.55 council,11971.86 tribal11972.43 cultural11972.83 council,11973.15 and11973.55 cultural11973.78 districts11974.19 initiatives.11974.67
11976.35 Additionally,11976.35 this11977.55 funding11977.78 would11978.1 enable11978.35 Mass11978.75 Cultural11978.99 Council11979.31 to11979.7 continue11979.86 advancing11980.35 our11990.37 equity11991.33 goals11991.33 by11991.33 expanding11991.33 engagement11991.33 with11991.33 underrepresented11991.33 communities11991.33 and11991.33 addressing11991.33 systemic11991.33 inequities11991.33 across11991.33 the11991.33 state.11991.33 A11991.33 $2811991.33 million11991.33 appropriation11991.33 would11991.81 be11991.97 the11992.13 largest11992.21 in11992.77 our11992.93 agency11993.09 history11993.73 and11994.59 would11994.75 advance11994.92 key11995.4 goals11995.64 outlined11996.11 in11996.67 both11996.92 the11997.15 Commonwealth's11997.31 economic11998.11 development11998.51 plan11999.07 and11999.8 Mass12000.03 Cultural12000.35 Council's12000.67 strategic12001.15 plan.12001.72 First,12003.31 some12003.72 good12003.88 news.12004.11 Massachusetts12004.67 is12005.48 a12006.35 recognized12006.51 leader12007.07 in12007.64 tourism,12007.95 arts,12008.59 and12008.83 culture.12008.99 Our12009.95 sector12010.11 is12010.59 a12010.83 significant12011.07 economic12011.63 driver12012.11 contributing12012.67 $28.612013.47 billion12015.63 in12015.63 economic12015.79 impact,12016.43 4.1%12017.55 of12018.59 the12018.75 state's12018.91 economy12019.31 as12020.03 reported12020.27 by12020.67 the12020.83 US12021.07 Bureau12021.31 of12021.55 Economic12021.79 Analysis.12022.27 That12023.74 economic12023.9 activity12024.45 supports12024.94 more12025.5 than12025.66 133,00012027.42 jobs12028.77 statewide.12029.42
12030.77 According12030.77 to12031.17 federal12031.42 data,12031.82 our12032.38 sector12032.53 supports12032.94 more12033.5 economic12033.82 activity12034.38 than12035.02 construction12035.42 and12036.22 transportation12036.45 in12037.33 Massachusetts.12037.9 Furthermore,12039.66 Massachusetts12040.3 was12040.86 recently12041.1 ranked12041.5 the12042.14 third12042.3 most12042.7 arts12043.1 vibrant12043.58 state12044.06 in12044.78 the12045.02 nation12045.18 for12045.82 the12045.98 second12046.22 consecutive12046.62 year12047.26 by12047.58 SMU12047.82 Data12048.38 Arts,12048.7 the12049.58 National12049.74 Center12050.22 for12050.62 Arts12050.86 Research.12051.34 We12052.22 want12052.46 to12052.7 beat12052.86 New12053.18 York12053.34 and12053.58 New12053.82 Jersey.12054.06 Yet12056.25 despite12056.58 the12056.9 success,12057.06 Mass12058.33 Cultural12058.66 Council12058.66 finds12058.66 we12058.66 contend12059.06 with12059.45 substantial12059.77 and12060.33 growing12060.66 unmet12061.14 need12061.53 for12061.77 financial12062.09 support12062.66 every12063.14 fiscal12063.38 year.12063.77 Every12064.58 grant12064.9 program12065.22 we12065.53 administer12065.77 has12066.33 become12066.5 more12066.9 competitive12067.14 with12067.93 record12068.17 breaking12068.58 levels12068.9 of12069.38 applications12069.53 received,12070.33 meaning12071.52 we12071.84 are12072 saying12072.24 no12072.64 to12072.96 more12073.2 of12073.52 your12073.76 constituents12074.16 than12075.04 ever12075.28 before12075.52 across12076.08 all12076.56 programs.12076.8 Not12078.96 because12079.2 they12079.52 are12079.68 ineligible,12079.92 but12080.72 because12080.96 the12081.28 agency12081.36 has12081.84 limited12082.08 resources12082.48 available.12083.04 And12084.01 this12084.25 makes12084.42 sense.12084.57
12085.3 From12085.3 Great12085.61 Barrington12085.93 to12086.5 Gloucester,12086.65 the12087.14 Massachusetts12087.38 cultural12087.93 sector12088.25 is12088.65 as12089.77 vibrant12089.93 as12090.42 it12090.65 is12090.81 vast.12091.06 New12092.42 data12092.73 that12093.3 are12093.45 set12093.61 to12093.85 release12094.01 this12094.5 week,12094.73 the12095.61 202412095.85 cultural12096.81 asset12097.29 inventory12097.85 data12098.57 shows12098.89 that12099.21 Massachusetts12099.45 is12100.25 home12100.49 to12100.89 15,06312101.37 arts12103.61 organizations12104.17 and12105.37 112,19012106.97 creative12107.93 individual12108.33 generators12109.05 defined12110.11 as12110.35 people12110.67 who12111 make12111.16 a12111.48 majority12111.64 of12112.19 their12112.35 income12112.59 from12113 their12113.24 creative12113.48 practice.12113.88 These12115.48 folks12115.8 represent12116.11 3%12116.51 of12116.92 the12117.08 state's12117.16 workforce12117.48 and12117.95 Mass12118.19 Cultural12118.43 Council12118.83 is12119.24 proud12119.56 to12119.95 bolster12120.11 their12120.59 efforts.12120.83 However,12122.13 due12123.01 to12123.25 these12123.41 mounting12123.73 numbers12124.21 of12124.69 declined12124.93 grant12125.41 applications,12125.81 and12126.61 our12126.77 greater12127.09 understanding12127.57 of12128.05 the12128.21 size12128.37 of12128.61 our12128.77 sector,12129.01 this12129.81 year12130.05 we12130.21 implemented12130.53 some12131.17 new12131.41 rules12131.73 for12132.13 our12132.29 grant12132.53 making.12132.85 In12133.99 fiscal12134.07 year12134.39 25,12134.7 for12135.27 the12135.42 first12135.58 time,12135.75 Mass12136.7 Cultural12137.27 Council12137.27 informed12137.27 cultural12137.75 organizations12138.39 that12139.5 they12139.75 would12139.99 be12140.15 eligible12140.39 to12140.94 only12141.19 receive12141.5 one12142.15 form12142.55 of12142.86 operating12143.1 support.12143.58 This12144.94 change12145.19 allowed12145.5 us12146.23 to12146.47 spread12146.61 our12147.01 public12147.25 dollars12147.73 farther12148.21 and12148.69 make12149.01 more12149.33 grants12149.57 to12149.97 more12150.13 cultural12150.37 organizations12150.85 than12151.49 ever12151.65 before.12151.89
12153.01 In12153.01 fact,12153.17 in12153.41 fiscal12153.65 year12153.97 25,12154.13 we12154.61 awarded12154.77 unrestricted12155.25 grants12155.97 to12156.77 12912157.25 cultural12158.37 organizations12158.93 who12160.1 had12160.27 never12160.35 received12160.83 such12161.23 support12161.47 from12161.78 the12162.02 agency12162.19 before12162.67 through12163.15 our12163.39 new12163.78 operating12164.19 grants12164.67 for12164.99 organizations12165.63 program.12166.43 I12167.63 am12167.78 thrilled12167.94 to12168.27 expand12168.43 our12168.83 grant12168.99 making12169.23 and12169.55 invest12169.7 these12170.1 new12170.27 recipients,12172.93 and12173.09 I12173.09 hope12173.25 the12173.57 committee12173.73 agrees12174.05 that12174.37 it12174.53 is12174.69 our12174.85 duty12175.01 to12175.33 invest12175.49 in12175.81 as12175.97 many12176.13 as12176.45 eligible12176.77 recipients12177.73 as12178.29 possible.12178.45 Even12180.37 with12180.69 continued12181.01 robust12181.57 investment12182.05 made12182.85 by12183.09 this12183.25 committee12183.49 to12184.13 Mass12184.28 Cultural12184.52 Council,12184.84 we12185.17 know12185.33 we12185.49 will12185.65 never12185.81 be12186.05 able12186.13 to12186.52 say12186.6 yes12186.84 to12187.17 every12187.33 eligible12187.73 grant12188.2 application.12188.6 As12189.89 such,12190.05 our12190.36 work12190.6 is12190.76 guided12191 by12191.33 dual12191.57 strategy,12192.05 making12193 equitable12193.41 public12193.89 investments12194.2 with12194.76 the12194.92 public12195.08 dollars12195.41 we12195.89 have12196.05 on12196.28 hand12196.44 while12197.32 advocating12197.64 for12198.12 policies12198.36 that12198.76 integrate12199 the12199.4 sector12199.56 into12200.04 broader12200.44 economic12201 and12201.48 social12201.64 initiatives.12202.12
12203.8 Creativity12203.8 is12204.44 central12204.68 to12205.08 problem12205.4 solving12205.8 and12206.28 arts12206.52 and12206.76 culture12206.92 have12207.4 a12207.56 profound12207.72 impact12208.36 on12208.92 healing,12209.16 community12210.3 enrichment,12210.61 economic12211.5 growth,12212.06 accessibility,12212.61 and12213.5 individual12213.73 empowerment.12214.53 Mass12215.98 Cultural12216.22 Council12216.53 is12216.85 dedicated12217.01 to12217.42 ensuring12217.65 that12218.06 the12218.22 creative12218.3 sector12218.69 remains12219.01 a12219.33 priority12219.5 across12220.14 government12220.45 and12220.93 economic12221.17 development12221.65 efforts.12222.14 My12223.38 hope12223.54 is12223.78 that12223.94 by12224.18 working12224.34 in12224.82 this12224.98 fashion,12225.22 together,12225.7 the12226.18 Commonwealth12226.34 will12226.9 embrace12227.14 policies12227.54 and12228.02 initiatives12228.26 that12228.82 will12228.98 embrace12229.14 arts,12229.7 culture,12230.1 and12230.5 creativity12230.66 as12231.78 necessary12232.1 economic12232.74 development12233.22 tools12233.78 and12234.1 invest12234.34 in12234.66 the12234.82 sector12235.06 accordingly.12235.46 I12238.02 wanted12238.19 to12238.5 update12238.67 you,12238.99 the12239.31 committee,12239.55 on12239.94 our12240.19 partnership12240.5 with12240.99 the12241.15 National12241.31 Endowment12241.7 for12242.27 the12242.35 Arts.12242.5 As12243.47 the12243.63 state12243.78 arts12244.1 agency,12244.35 each12244.91 year,12245.07 we12245.31 receive12245.55 a12246.02 small12246.19 grant12246.58 from12246.91 the12247.07 National12247.15 Endowment12247.47 for12247.86 the12248.02 Arts,12248.19 which12248.43 is12248.58 used12248.75 to12248.99 further12249.07 Mass12250.1 Cultural12250.83 Council's12250.83 financial12250.83 support12251.39 for12252.52 Poetry12252.76 Out12253.08 Loud,12253.4 arts12253.96 in12254.2 education,12254.36 arts12255.16 in12255.4 underserved12255.64 communities,12256.28 and12256.92 folk12257.24 in12257.48 traditional12257.64 arts.12258.2
12259.32 In12259.32 fiscal12259.48 year12259.88 25,12260.12 our12260.6 partnership12260.84 grant12261.4 from12261.8 the12262.04 NEA12262.2 totaled12262.68 a12263.16 little12263.32 over12263.72 1.212264.04 million.12265.9 I12265.9 am12266.06 grateful12266.22 that12266.69 even12266.94 with12267.18 the12267.58 turbulence12267.82 in12268.3 Washington12268.53 DC12269.02 these12269.5 days,12269.74 we12270.06 have12270.3 received12270.53 all12271.1 these12271.33 funds,12271.58 and12272.06 as12272.3 such,12272.45 our12272.77 grant12273.02 awards12273.33 have12273.74 not12273.9 been12274.06 affected.12274.3 However,12275.42 Mass12276.06 Cultural12276.3 Council12276.69 is12277.18 a12277.42 national12277.66 leader12278.14 among12278.45 state12279.74 arts12279.98 agencies12280.22 with12281.41 a12281.65 commitment12281.65 to12282.05 equity,12282.29 diversity,12283.17 access,12283.97 and12284.37 inclusion.12284.61 We12285.97 have12286.13 developed12286.37 and12286.85 our12287.01 governing12287.73 council12288.13 has12288.61 approved12288.85 a12289.33 racial12289.49 equity12289.89 plan12290.37 as12290.93 well12291.09 as12291.33 two12291.57 further12291.81 plans12292.21 outlining12292.69 our12293.25 goals12293.41 as12293.81 we12293.97 work12294.82 to12295.14 support12295.42 the12295.69 arts12295.94 in12296.33 native12296.58 American12297.14 and12297.61 indigenous12297.77 people's12298.25 communities12298.66 and12299.53 with12299.77 the12300.02 deaf,12300.58 and12300.9 disability12301.14 community.12301.77 Regardless12303.3 of12303.69 decisions12303.85 made12304.5 in12304.74 the12304.9 White12305.06 House,12305.22 Mass12306.82 Cultural12307.22 Council12307.22 is12307.22 not12307.45 looking12307.69 to12307.94 change12308.1 direction12308.42 when12308.9 it12309.06 comes12309.22 to12309.53 this12309.77 scope12310.02 of12310.33 work.12311.59 As12311.67 such,12311.83 we12312.07 may12312.31 be12312.47 unable12312.71 to12313.75 receive12313.83 NEA12314.87 funds12315.35 if12317.99 the12318.15 current12318.23 federal12318.71 administration12319.03 imposes12321.99 rules12322.55 on12323.03 limiting12323.19 or12323.91 prohibiting12324.07 DEI12324.63 initiatives,12325.27 as12326.38 it12326.53 has12326.69 done12326.77 with12327.25 other12327.5 NEA12327.98 programs.12328.38
12329.74 1.212330.85 million12330.85 is12330.85 not12331.01 a12331.17 major12331.33 part12331.66 of12331.9 our12332.06 annual12332.3 spending.12332.69 It12333.17 is12333.33 only12333.5 about12333.9 312334.3 to12334.53 4%12334.69 of12335.33 our12335.5 total12335.66 annual12336.06 resources.12336.53 But12337.66 if12337.9 we12337.98 do12338.14 lose12338.3 those12338.53 federal12338.77 funds,12339.17 which12339.5 supplement12340.11 our12340.43 grant12340.75 making12340.99 dollars,12341.39 it12341.71 will12341.95 affect12342.11 the12342.59 size12342.75 and12343.07 number12343.31 of12343.63 our12343.71 grant12343.95 awards12344.27 we12345.07 make12345.31 to12345.47 Massachusetts12345.63 cultural12346.35 organizations12346.75 next12347.63 year.12347.87 Lastly,12349.79 I12350.19 wanted12350.35 to12350.59 take12350.67 a12350.83 moment12350.91 to12351.23 explain12351.31 our12351.71 request12351.87 regarding12352.27 the12352.67 official12352.91 poet12353.63 laureate12353.95 of12354.35 Massachusetts.12354.51 Again,12355.84 Mass12356.08 Cultural12356.25 Council12356.73 is12357.05 requesting12357.2 the12357.68 committee12357.84 to12358.25 provide12358.33 dedicated12358.89 funds12359.44 for12359.76 this12359.92 position12360.17 through12360.81 a12360.97 new12361.13 funded12361.52 $15,00012362.08 earmark12363.36 in12364.33 our12364.48 line12364.73 item.12365.05 These12366 funds12366.25 will12366.65 support12366.81 an12367.2 honorarium12367.36 for12368.25 the12368.48 state's12368.65 first12369.2 poet12370.15 laureate12370.47 in12371.03 the12371.19 history12371.35 of12371.75 the12371.91 state.12373.03 It12373.19 is12373.27 our12373.43 strong12373.59 position12373.99 that12374.39 artists12374.63 should12375.27 be12375.43 paid12375.67 for12375.99 their12376.15 work,12376.47 their12376.79 time,12377.03 and12377.27 their12377.43 creative12377.67 expertise.12378.23
12379.43 We12379.43 are12379.67 thrilled12379.91 to12380.15 partner12380.31 with12380.63 the12380.79 Healey-Driscoll12381.11 administration12381.51 on12382.23 matters12382.39 that12383.03 impact12383.35 the12383.75 cultural12383.83 sector.12384.31 And12385.13 as12385.28 such,12385.44 we12385.6 enthusiastically12386.08 helped12386.97 the12387.13 governor's12387.28 team12388 draft12388.41 the12388.73 executive12388.89 order12389.44 that12389.76 established12390 this12390.65 new12390.89 position.12391.05 I12392.49 am12392.65 serving12392.81 as12393.52 a12393.76 chair12393.84 of12394.17 the12394.33 nominating12394.41 committee12394.97 that12395.36 will12395.52 review12395.76 the12396.08 applications12396.17 for12396.81 this12396.97 position12397.13 and12397.52 make12397.68 a12397.92 recommendation12398.08 to12398.65 the12398.81 governor.12398.89 And12399.87 with12400.11 our12400.27 partners12400.35 at12400.83 Mass12402.43 Humanities,12402.83 Mass12402.83 Cultural12402.83 Council12402.83 staff12402.83 have12403.15 thoughtfully12403.31 developed12403.87 guidelines12404.35 and12405.31 an12405.55 application12405.71 to12406.35 support12406.59 this12406.91 process.12407.23 Due12408.75 to12408.99 the12409.15 timing,12411.31 the12411.63 administration12411.79 was12412.35 unable12412.59 to12412.99 include12413.83 funding12414.23 for12414.88 the12415.11 poet12415.27 laureate12415.59 in12416.15 H12416.4 1.12416.72 However,12417.51 they12417.92 have12418.15 indicated,12418.4 in12419.03 our12419.19 conversations,12419.51 that12420.08 they12420.23 will12420.4 support12420.64 our12421.03 efforts12421.19 to12421.59 secure12422.56 it12422.95 through12423.19 the12423.43 committee12423.67 and12424.4 budgeting12424.72 process.12425.27 As12426.51 such,12426.59 I'm12426.83 hopeful12427.07 you12427.63 will12427.87 agree12428.11 that12428.43 the12428.59 state's12428.83 first12429.31 official12429.79 poet12430.27 laureate12430.59 should12430.91 receive12431.15 an12431.47 honorarium12431.63 for12432.27 their12432.43 appearances,12432.67 travel,12433.71 and12434.11 writing12434.43 time.12434.83 Mass12436.03 Cultural12436.27 Council12436.59 suggests12436.99 $15,00012437.39 and12438.35 hope12438.43 this12438.67 will12438.83 be12439.07 included12439.55 in12440.03 fiscal12440.19 year12440.59 2612440.83 budget.12441.31
12442.45 In12442.45 conclusion,12442.69 I12443.49 hope12443.65 it12443.9 is12443.98 apparent12444.3 that12444.77 Mass12444.93 Cultural12445.17 Council12445.49 is12445.81 proud12446.06 to12446.61 lead12446.77 this12447.17 vibrant12447.42 sector.12447.9 I12448.77 urge12448.93 your12449.25 support12449.49 for12449.9 $2812450.06 million12451.17 appropriation12451.17 in12451.73 the12451.9 fiscal12451.98 year12452.3 2612452.53 budget.12453.01 This12454.07 investment12454.15 will12454.71 help12454.95 sustain12455.11 and12455.59 expand12455.83 the12456.23 critical12456.31 work12456.79 being12457.03 done12457.27 across12457.59 the12458.15 Commonwealth12458.31 to12458.95 foster12459.11 creativity,12459.59 economic12460.31 vitality,12460.87 and12461.51 community12461.83 well-being.12462.39 We12463.67 are12463.91 ready12464.15 to12464.39 partner12464.55 with12464.95 you12465.11 to12465.35 ensure12465.51 that12465.83 Massachusetts12465.99 remains12466.79 a12467.27 national12467.43 leader12467.91 in12468.23 arts12468.39 and12468.63 culture.12469.55 And12469.7 to12469.7 further12469.86 establish12470.34 that12470.75 those12471.06 working12471.39 and12471.78 leading12472.02 our12472.34 sector12472.5 are12472.99 dynamic12473.15 economic12473.78 revenue12474.26 generators,12474.83 thought12475.94 partners,12476.18 and12476.67 creative12476.83 problem12477.31 solvers12477.63 willing,12478.42 ready,12478.83 and12479.31 able12479.47 to12479.86 partner12480.02 with12480.5 other12480.83 sectors12481.15 in12482.1 innovative12482.67 venture12483.31 new12483.86 ventures.12484.02 Thank12484.99 you12485.24 for12485.4 your12485.56 time12485.64 and12485.88 consideration.12486.12 I12486.76 welcome12486.92 any12487.32 questions12487.56 you12487.96 may12488.12 have12488.28 and12488.44 happy12488.6 to12488.84 provide12489 additional12489.4 information12489.88 if12490.36 you12490.6 need.12490.68
12491.48 SPEAKER112491.48 -12491.48 Thank12491.48 you.12491.72 Rep.12492.04
12495.08 DIGGS12495.08 -12495.08 Thank12495.08 you,12495.32 Michael.12495.48 You12497.17 know,12497.33 arts12497.58 and12497.81 culture12497.98 are12498.38 so12498.45 important12498.85 to12499.25 all12500.06 of12500.38 Massachusetts,12500.53 especially12502.06 Cape12502.61 Cod.12502.85 We're12505.17 a12505.42 seasonal12505.5 community12506.06 and12506.45 anything12506.69 that12507.01 we12507.25 can12507.33 do12507.5 to12507.73 make12507.9 sure12508.06 that12508.3 people12508.45 come12508.77 to12509.01 visit12509.17 us,12509.5 and12509.73 that12510.45 means,12510.61 I12511.17 want12511.25 all12511.49 the12511.65 artists12511.81 and12512.21 the12512.45 poetry12513.33 to12514.21 come12514.37 down12514.61 to12515.01 show12515.49 off12515.73 because,12516.05 honestly,12516.37 that's12517.09 where12517.41 we12517.57 have12517.89 revenue.12518.69 So12519.17 the12519.57 more12519.73 revenue12519.97 that12520.45 we12520.69 can12520.85 create12521.01 is12521.73 gonna12521.97 help12522.21 all12522.53 our12522.77 districts.12523.01 So12523.49 thank12523.73 you12523.89 very12524.13 much.12524.29
12524.85 SPEAKER3512524.85 -12524.85 Just12524.85 really12525.09 have12525.33 this12525.41 today.12525.65
12526.18 SPEAKER3412526.18 -12526.18 Thanks.12526.18
12526.67 SPEAKER112526.67 -12526.67 Thank12526.67 you.12526.9 Rep12527.31 x12527.78 Ferris?12528.1
12529.78 SPEAKER1512529.78 -12529.78 Thank12529.78 you,12530.02 madam12530.26 chair.12530.67 And12531.55 representative12531.94 Ferris,12532.74
12533.06 SPEAKER112533.06 -12533.06 I'm12533.06 sorry.12533.23
12533.63 SPEAKER1512533.63 -12533.63 That's12533.63 that's12533.86 good12534.34 enough.12534.5
12534.9 SPEAKER112534.9 -12534.9 FedEx12534.9 confuses12535.23 you.12535.63
12535.86 SPEAKER1512535.86 -12535.86 Rep12535.86 x12536.1 makes12536.34 it12536.58 work.12536.82
12538.1 XIARHOS12538.1 -12538.1 Sir,12538.1 it's12538.82 good12539.15 to12539.39 see12539.55 you12539.7 again12539.86 and12540.18 your12540.34 team.12540.5 Your12542.25 presentation12542.65 was,12543.45 as12545.37 always,12545.61 powerful.12546.09 But,12547.37 now12549.53 I'm12549.77 on12550.01 the12550.17 Mental12556.56 Health12557.67 Committee12557.67 and12557.67 Substance12557.67 and12557.67 Recovery.12558 It's12558.72 a12558.88 huge12559.03 issue.12559.35 People12559.83 are12560.24 struggling12560.56 and12561.11 dying12561.35 every12561.83 day.12562.08 I12563.51 wear12563.75 this12564 ring,12564.24 which12565.11 is12565.35 called12565.59 the12565.83 2212566 kill12566.56 ring,12566.88 because12567.75 today,12568.24 2212569.56 veterans12570.2 will12570.76 kill12570.92 themselves12571.24 in12572.36 America.12572.68 These12574.76 are12575 two12575.24 of12575.4 my12575.48 friends.12575.72 Corporal12577.4 Toville12577.96 took12579.08 his12579.32 life12579.56 as12579.88 a12580.04 marine12580.12 while12582.36 serving.12582.68 And12585.4 here's12585.56 another12585.8 one,12586.03 Joshua12586.44 Tipton,12587 US12588.27 army12588.6 veteran,12589 came12590.19 home12590.44 and12591.48 took12591.72 his12591.95 life.12592.19 Their12593.32 families12593.56 are12594.11 devastated.12594.35 Is12597.08 there12597.32 something12597.64 in12597.95 your12598.11 world,12598.35 in12598.83 arts12599.08 that12600.27 can12600.44 help12601.31 heal?12601.63 You12601.95 use12602.27 the12602.43 word12602.59 healing.12602.91 We're12604.75 looking12604.99 for12605.31 something12605.55 to12606.19 help12606.43 these12606.75 people,12606.99 veterans,12607.47 first12609.47 responders,12609.87 anyone12611.71 that12612.35 struggles12612.59 with12613.07 mental12613.31 health.12613.71 Is12614.03 there12614.27 a12614.51 way12614.67 that12614.99 arts12615.39 can12615.79 help?12616.03
12617.28 BOBBIT12617.28 -12617.28 Thank12617.28 you,12617.52 Rep12618.08 X.12618.41 Thank12618.41 you12618.57 so12618.73 much12618.89 for12619.05 uplifting12619.28 those12619.84 fallen12620.08 soldiers'12620.49 names.12620.97 We12621.28 appreciate12621.44 you12621.84 so12622 much.12622.25 Thank12623.44 you12623.69 also12623.92 for12624.41 teeing12625.69 that12626.08 up12626.25 for12626.41 me.12626.57 I12628.08 think12628.25 the12628.49 arts,12628.65 like12629.6 technology,12629.92 is12630.81 one12631.62 of12631.78 the12631.94 only12632.1 sectors12632.34 that12632.66 can12632.9 be12633.06 infused12633.38 in12633.94 every12634.34 other12634.82 sector12635.14 into12635.7 its12636.02 benefit.12636.34 I'm12637.7 really12637.94 excited12638.34 that,12638.82 last12639.94 summer,12640.34 Mass12640.82 Cultural12641.06 Council12641.38 launched12642.5 the12642.9 first12643.14 in12643.54 the12643.7 nation12643.94 statewide12644.5 solution12645.14 to12645.62 social12645.78 prescribing.12646.26 If12647.14 you12647.38 don't12647.45 know12647.61 what12647.69 this12647.77 is,12648.01 this12648.58 is12648.98 a12649.14 program12649.45 whereby12649.93 healthcare12650.66 providers,12650.9 social12652.09 workers,12652.5 school12653.14 counselors12653.53 can12654.74 prescribe12655.06 1212655.85 doses12656.33 of12656.74 arts12656.98 and12657.3 culture12657.45 to12657.93 their12658.09 patients,12658.33 which12659.45 include12659.69 a12660.17 companion12660.42 ticket12660.9 and12661.61 transportation.12661.93 And12663.43 all12663.75 of12663.91 this12664.07 is12664.51 funded12664.95 by12665.59 third12665.83 party12666.07 payers,12666.47 including12667.27 insurance,12667.91 managed12669.03 care12669.43 providers.12669.75 We12670.63 also12670.79 just12671.11 heard12671.35 from12671.67 the12671.83 town12672.95 of12673.19 Franklin12673.35 that12673.83 they're12673.99 using12674.23 some12674.55 of12674.71 their12674.79 opioid12675.03 settlement12675.67 funds.12676.15 We're12676.95 hearing12677.25 from12677.57 the12677.89 Bureau12678.6 of12679 Substance12679.65 Abuse,12680.2 housing12681.25 authorities.12681.73 Everyone12682.76 is12683.17 pouring12683.41 into12683.73 this12683.97 program12684.2 because12684.6 they12684.92 know12685.08 that12685.33 the12685.57 arts12685.73 can12686.05 help12686.28 people12686.52 heal.12687
12687.97 Our12687.97 former12688.28 surgeon12688.6 general12689 said12689.41 that12689.57 loneliness12689.81 is12690.36 an12690.52 epidemic.12690.76 Your12692.1 chances12692.26 of12693.54 furthering12693.7 your12694.26 health12695.62 issues12696.02 are12696.66 expanded12697.06 if12697.7 you're12697.94 lonely.12698.18 Loneliness12700.26 is12700.9 equated12701.06 to12701.54 health12702.66 deterioration12703.06 as12704.02 much12704.18 as12704.34 smoking12705.14 1512705.54 packs12706.02 of12706.26 cigarette12706.5 a12706.98 day.12707.14 The12708.4 arts12708.64 are12709.11 a12709.35 place12709.43 to12709.75 bring12709.92 people12710.15 together.12710.48 And12711.11 if12711.35 you12711.43 can12711.59 imagine12711.83 people12712.4 in12712.64 our12712.88 communities12713.11 being12714.15 able12714.4 to12714.64 go12714.8 to12714.95 the12715.11 museum,12715.27 or12715.83 to12716.08 a12716.31 class,12716.56 or12717.27 to12717.51 a12717.67 writing12717.83 program,12718.23 or12718.95 kids12719.27 that12719.59 are12719.75 struggling12720 with12720.8 whatever12721.81 issues12722.05 they're12722.45 having12722.69 at12722.93 home12723.09 being12723.41 able12723.65 to12723.81 go12724.45 to12724.69 a12725.11 recording12726.53 studio,12727.17 all12727.81 of12728.05 this12728.13 is12728.37 available.12728.61 We12729.41 have12729.57 43012729.73 arts12732.05 organizations12732.37 in12733.25 our12733.41 network12733.73 now,12734.21 and12734.61 doctors12735.01 all12735.49 over12735.65 the12735.81 state.12736.61 And12737.33 mental12737.33 health12737.66 providers12737.98 and12738.45 counselors12739.33 are12739.9 all12739.98 prescribing12740.3 arts12741.17 to12741.81 their12742.06 patients.12742.3 And12742.69 we12742.93 have12743.01 a12743.25 77%12744.22 adherence12745.25 rate.12745.81 People12746.14 are12746.45 taking12746.61 their12746.93 arts12747.17 medicine.12747.5 And,12748.53 medicine,12750.14 a12750.78 drug,12750.86 that12751.66 is12751.82 prescribed12752.38 only12752.86 has12753.1 a12753.26 40%12753.66 success12754.06 rate.12754.38 So12754.7 it's12754.86 a12755.02 pretty12755.1 cool12755.66 thing.12755.98
12758.06 SPEAKER112758.06 -12758.06 Doctor12758.06 Bob,12758.38 thank12758.7 you12758.94 for12759.1 your12759.26 testimony12759.58 today.12760.38
12760.86 SPEAKER3412760.86 -12760.86 Thank12760.86 you12761.02 so12761.18 much.12761.34
12761.66 SPEAKER112761.66 -12761.66 Any12761.66 of12761.9 the12762.06 members12762.14 have12762.54 any12762.7 further12762.86 questions,12763.18 please12763.58 catch12763.82 them.12764.06 But,12765.82 unfortunately,12766.69 just12767.25 due12767.5 to12767.66 the12767.82 time12767.98 management12768.22 here,12768.69 we're12769.18 gonna12769.42 move12769.74 to12769.98 the12770.3 commission12770.69 for12771.1 the12771.33 status12771.42 of12771.82 women.12771.9
12772.61 SPEAKER3412772.61 -12772.61 Thank12772.61 you12772.85 so12772.94 much,12773.1 Sarah.12773.33
12773.82 SPEAKER112773.82 -12773.82 Thank12773.82 you.12774.06 If12774.94 there12775.18
12777.87 SPEAKER3312777.87 -12777.87 are12777.87 I12778.68 think12779.08 so.12779.49
12779.9 SPEAKER112779.9 -12779.9 If12779.9 there12780.3 are12780.7 any12781.11 other12781.52 commissions12781.92 here12782.33 whom12782.73 we12783.14 haven't12783.54 called12783.94 today,12784.35 please12784.75 see12785.16 Drew12785.57 Tarr12785.97 in12786.38 my12786.78 office.12787.19 He's12787.59 waving12788 with12788.4 the12788.81 suit12789.21 and12789.61 the12790.02 red12790.43 tie.12790.83
12811.61 MARY-DITH12811.61 TUITT12811.61 -12811.61 MCSW12811.61 -12811.61 Good12811.61 afternoon,12811.85 everyone.12812.41 And12813.21 first12813.53 and12813.77 foremost,12814.01 I12814.49 wanna12814.65 thank12814.89 you,12815.13 Chair12817.53 Ferrante,12818.25 and12818.25 Chair12818.25 Comerford,12818.25 and12818.25 all12818.89 of12819.13 the12819.29 members12819.45 of12820.01 this12820.25 Joint12821.37 Committee12821.61 Ways12821.61 and12821.61 Means12821.85 for12822.17 allowing12822.75 and12823.7 giving12823.94 us12824.26 the12824.5 ability,12824.67 the12825.39 Massachusetts12825.63 Commission12826.18 on12826.5 the12826.67 Status12826.83 Woman,12827.15 to12827.47 come12827.55 and12827.7 testify12827.86 before12828.42 you12828.75 today12828.99 on12829.55 behalf12829.78 of12830.18 our12830.34 FY12830.83 2612831.07 budget.12831.86 My12832.75 name12832.91 is12833.07 Mary-dith12833.31 Tuitt.12833.78 I'm12834.6 the12834.92 chair12835.16 of12835.96 the12836.2 Massachusetts12836.6 Commission12837.24 on12837.64 the12837.8 status12837.88 of12838.28 woman.12838.36 I12839 am12839.16 a12839.48 United12839.56 States12839.88 Navy12840.2 veteran.12840.52 I12841.32 serve12841.56 as12841.8 the12841.96 only12842.12 veteran12842.36 on12842.92 the12843.08 1912843.32 Commission.12844.52 There's12845.56 1912845.96 of12846.44 us12846.6 across12846.92 the12847.32 Commonwealth.12847.48 And12848.67 as12848.9 many12849.15 of12849.31 you12849.47 know,12849.55 we12849.78 have12849.94 1112850.18 regionals12850.67 across12851.63 the12851.94 Commonwealth,12852.1 that12852.58 gives12852.75 us12852.98 an12853.15 additional12853.31 10312854.26 strong12854.9 voices,12855.55 strong12856.26 women,12856.58 diverse,12857.39 geographic,12858.34 all12859.55 ages,12859.86 ethnicities,12860.34 and12861.31 so12862.02 on.12862.26 To12862.5 my12862.67 left12862.9 is12863.63 our12864.23 vice12864.79 chair,12865.11 Christine12865.59 Monska,12866.07 and12867.03 I'm12867.35 gonna12867.51 let12867.75 her12867.99 introduce12868.23 herself12868.71 and12868.95 give12869.11 you12869.27 her12869.43 day12869.67 job12869.91 other12870.55 than12870.79 her12871.35 position12871.51 as12871.99 a12872.15 commissioner.12872.23
12874.39 CHRISTINE12874.39 MONSKA12874.39 -12874.39 MCSW12874.39 -12874.39 Thank12874.39 you12874.63 so12874.79 much,12874.95 Chair12875.35 Tuitt.12875.59 It's12875.59 an12875.75 honor12875.91 to12876.15 be12876.23 with12876.39 you12876.55 here12876.71 today.12876.95 My12877.27 name12877.43 is12877.59 Christine12877.83 Monska.12878.23 I'm12878.71 the12878.87 vice12878.95 chair12879.34 of12879.5 the12879.67 Massachusetts12879.83 Commission12880.47 on12880.86 the12881.02 Status12881.1 of12881.5 Women.12881.67 I12882.7 am12882.86 an12883.02 appointee12883.26 of12883.83 the12883.98 Caucus12884.15 of12884.47 Women12884.63 Legislators,12885.02 now12886.15 serving12886.47 in12886.78 my12886.94 second12887.1 term.12887.5 And12888.63 I12888.94 am12889.18 originally12889.42 from12889.9 Western12890.15 Massachusetts,12890.63 all12892.08 over12892.32 Western12892.72 Massachusetts,12893.36 including,12894.16 my12894.96 hometown12895.2 in12895.76 Easthampton.12896.24 I12897.04 also12897.2 worked12897.52 in12897.84 Pittsfield,12898.48 all12899.12 throughout12899.28 the12899.6 Berkshires,12899.68 Hampden12900.8 County,12901.2 Hampshire12901.52 County.12902.96 And12903.6 then12903.6 got12903.6 to12903.84 work12903.92 in12904.16 Roxbury12904.4 and12905.04 Boston12905.2 for12905.76 a12906 number12906.08 of12906.32 years.12906.56 And12907.04 I12907.69 spend12907.93 most12908.25 of12908.57 my12908.73 time12908.89 in12909.2 New12909.28 Bedford,12909.52 Massachusetts,12909.93 in12911.2 my12911.44 day12911.6 job12911.85 as12912.33 executive12913.13 director12913.6 of12914.09 the12914.17 Women's12914.57 Fund12914.97 South12915.28 Coast.12915.52 And12916.41 I12916.65 live12916.81 in12916.97 Newton,12917.2 so12917.69 really12918.09 span12918.49 across12919.05 the12919.44 state.12919.6 I'm12920.25 very12920.49 honored12920.49 to12920.81 be12920.89 with12921.05 you12921.2 here12921.28 today12921.52 to12921.77 talk12921.93 to12922.09 you12922.25 about12922.33 the12922.57 Massachusetts12922.73 Commission12923.74 on12924.06 the12924.22 Status12924.3 of12924.62 Women.12924.78 Turn12925.18 it12925.3 back12925.42 to12925.66 you,12925.82 Chair12925.9 Tuitt.12926.14
12927.74 TUITT12927.74 -12927.74 Thank12927.74 you12927.9 so12928.14 much.12928.3 And12928.54 to12928.7 my12928.86 right12929.1 is12929.34 our12929.58 executive12929.74 director.12930.38
12931.98 SHAITIA12931.98 SPRUELL12931.98 -12931.98 MCSW12931.98 -12931.98 Hello.12931.98 Some12932.54 of12932.78 you12932.86 all12933.02 might12933.26 recognize12933.5 me.12934.06 Shaitia12934.54 Spruell,12935.1 the12935.66 executive12935.74 director.12936.22 But12937.6 I12937.77 always12937.85 like12938.17 to12938.33 introduce12938.57 myself12938.89 with12939.2 a12939.69 little12939.77 bit12940 of12940.17 history.12940.25 I12940.65 used12940.81 to12941.13 serve,12941.2 I12941.52 had12941.6 the12941.77 pleasure12941.85 of12942.17 serving12942.33 as12943.2 a12943.44 Hampden12943.52 County12944 Commissioner12944.33 when12944.73 I12944.89 lived12945.05 in12945.28 Springfield,12945.36 where12945.92 I12946.08 was12946.17 born12946.33 and12946.57 raised.12946.73 And12948.08 then12948.33 I12948.49 was12948.65 also12948.81 a12949.13 state12949.28 commissioner12949.52 myself,12950 so12950.69 I12950.93 really12951.09 am12951.65 committed12951.97 to12952.37 the12953.25 mission12953.33 and12953.81 the12953.97 work12954.05 of12954.29 the12954.45 commission.12954.61 And12955.49 now12955.73 I12956.05 am12956.45 in12956.61 front12956.77 of12956.93 you12957.09 as12957.25 executive12957.49 director.12958.05 So12958.53 thank12959.09 you12959.33 for12959.41 giving12959.73 us12959.97 the12960.13 time12960.29 and12960.45 space12960.61 to12960.93 present12961.01 our12961.33 FY12961.73 2612961.89 request.12963.09 And12964.13 always12964.13 available12964.53 to12964.85 you12965.01 if12965.09 you12965.25 have12965.33 any12965.49 questions.12965.73
12968.5 TUITT12968.5 -12968.5 Thank12968.5 you12968.75 to12968.91 my12969.07 sisters12969.31 here.12969.86 And12970.5 that12970.91 also12971.23 shows12971.55 you12971.86 that12972.1 the12972.34 work12972.42 that12972.67 the12972.83 Massachusetts12972.99 Commission12973.63 on12973.94 the12974.02 Status12974.18 of12974.5 Woman12974.58 works,12974.99 the12975.23 pipeline12975.39 works12975.94 from12976.67 a12976.83 regional12976.99 commission,12977.39 to12977.78 a12977.94 state12978.1 commission,12978.34 to12978.75 executive12978.91 director12979.47 and12980.28 so12980.36 on.12980.6 So,12981.64 that's12981.8 an12982.12 important12982.36 part12982.84 because12983.24 our12983.72 budget,12983.96 as12984.76 you12984.92 know,12985.08 has12985.4 increased12985.64 over12986.04 the12986.28 years12986.36 since12986.6 202112986.92 to12987.64 where12987.8 we12988.04 are12988.2 now.12988.84 And12989.08 we12989.08 wanna12989.24 talk12989.56 to12989.8 you12989.96 about12990.2 what12990.6 we12990.76 do12991 so12991.4 you12991.56 can12991.72 understand12991.96 why12992.44 the12992.68 support12992.84 from12993.24 the12993.48 joint12993.64 committee12993.88 is12994.28 important.12994.52 As12995.89 you12996.2 know,12996.36 we12996.6 play12996.77 a12997 crucial12997.08 role12997.65 in12997.97 shaping12998.13 policies12998.52 and12999 initiatives12999.25 that13000.05 promote13000.2 gender13000.6 equality13001 and13001.57 women's13001.73 empowerment,13002.84 and13003.33 our13003.65 young13003.81 sisters'13004.52 too13005 overall13005 health13005.49 and13005.65 wellness13005.89 as13006.28 citizens13006.44 of13006.92 the13007 Commonwealth13007.17 Of13007.57 Massachusetts,13008.52 right?13009.72
13009.72 And13009.72 I'm13009.96 excited13010.04 that13010.6 we're13010.92 here13011.16 today,13011.4 March13012.36 10,13012.72 because13013.08 in13013.4 the13013.56 month13013.64 of13013.88 March,13014.04 the13014.84 theme13015 of13015.32 moving13015.48 forward13015.88 together13016.36 is13017.08 important,13017.32 and13017.88 feeling13018.2 off13018.52 of13018.76 the13018.92 energy13019.08 of13019.48 Saturday,13019.72 International13020.44 Women's13021.08 Day,13021.48 where13021.8 we13022.04 are13022.2 talking13022.36 about13022.6 accelerating13023.08 action.13023.8 And13024.6 during13024.77 the13025.08 time13025.25 of13025.49 Ramadan,13025.65 connecting.13026.52 Think13027.25 about13027.49 that.13027.81 Moving13027.97 forward13028.36 together,13028.69 collaborating13029.73 and13030.36 activating13030.69 ourselves13031.33 with13031.97 action,13032.28 and13032.92 connecting13033.33 everyone,13033.97 all13034.44 the13034.6 women13034.77 and13035 girls13035.17 across13035.41 the13035.73 Commonwealth13035.81 with13036.6 you,13036.85 our13037.41 legislators.13037.73 We13038.92 proudly13039.64 acknowledge13040.2 all13040.68 of13040.92 that13041.08 work.13041.96 And13042.2 we13042.2 are13042.36 excited13042.52 that,13043.24 you13043.8 know,13043.96 when13044.12 the13044.28 United13044.52 Nations13044.92 did13045.72 their13045.96 international13046.28 theme,13047.16 and13047.88 they13048.12 urged13048.6 all13049.08 of13049.24 us13049.4 across13049.56 the13049.96 nation13050.12 to13051.16 accelerate13051.32 action,13051.96 we13052.92 ask13053.16 you13053.4 to13053.72 act13053.88 with13054.12 an13054.36 urgency13054.44 to13055.19 protect13055.43 the13055.67 rights13055.91 and13056.07 the13056.31 standards13056.47 of13056.86 women13056.94 and13057.19 girls13057.27 across13057.58 the13057.83 Commonwealth13057.99 of13058.39 Massachusetts.13058.55
13059.58 And13059.58 we13059.75 are13059.91 currently13060.15 ranked13060.63 number13061.27 113061.51 state13063.1 for13063.67 women.13063.91 Think13064.47 about13064.78 that.13065.02 Massachusetts13065.58 is13066.47 the13066.63 number13066.86 113067.19 state13067.58 for13067.91 women,13068.78 right?13070.02 So13070.02 we've13070.18 got13070.34 to13070.74 keep13070.74 that13070.98 up.13071.22 We've13071.46 got13071.7 to13072.02 continue13072.02 on13072.58 that.13072.82 You13073.38 know?13073.54 We13074.58 wanna13074.82 reflect13075.14 on13076.02 the13076.34 theme.13077.22 And13077.38 we13077.38 wanna13077.62 initiate13078.1 investment13078.9 into13079.62 what13079.94 we13080.18 do13080.34 here13080.5 in13080.66 the13080.82 Commonwealth13080.98 of13081.46 Massachusetts.13081.62 I13082.58 know13082.82 a13083.06 lot13083.22 of13083.38 you13083.54 know13084.1 about13084.35 all13084.58 of13084.75 our13084.91 events.13085.15 We're13085.47 gonna13085.63 talk13085.86 about13086.1 that13086.35 in13086.5 a13086.67 little13086.75 bit13086.91 that13087.15 we13087.31 do,13088.02 right?13088.5 And13088.5 we13088.83 know13089.31 that13089.63 you13089.94 are13090.43 aware13090.75 of13091.78 some13091.94 of13092.19 the13092.27 reports13092.43 that13092.99 we've13093.15 done13093.39 over13093.7 the13093.86 years,13094.02 but13094.58 you13094.75 don't13094.91 know13095.23 that13095.47 we've13095.7 just13095.94 now13096.19 restructured13097.95 our13098.67 strategic13098.91 plan.13099.47 We're13100.27 doing13100.59 a13100.83 three13100.99 year13101.23 plan13101.55 because13101.79 we13102.19 get13102.35 audited13102.51 every13102.99 three13103.23 years.13103.47 So13104.03 we13104.19 decided13104.35 we're13104.75 gonna13104.99 focus13105.23 on13105.55 three13105.79 years.13106.03 What13106.67 can13106.91 we13107.23 do13107.39 in13108.27 the13108.43 next13108.59 three13108.91 years13109.23 to13110.19 continue13110.51 the13111.08 growth13111.24 of13111.48 the13111.64 women13111.8 and13112.03 girls13112.19 here13112.44 in13112.59 the13112.67 Commonwealth13112.83 of13113.24 Massachusetts?13113.4
13114.59 And13114.59 we've13114.83 also13115.24 created13116.19 an13116.67 Emerita13117 program.13117.56 We13119 have13119.24 sister13119.64 commissioners13120.03 that13120.51 have13120.67 served13120.92 on13121.24 our13121.4 regionals13121.56 and13122.03 in13122.19 our13122.35 state13122.59 that13123.32 we,13123.64 you13124.49 know,13124.57 we13124.81 lose13126.01 them.13126.33 So13126.57 we13126.81 started13126.97 deciding13127.37 that13127.85 we13128.01 don't13128.09 wanna13128.33 lose13128.57 them13128.73 anymore.13129.05 So13129.37 we've13129.53 created13129.77 this13130.17 awesome13130.41 emerita13131.13 program.13132.49 And13132.73 we13132.73 are13132.89 trying13133.13 to13133.45 hope13133.69 that13134.33 once13134.65 we13134.97 keep13135.13 them,13135.29 and13136.09 we13136.33 grow13136.75 our13137.39 youth13137.55 piece13137.78 that13138.1 we13138.26 are13138.42 doing13138.58 with13138.83 our13139.06 regional13139.86 commissions,13140.42 that13141.06 we'll13141.31 be13141.55 able13141.63 to13141.94 collaborate13142.26 with13143.23 more13143.55 agencies13143.86 such13144.5 as13144.83 EOVS,13144.99 Women's13145.63 Veterans13145.94 Network,13146.5 such13147.23 as13147.55 the13147.86 arts13149.03 and13149.27 culture,13149.43 and13149.99 all13150.23 of13150.39 the13150.55 different13150.71 commissions,13151.03 the13151.43 LGBTQ13151.59 youth13152.79 commission,13153.03 the13153.59 governor's13154.63 youth13155.11 advisory13155.43 council.13155.99 So13156.55 we13156.79 wanna13156.95 do13157.27 all13157.43 of13157.51 these13157.67 collaborations,13158.95 right?13159.51 So13159.51 those13159.75 are13159.99 things13160.07 that13160.39 we13160.55 are13160.71 working13160.87 on,13161.19 but13161.35 we're13161.51 gonna13165.03 do13165.03 so13165.03 much13165.03 more.13165.03 And13165.03 we13165.03 wanna13165.03 talk13165.03 about13165.03 what13165.03 we've13165.03 done13165.03 in13165.03 the13165.03 past.13165.03 And13165.03 I'm13165.35 gonna13165.67 pass13165.83 it13165.88 to13165.92 my13166 sister.13166.4
13167.75 MONSKA13167.75 -13167.75 Thank13167.75 you,13168 Chair13168.16 Tuitt.13169.03 This13169.03 is13169.27 truly13169.43 our13169.83 mission13170 in13170.23 action,13170.4 which13171.11 is13171.35 why13171.43 we13171.67 come13171.83 before13172.08 you13172.4 today.13172.56 Established13173.67 as13174.31 an13174.48 independent13174.72 state13175.35 agency13175.67 in13176.16 1998,13176.4 the13177.78 MCSW13178.02 operates13179.14 under13179.54 Massachusetts13179.94 Chapter13180.74 3,13181.22 Section13182.9 6.613183.14 of13183.14 the13183.38 Massachusetts13183.54 general13184.26 laws,13184.58 empowered13185.38 to13185.94 study,13186.18 review,13186.82 and13187.62 report13187.86 on13188.26 the13188.34 status13188.5 of13188.9 women13189.06 in13189.46 the13189.62 Commonwealth.13189.78 Our13191.27 responsibilities13191.44 include13192.56 advising13193.11 executive13193.67 and13194.16 legislative13194.32 bodies13194.95 on13195.67 the13195.83 impact13196 of13196.48 proposed13196.64 legislation,13197.11 informing13198.4 leaders13198.88 across13199.35 various13199.83 sectors13200.24 on13201.11 issues13201.27 affecting13201.67 women13202.16 and13202.8 promoting13203.03 collaboration13203.51 among13204.89 commissions13205.13 and13205.69 organizations13206.01 statewide.13206.81 Over13208.81 the13209.13 past13209.29 2713209.69 years,13210.33 the13210.97 MCSW13211.13 has13212.49 diligently13212.81 served13213.37 the13213.77 women13213.93 and13214.17 girls13214.33 of13214.73 Massachusetts,13214.97 collaborating13216.17 with13216.81 local13217.05 and13217.37 state13217.53 officials13217.85 to13218.49 enact13218.57 1113219.36 regional13219.6 commissions.13220.25
13221.68 Together,13221.68 we13222.17 have13222.41 conducted13222.65 countless13223.28 regional13223.84 public13224.25 hearings13224.65 to13225.44 collect13225.6 valuable13226.08 insights13226.81 into13227.52 women's13227.76 issues13228.25 and13228.97 our13229.2 concerns.13229.44 In13231.38 turn,13231.62 these13231.86 stories13232.18 and13232.66 issues13232.9 directly13233.46 inform13233.94 our13234.26 legislative13234.5 and13235.14 policy13235.38 priorities.13235.86 Our13237.3 data13237.54 collection13237.86 serves13238.34 as13238.74 a13238.9 basis13239.06 for13239.46 our13239.62 reports13239.86 as13240.74 evidenced13240.9 by13241.38 our13241.54 202313241.78 status13243.06 of13243.46 LGBTQ13243.7 plus13244.74 individuals13245.06 and13245.28 families13246.45 in13246.94 Massachusetts13247.17 and13247.98 related13248.22 policy13248.69 implications.13249.17 I13250.85 wanna13251.01 read13251.33 to13251.5 you13251.58 a13251.82 stat13251.98 from13252.53 one13252.77 of13252.94 our13253.01 reports.13253.25 Only13254.45 3%13255.17 of13255.9 survey13256.14 participants13256.53 have13257.66 not13258.14 experienced13259.67 discrimination13261.27 based13262.15 on13262.47 their13262.63 identity.13262.95 In13264.55 addition,13264.79 in13265.27 2021,13265.51 the13266.63 MCSW13266.79 released13267.83 a13268.15 report13268.39 on13269.03 the13269.19 impact13269.35 of13269.75 COVID13269.91 1913270.31 and13270.87 related13271.03 recommendations13271.59 to13272.65 improve13272.89 the13273.2 status13273.44 of13273.84 women13273.92 of13274.24 color13274.4 here13274.81 in13275.05 the13275.13 Commonwealth.13275.2 As13277.28 we13277.36 reflect13277.52 on13278 five13278.32 years13278.56 since13278.89 COVID13279.2 19,13279.52 we're13280.24 releasing13280.48 an13280.97 updated13281.13 survey13281.6 and13282.08 holding13282.32 a13282.56 public13282.73 hearing13283.05 to13283.84 provide13283.92 an13284.32 updated13284.48 snapshot13285.05 of13285.52 life13285.68 for13285.92 women13286.08 in13286.48 the13286.78 Commonwealth13286.94 five13287.66 years13287.9 post13288.38 COVID13288.78 19.13289.18
13290.46 This13290.46 is13290.62 one13290.86 reason13291.1 our13291.5 budget13291.74 is13292.06 important.13292.3 Because13293.18 to13293.5 complete13293.66 our13294.06 surveys13294.22 and13294.62 reports,13294.86 we13295.66 need13295.82 the13295.98 funds,13296.14 which13296.62 helps13296.86 our13297.1 research13297.26 collaboration.13297.66 We13299.09 need13299.25 the13299.38 data.13299.5 We13300.45 really13300.69 need13300.85 to13301.09 hear13301.25 the13301.5 voices13301.65 of13302.06 women13302.22 all13302.77 across13302.93 the13303.25 Commonwealth13303.5 so13304.14 they're13304.3 reflected13304.61 in13305.17 our13305.33 policies13305.57 and13306.06 our13306.22 priorities.13306.45 This13308.14 kind13308.38 of13308.61 data13308.69 gathering13309.09 and13309.5 reporting13309.65 is13310.14 unique13310.3 and13310.77 crucial13311.19 to13311.51 our13311.75 ability13311.99 to13312.39 serve13312.55 women,13312.79 children,13313.27 and13313.67 families13313.83 in13314.23 Massachusetts.13314.47 Finally,13316.15 we're13316.63 slated13316.87 to13317.19 launch13317.35 our13317.67 2025,13319.03 202613319.67 legislative13319.67 priorities13320.31 to13321.19 coincide13321.43 with13321.99 our13322.15 biennial13322.95 advocacy13323.59 day,13324.23 Prioritizing13325.19 more13325.83 than13326.07 a13326.31 dozen13326.39 bills13326.7 across13327.1 a13327.43 variety13327.58 of13328.07 categories.13329.27 We13329.51 anticipate13329.51 bringing13330.07 more13330.47 than13330.63 25013330.86 women13332.15 and13332.47 girls13332.63 to13333.02 the13333.19 state13333.35 house13333.58 to13334.31 advocate13334.47 for13334.86 these13335.02 legislative13335.27 priorities13335.91 at13336.78 our13336.94 upcoming13337.19 advocacy13337.67 day13338.31 on13339.28 Monday,13339.6 March13339.92 24.13340.53
13341.76 This13341.76 is13342 such13342.08 a13342.32 powerful13342.48 day.13342.96 I've13343.36 been13343.52 going13343.68 to13343.92 advocacy13344.08 day13344.56 since13344.8 I13345.04 was13345.2 a13345.36 much13345.52 younger13345.84 woman.13346.16 And13346.88 in13347.04 my13347.28 day13347.44 job,13347.6 I13347.92 usually13348.08 work13348.56 with13348.72 a13348.96 lot13349.04 of13349.2 young13349.36 women13349.6 and13349.92 youth,13350 and13350.32 I13350.48 bring13350.64 them13350.88 with13351.04 me13351.2 every13351.44 single13351.68 time13351.92 we13352.16 host13352.32 this13352.56 event.13352.8 Despite13354.7 operating13355.02 on13355.75 a13355.91 truly13356.07 shoestring13356.63 budget13357.27 for13357.67 more13357.91 than13358.07 2013358.31 years,13358.7 our13359.67 impact13359.99 has13360.39 been13360.55 substantial13361.02 as13362.07 evidenced13362.31 by13362.78 our13362.94 numerous13363.1 accomplishments,13363.58 including13364.78 hosting13365.27 hundreds13365.75 of13366.15 girls13366.31 and13366.63 young13366.78 people13367.02 at13367.82 our13368.06 in13368.22 person13368.3 girls13368.94 empowerment13369.34 and13369.82 leadership13369.9 initiative13370.46 summit13370.94 and13371.66 honoring13371.98 more13372.38 than13372.62 12513372.94 remarkable13374.22 women13374.94 every13375.5 year13375.74 through13376.38 our13376.62 Commonwealth13376.7 Heroines13377.26 program,13377.82 where13378.86 we13379.1 proudly13379.26 work13379.82 alongside13380.14 elected13380.78 officials13381.34 from13382 all13382.32 35113382.48 cities13384 and13384.4 towns13384.56 to13385.35 honor13385.44 the13385.75 women13385.92 who13386.32 don't13386.48 always13386.72 make13387.03 the13387.27 news13387.35 but13388.24 who13388.4 always13388.72 make13389.19 the13389.44 difference.13389.51
13391.03 The13391.03 MCSW13391.27 has13392.24 a13392.4 lasting13392.56 impact13393.11 on13393.59 every13393.92 single13394.4 person13394.8 that13395.19 we13395.44 reach.13395.59 The13396.69 current13396.85 funding13397.17 enables13397.73 us13398.21 to13398.45 maintain13398.61 essential13399.09 programs13399.65 and13400.37 regional13400.61 support13401.17 while13401.89 fulfilling13402.13 our13402.61 statutory13403.41 mandates,13403.97 which13404.85 include13405.09 the13405.41 following,13405.57 studying,13407.01 reviewing,13407.57 and13408.05 reporting13408.29 on13408.85 the13409.01 status13409.09 of13409.49 women13409.57 and13409.89 girls13410.05 in13410.37 the13410.45 Commonwealth,13410.61 informing13412.1 leaders13412.5 across13412.99 various13413.39 sectors13413.78 about13414.34 issues13414.58 pertaining13414.99 to13415.39 women13415.55 and13415.86 girls,13416.02 serving13417.07 as13417.39 a13417.63 liaison13417.78 between13418.34 government13418.83 and13419.23 private13419.39 interest13419.78 groups,13420.19 acting13421.07 as13421.47 a13421.63 clearinghouse13421.78 for13422.42 information13422.67 related13423.31 to13423.63 women's13423.78 and13424.1 girls'13424.27 issues,13424.67 identifying13425.7 and13426.42 recommending13426.75 qualified13427.79 women13428.11 for13428.59 appointed13428.91 positions,13429.39 assisting13430.91 state13431.55 agency13431.79 programs13432.35 and13432.91 practices13433.15 as13433.87 they13434.03 affect13434.27 women,13434.75 advising13435.79 executive13436.59 and13437.15 legislative13437.31 bodies13438.03 on13438.67 the13438.83 impact13438.99 of13439.47 proposed13439.71 legislation,13440.19 and13441.31 finally,13441.55 facilitating13442.77 collaboration13443.41 among13444.28 local13444.6 women's13445 commissions,13446.44 and13446.52 women's13446.52 and13446.93 girls13447.08 serving13447.33 organizations.13447.73
13448.36 SPEAKER113448.36 -13448.36 Interrupt13448.36 you?13448.77 If13449.08 that's13449.33 typed13449.81 out,13450.13 would13450.77 you13451 be13451.17 so13451.41 kind13451.73 as13452.13 email13452.6 that13453 to13453.25 us?13453.41 We13453.89
13454.2 SPEAKER3713454.2 -13454.2 we13454.2 certainly13454.36 will13454.77 following13455 us.13455.41
13455.49 SPEAKER113455.49 -13455.49 Unfortunately13455.49 Yes.13456.36 The13457.07 committee13457.15 has13457.47 given13457.71 us13457.95 a13458.11 big13458.19 assignment13458.43 today.13458.91
13459.39 SPEAKER3613459.39 -13459.39 Yes.13459.39
13459.63 SPEAKER213459.63 -13459.63 I13459.63 said13459.87
13460.03 SPEAKER113460.03 -13460.03 that13460.03 I13460.11 was13460.27 gonna13460.35 stop13460.67 at13460.99 03:30.13461.23 It's13461.95 now13462.19 03:28.13462.43 Okay.13463.47 So13463.87 I13464.03 need13464.11 you13464.27 to13464.43 wrap13464.59 up13464.83 because13464.99 I13465.31 need13465.39 to13465.63 take13465.79 the13466.19 I'll13466.43 wrap13466.59 it.13466.83 Substance13466.91 of13467.39 213467.55 secretariats13467.71 in13468.67 an13468.83 hour13468.99 and13469.23 a13469.31 half.13469.39
13469.89 SPEAKER3613469.89 -13469.89 No13469.89 problem.13470.13 So13470.44 we'll13470.68 wrap13470.92 it.13471.25 And,13471.48 also,13471.65 you13472.36 will13472.6 get13472.76 the13473 email13473.25 and13473.48 you13473.65 get13473.81 the13473.97 slideshow13474.2 that13474.68 we13474.84 have13475 prepared13475.25 for13475.73 you.13475.89
13476.2 SPEAKER113476.2 -13476.2 Thank13476.2
13476.44 SPEAKER3613476.44 -13476.44 you.13476.44
13477.08 TUITT13477.08 -13477.08 What13477.08 we13477.25 ask,13477.48 however,13477.81 is13478.36 that,13478.52 you13478.76 know,13478.92 we13479.89 know13479.97 the,13480.2 we're13481.25 asking13481.48 for13481.81 a13481.97 1%13482.13 increase13482.6 in13483 our13483.17 FY13483.4 2613483.73 budget,13484.28 which13485.1 will13485.26 give13485.42 us13485.58 to13485.74 a13485.9 total13485.98 of13486.3 $1,031,256.13486.38 That's13488.94 not13489.18 enough,13489.5 but13489.82 that's13490.06 what13490.22 we're13490.38 asking13490.54 for13490.86 this13491.1 year.13491.26 You13491.58 know?13491.74 So13491.98 it's13492.14 not13492.38 gonna13492.54 be13492.78 hard.13492.94 We're13493.18 not13493.34 asking13493.58 for13493.9 a13494.06 lot.13494.14 This13494.62 modest13494.86 increase13495.26 will13495.74 enable13495.9 us13496.3 continue13496.99 our13497.39 vital13497.63 work13497.86 of13498.19 elevating13498.42 women13498.91 and13499.15 girls13499.31 across13499.55 the13499.86 Commonwealth13499.94 of13500.34 Massachusetts13500.5 towards13501.55 full13502.02 equity13502.26 in13502.91 all13503.15 of13503.31 the13503.39 areas13503.63 of13504.02 life.13504.19 We13504.67 wanna13504.99 thank13505.31 you13505.55 for13506.67 allowing13506.91 us13507.31 to13507.55 testify.13508.1 I'm13509.8 appreciative13509.96 of13510.6 you13510.68 cutting13510.84 it13511.16 short13511.32 because,13511.64 you13512.2 know,13512.28 we13512.52 know13512.68 you13512.84 have13513 to13513.16 hear13513.24 everybody13513.4 else,13513.72 and13513.88 we13514.04 know13514.2 you13514.36 already13514.52 have13514.84 a13515 positive,13515.16 you13516.04 know,13516.2 favorable13517 vote13517.64 for13517.88 our13518.04 increase.13518.36 So13519.24 I13519.64 thank13519.72 you13519.96 so13520.12 much13520.36 for13520.6 that.13520.76 and13521.16 I13521.4 look13521.48 forward13521.72 to13522.04 seeing13522.2 you13522.44 guys13522.6 next13523.1 Monday,13523.27 lobby13523.51 day,13523.91 advocacy13524.31 day.13524.86 I'll13525.1 look13525.35 forward13525.51 to13525.75 seeing13525.99 Commonwealth13526.39 Heroine13526.94 nominees.13527.35 I13528.39 look13528.47 forward13528.7 to13529.02 seeing13529.75 all13530.07 of13530.23 your13530.39 names13530.63 when13531.19 it13531.43 comes13531.51 to13531.75 supporting13532.07 our13532.7 bills13533.02 that13533.35 we13533.51 are13533.67 filing13533.75 for13534.15 our13534.31 technical13534.47 amendments.13535.75 And13535.91 I13535.91 appreciate13536.15 you13536.7 allowing13536.94 us13537.26 to13537.42 be13537.58 here.13537.66 Thank13538.22 you13538.46 so13538.7 much,13538.78 and13539.18 safe13539.74 travels13540.06 home.13540.46 Alright?13540.86
13541.5 SPEAKER113541.5 -13541.5 Thank13541.5 you.13541.74 And13541.9 if13542.06 any13542.22 member13542.38 has13542.7 any13542.94 question,13543.18 please13543.82 feel13544.22 free,13544.54 to13545.58 ask13545.74 that13546.06 question,13546.38 in13547.74 the13547.9 auditorium,13548.06 before13549.83 our13550.64 guests13550.88 leave.13551.19 Next13552.08 up,13552.32 I13552.48 wanna13552.64 call13552.88 secretary13553.11 of13553.52 justice.13553.68
13584.55 SPEAKER3513584.55 -13584.55 Good13584.55 afternoon.13584.78
13585.5 SPEAKER113585.5 -13585.5 Good13585.5 afternoon.13585.74
13587.82 ED13587.82 AUGUSTUS13587.82 -13587.82 EOHLC13587.82 -13587.82 Chair13587.82 Ferrante,13588.15 Chair13589.18 Oliveira,13589.74 members13589.74 of13590.06 the13590.23 committee,13590.31 thank13590.7 you13590.86 very13591.02 much13591.18 for13591.42 the13591.67 opportunity13591.74 to13592.31 come,13592.47 before13593.45 you13593.69 this13593.93 afternoon13594.17 and13595.53 to13595.77 talk13595.85 about13596.17 Governor13596.81 Healey's,13597.69 House13597.69 113597.93 budget13598.25 proposal13598.65 for13599.53 the13599.69 Executive13600.41 Office13600.73 of13600.73 Housing13600.97 and13601.21 Livable13601.85 Communities.13603.29 Before13603.29 I13603.61 get13603.77 started,13603.93 I13604.25 wanna13604.33 introduce13604.57 our13605.13 deputy13605.29 secretary,13605.69 Jennifer13606.33 Maddox,13606.81 and13607.9 our13608.06 undersecretary,13608.22 Chris13609.1 Thompson,13609.33 who13610.45 will13610.69 be13610.77 here13610.94 to13611.17 help13611.25 answer13611.74 questions13612.14 that13612.45 you13612.69 might13612.77 have.13612.94 Since13614.69 the13615.1 first13615.17 day13615.5 in13615.66 office,13615.82 the13616.22 Healey-Driscoll13616.61 administration13617.02 has13617.74 remained13617.98 steadfast13618.38 to13619.02 its13619.17 commitment13619.33 to13619.82 tackling13619.98 the13620.38 housing13620.53 crisis.13620.94 As13626.8 part13626.8 of13626.8 that13626.8 work,13626.8 Governor13626.8 Healey13626.8 signed13626.8 the13626.8 Affordable13626.8 Homes13626.8 Act13626.8 in13626.8 August13626.8 of13627.04 2024,13627.6 the13628.64 most13628.88 ambitious13629.2 housing13629.68 legislation13630.16 in13630.72 Massachusetts13630.8 history.13631.6
13632.88 The13632.88 Affordable13632.96 Homes13633.44 Act13633.76 includes13634 funding13634.48 and13635.04 policy13635.28 proposals13635.84 to13636.48 create13636.72 or13637.2 save13637.36 65,00013638.19 homes,13639.31 helping13640.27 ensure13640.58 that13641.55 people13641.86 who13642.1 work13642.35 in13642.67 our13642.83 communities13643.07 can13643.7 afford13643.86 to13644.19 live13644.35 in13644.83 our13644.99 communities.13645.23 And13646.19 I13646.35 wanna13646.42 thank13646.75 members13647.07 of13647.39 this13647.55 committee13647.7 and13648.42 the13648.58 entire13648.75 legislature13649.23 for13650.5 your13650.75 support13650.99 of13651.55 this13651.78 important13652.02 law.13652.58 At13654.02 the13654.18 same13654.26 time,13654.42 the13654.74 Healey-Driscoll13655.06 administration13655.46 has13656.34 partnered13656.66 with13657.14 our13657.78 MBTA13658.66 communities13659.3 to13660.26 pass13660.42 new13660.74 zoning13661.06 that13661.54 support13661.78 increased13662.26 transit13662.74 oriented13663.22 housing.13663.86 To13664.66 date,13664.82 11913665.22 communities,13666.18 have13667.39 made13667.63 those13667.94 zoning13668.34 changes.13668.82 Currently,13670.5 3,70013671.31 units13672.34 of13672.9 new13673.15 housing13673.39 are13673.94 already13674.18 in13674.66 the13674.82 pipeline13674.98 in13676.02 those13676.18 newly13677.78 created13678.18 zones.13678.58 In13680.23 2024,13680.39 Governor13681.67 Healey's13682.31 billion13682.31 dollar13682.71 tax13683.11 cuts13683.43 went13683.75 into13683.99 effect,13684.31 putting13685.03 money13685.43 back13685.83 in13686.07 the13686.23 pockets13686.39 of13686.71 nearly13686.95 every13687.27 Massachusetts13687.51 resident,13688.23 including13689.11 868,00013689.67 renters13691.27 who13692.07 have13692.31 benefited13692.47 from13693.19 expanded13693.51 rental13693.99 deductions.13694.39
13696.69 Further,13696.69 the13697.02 administration's13697.25 increase13698.06 to13698.94 the13699.1 housing13699.18 development13699.58 incentive13700.14 program,13700.69 HDIP,13701.33 and13702.61 the13702.85 low13703.02 income13703.18 housing13703.66 tax13704.94 credit13705.18 program,13705.58 LIHTC,13706.22 are13707.42 bolstering13707.58 the13708.22 development13708.38 of13709.02 the13709.18 state's13709.33 housing13709.66 stock.13710.14 The13711.56 fiscal13711.72 2613712.2 budget,13712.84 House13713.8 113714.12 budget13714.36 recommendation13714.76 furthers13715.56 the13715.96 administration's13716.12 housing13716.84 goals13717.16 with13717.8 a13718.04 record13718.2 1.213718.6 billion13719.96 in13719.96 targeted13720.12 and13720.68 strategic13720.92 investments13721.48 at13722.44 the13722.6 Executive13723.72 Office13723.96 of13723.96 Housing13724.12 and13724.44 Livable13725 Communities13725.94 to13725.94 make13726.18 housing13726.34 more13726.9 affordable13727.3 and13728.1 accessible13728.42 in13728.9 Massachusetts.13729.14 This13730.5 includes13730.66 investing13731.22 in13731.69 our13731.85 public13732.1 housing13732.42 and13733.38 supporting13733.61 our13734.02 local13734.26 housing13734.5 authorities.13734.98 The13736.02 fiscal13736.26 2613736.66 budget13738.41 House13738.57 113738.57 budget13738.89 proposal13739.37 recommends13739.93 $12513740.97 million13742.49 for13742.49 public13742.73 housing13743.13 programs.13743.61 That's13744.49 a13744.73 4%13744.81 increase13745.45 over13745.93 the13746.17 fiscal13746.33 2513746.81 GAA.13747.53 Public13748.97 housing13749.29 provides13749.77 affordable13750.41 and13751.05 safe13751.29 housing13751.69 for13752.51 vulnerable13752.83 populations13753.31 at13754.35 higher13754.67 risk13754.99 of13755.64 housing13755.88 and13756.27 security,13756.43 including13757.31 low13757.8 income13758.03 families13758.51 and13759.23 individuals,13759.48 the13760.51 elderly,13760.75 and13761.4 persons13761.56 with13761.88 disabilities.13762.11
13763.64 Massachusetts'13763.64 state13764.59 aided13764.83 public13765.31 housing13765.64 portfolio13766.11 houses13767.13 approximately13767.45 70,00013768.17 people,13769.21 in13770.41 those13770.65 43,40013770.97 units.13773.13 These13774.97 are13775.21 operated13775.53 by13776.01 22913776.17 local13777.29 housing13777.61 authorities13778.09 across13778.89 the13779.37 state.13779.53 The13780.67 administration's13780.83 fiscal13781.63 2613781.94 proposal13782.58 includes13783.15 115.513784.02 million13786.1 for13786.1 subsidies13786.34 to13786.98 local13787.15 housing13787.55 authorities,13787.94 a13788.83 $2.513788.98 million13790.5 increase13790.5 above13791.31 fiscal13791.63 2513792.42 GAA.13793.06 Increasing13794.39 funding13794.71 will13795.27 allow13795.67 for13795.99 an13796.31 increase13796.39 in13797.19 the13797.35 per13797.59 unit13797.91 budget13798.31 caps13798.71 to13799.51 help13799.67 local13799.99 housing13800.31 authorities13800.71 keep13801.35 pace13801.59 with13801.83 inflation.13802.07 This13803.59 proposal13803.75 also13804.31 includes13804.63 7.513805.19 million13806.73 for13806.73 resident13807.13 service13808.49 coordinators13808.97 program13809.6 to13810.49 provide13810.73 dedicated13811.13 funding13811.84 to13812.49 local13812.73 housing13813.05 authorities13813.44 to13814.25 hire13814.41 resident13814.81 service13815.36 coordinator.13815.76 That's13816.73 a13816.97 $113817.13 million13818.08 increase13818.08 above13818.57 fiscal13818.89 year13819.28 2513819.6 GAA.13820.08
13821.42 This13821.42 investment13821.66 will13822.22 allow13822.46 local13823.02 housing13823.26 authorities13823.66 to13824.14 hire13824.22 about13824.62 1513825.02 additional13825.5 coordinators13825.98 who13826.94 connect13827.18 residents13829.66 with13830.14 services,13830.38 immediate13831.5 disputes,13832.06 to13833.34 help,13833.5 preserve13834.61 tenancy13835.09 for13835.65 families,13835.81 elderly,13836.38 and13837.17 non13837.33 elderly13837.65 disabled.13838.14 15013839.17 of13839.9 our13840.06 22913840.22 local13841.49 housing13841.81 authorities13842.22 currently13842.69 participate13843.25 in13843.73 this13843.9 program,13844.06 and13844.85 this13845.09 investment13845.33 would13845.98 increase13846.14 that13846.61 number.13846.77 The13847.95 program13848.19 successfully13848.75 preserved13849.47 more13849.79 than13850.03 2,60013850.19 tenancies13851.15 last13851.87 year,13852.11 safeguarding13852.99 vulnerable13853.63 populations13854.27 from13855.39 entering13855.63 homelessness,13856.11 shelter,13857.31 or13857.95 other13858.19 unstable13858.67 living13859.15 conditions.13859.55 The13860.61 Healey-Driscoll13861.02 administration's13861.58 fiscal13862.38 '2613863.17 budget13863.74 proposal13864.06 adopts13865.02 a13865.33 multifaceted13865.5 approach13866.38 to13867.1 address13867.25 homelessness13867.66 through13868.69 prevention,13868.85 outreach13869.58 services,13870.06 temporary13870.94 shelter,13871.58 and13872.38 other13872.61 rapid13873.02 rehousing13873.42 mechanisms.13873.98
13875.24 The13875.24 fiscal13875.4 year13875.64 2613876.04 House13876.52 113876.84 recommendation13877.4 also13878.12 maintains13878.44 $110.813879.56 million13881.32 investment13881.32 in13882.12 homeless13882.28 individual13882.76 shelters13883.32 that13884.12 support13884.28 2,50013884.76 shelter13885.72 beds.13886.04 Facilitating13886.92 across13887.8 access13889.19 to13889.59 shelter13890 beds13890.48 is13890.8 critical,13891.03 especially13891.83 for13892.24 the13892.4 growing13892.56 number13892.88 of13893.11 individuals13893.35 who13894 are13894.16 not13894.32 in13894.72 shelter.13895.03 The13896.4 US13896.56 Department13896.8 of13897.19 Housing13897.35 and13897.67 Urban13897.83 Development13898.24 projects13899.03 that13899.43 individual13899.67 homelessness13900.16 is13900.72 an13900.88 all13901.03 time13901.27 high13901.59 across13902.35 the13902.67 country,13902.75 including13903.31 the13903.79 number13903.95 of13904.19 people13904.27 who13904.59 are13904.75 not13904.91 in13905.15 shelter13905.47 and13906.19 sleeping13906.43 in13906.91 places13907.07 not13907.63 meant13907.87 for13908.11 human13908.27 habitation.13908.59 House13909.87 113910.19 recommends13910.43 a13910.99 $10.113911.07 million13913.07 for13913.07 sponsored13913.31 based13913.95 permanent13914.27 supportive13914.75 housing,13915.23 a13916.01 $1.213916.17 million13917.53 increase13917.53 over13918.33 fiscal13918.73 2513919.22 GAA.13919.77 This13921.06 is13921.3 to13921.38 adjust13921.53 for13921.93 fair13922.17 market13922.49 rent13922.9 increases13923.22 and13924.25 to13924.42 expand13924.65 the13925.14 permanent13925.3 supportive13925.77 housing13926.25 pipeline13926.73 by13927.45 approximately13927.77 1613928.42 additional13928.81 units.13929.38
13930.84 This13930.84 strategic13931.08 investment13931.64 will13932.04 allow13932.28 the13932.6 most13932.68 vulnerable13932.92 individuals13934.04 to13934.6 exit13934.76 shelter13935.16 and13935.64 enter13935.88 permanent13936.28 housing13936.84 and13937.56 to13937.8 access13937.96 case13938.36 management13938.68 services,13939.24 ultimately13939.88 increasing13940.84 the13941.32 availability13941.56 of13942.28 shelter13942.44 beds13942.76 for13943.24 others13943.48 with13943.8 unmet13944.04 needs.13944.44 House13945.52 113945.77 budget13945.85 recommendation13946.33 further13946.89 underscores13947.28 the13947.77 administration's13947.85 commitment13948.73 to13949.6 actively13949.85 targeting13950.49 populations13951.05 who13951.92 are13952.17 most13952.25 likely13952.49 to13952.89 experience13953.13 challenges13953.77 in13954.33 accessing13954.57 affordable13955.44 housing.13955.85 House13957.05 113957.28 budget13957.52 recommendation13957.85 incorporates13958.49 the13959.13 following13959.2 investments13959.69 to13960.33 combat13960.49 the13961.05 affordability13961.51 crisis.13962.07 $19.513966.23 million13966.79 for13966.79 the13966.95 alternative13967.11 housing13967.67 voucher13968.07 program13968.47 to13969.27 provide13969.43 rental13969.83 assistance13970.31 for13970.79 persons13970.95 with13971.27 disabilities.13971.51 House13972.71 1's13973.03 proposed13973.43 investment13973.99 will13974.76 support13975 more13975.65 than13975.89 80013976.05 vouchers,13976.6 an13977.32 increase13977.48 of13977.89 19%13978.13 over13980.05 the13980.28 previous13980.36 year's13980.76 budget.13981
13983.4 16.513983.81 million13983.81 rental13983.81 program13984.36 for13984.84 the13985.56 Department13985.81 of13986.2 Mental13986.36 Health13986.68 clients,13987.08 which13988.01 coupled13988.25 with13988.49 additional13988.73 funding13989.21 from13989.85 DMH,13990.17 will13990.97 support13991.21 2,87713991.69 vouchers13993.85 for13994.65 DMH13994.89 clients,13995.69 an13996.41 increase13996.65 of13997.05 26513997.21 vouchers13998.65 over13999.45 FY14000.01 25.14000.25 And14001.53 314001.69 million14002.66 for14002.66 housing14002.82 assistance14003.22 for14003.69 reentry14003.93 transition14005.14 to14005.93 provide14006.17 service14007.06 intensive14007.38 programming14008.01 and14008.74 vouchers14008.9 for14009.85 folks14010.09 exiting14010.42 incarceration14010.98 in14011.77 partnership14012.01 with14012.5 the14012.66 Executive14013.3 Office14013.61 of14013.61 Public14014.09 Safety14014.5 and14014.5 Security14014.66 with14015.55 the14015.71 goal14015.87 of14016.03 reducing14016.51 rates14016.99 of14017.23 recidivism.14017.47 The14018.75 House14018.99 114019.23 budget14019.55 proposal14020.03 recommends14020.43 a14020.91 historic14021.07 investment14021.55 of14021.95 25314022.11 million14024.11 of14024.11 the14024.11 Massachusetts14024.35 rental14024.99 voucher14025.39 program,14025.79 a14026.67 16%14026.75 increase14027.79 from14029.98 fiscal14030.22 year14030.69 25.14031.02 This14032.69 funding14032.94 level14033.33 maintains14033.66 the14034.22 current14034.38 payment14034.69 standard14035.1 of14035.5 110%14035.74 of14037.1 small14037.42 area14038.06 fair14039.1 market14039.33 rents.14039.9 Crucial14040.85 initiative14042.96 that14043.44 came14043.68 into14043.92 effect14044.16 during14044.8 the14045.04 Healey-Driscoll14045.68 administration14046.16 in14046.88 fiscal14047.04 24.14047.44
14048.88 Preserving14048.88 the14049.36 payment14049.52 standard14049.84 is14050.24 a14050.4 critical14050.48 component14050.96 to14051.44 ensuring14051.6 the14052 affordability14052.08 of14052.8 housing14052.88 units.14053.28 The14054 fiscal14054.16 year14054.56 26,14054.8 House14056.16 114056.48 proposed14056.8 level14058.39 of14058.7 funding14058.86 is14059.67 expected14059.91 to14060.31 support14060.55 continued14061.1 leasing14061.58 of14062.07 just14062.23 over14062.55 11,00014062.78 vouchers,14063.75 including14064.31 13014064.94 new14066.39 project14066.7 based14067.19 vouchers.14067.5 Ensuring14068.7 a14069.1 strong14069.26 investment14069.67 in14070.15 the14070.23 Massachusetts14070.39 rental14071.02 voucher14071.42 program14071.91 is14072.55 an14072.71 important14072.95 step14073.27 in14073.51 the14073.67 administration's14073.83 effort14074.71 to14075.43 keep14075.51 people14075.75 securely14076.15 housed14076.55 in14076.95 their14077.03 units14077.27 during14077.91 a14078.15 time14078.31 where14079.03 housing14079.27 inflation14079.67 is14080.23 increasing14080.39 across14080.87 the14081.27 country.14081.35 The14082.39 House14082.55 114082.87 budget14083.11 proposal14083.43 also14084.15 notably14084.87 includes14085.35 an14085.75 outside14085.91 section14086.31 to14086.95 eliminate14087.19 renter14089.1 paid14089.5 broker14089.9 fees.14090.31 Broker14091.26 fees14091.5 can14091.82 be14091.98 financially14092.23 burdensome14092.7 for14093.34 renters.14093.9 And14094.15 eliminating14094.15 this14094.7 is14094.94 an14095.1 integral14095.26 step14095.67 in14096.39 making14096.55 housing14096.86 more14097.26 affordable14097.42 in14097.9 Massachusetts.14098.06 The14099.1 fiscal14099.26 year14099.67 2614099.9 proposal14100.55 will14101.1 require14101.34 the14102.13 fee14102.29 to14102.45 be14102.61 paid14102.69 by14103.33 whomever14103.57 high14104.21 is14104.45 the14104.61 broker,14104.69 which14105.25 is14105.49 usually14105.57 the14106.05 landlord.14106.21
14107.17 Over14107.17 the14107.41 past14107.57 year14107.81 and14108.05 a14108.13 half,14108.21 the14108.37 Healey-Driscoll14108.77 administration14109.17 has14110.21 worked14110.37 to14110.85 make14111.01 the14111.17 emergency14111.33 assisted14111.81 shelter14112.29 system14112.69 more14113.01 fiscally14113.25 sustainable,14113.81 responsible,14114.61 and14116.19 operationally14116.5 manageable.14117.63 In14118.67 December14118.91 of14121.07 2024,14121.78 the14122.27 administration14122.43 announced14123.07 policy14123.47 and14123.94 programmatic14124.02 changes14124.75 to14125.47 streamline14125.63 the14126.19 state's14126.35 shelter14126.75 portfolio14127.23 by14128.28 phasing14128.44 out14128.68 the14129.16 use14129.24 of14129.48 hotels14129.64 and14130.04 motels14130.28 to14130.76 shelter14130.92 families14131.32 by14132.28 facilitating14132.52 access14133.32 to14133.72 programs14133.88 that14134.76 expedite14135.08 exits14135.88 from14136.28 shelter.14136.52 On14137.48 February14137.64 28,14138.12 the14138.6 governor14138.68 signed14139.08 the14139.32 FY14139.8 '2514140.68 supplemental14141.32 that14142.35 provided14142.68 needed14143.56 funding14143.95 for14144.35 the14144.52 EA14144.75 program14145.08 through14146.03 the14146.27 end14146.35 of14146.52 the14146.68 fiscal14146.75 year14147.16 and14147.56 makes14147.8 important14148.11 policy14148.6 changes14149.08 to14149.48 ensure14149.64 the14150.11 EA14150.27 program14150.6 is14151.16 safe14151.4 and14151.88 sustainable14152.11 into14152.75 the14153 future.14153.08 I14153.88 wanna14154.03 thank14154.27 you14154.6 all,14154.75 and14155.8 the14155.95 entire14156.11 legislature14156.44 for14157.24 your14157.32 partnership14157.56 in14158.17 getting14158.33 this14158.57 over14158.65 the14158.97 finish14159.13 line.14159.37
14160.41 Fiscal14160.41 year14160.89 2614161.21 budget,14161.77 House14162.41 114162.73 proposal,14163.13 maintains14164.25 these14164.81 stabilization14165.21 efforts14166.01 with14166.33 an14166.49 investment14166.65 of14167.13 32514167.29 million14168.89 in14168.89 the14168.97 emergency14169.13 assisted14169.61 shelter14171.77 and14172.9 services14173.22 program,14173.77 and14174.66 5714174.98 million14176.02 for14176.02 home14176.25 base,14176.5 a14177.3 flexible14177.45 assistance14178.25 program14178.82 to14179.61 rapidly14179.85 rehouse14180.33 families.14180.82 House14182.42 114182.66 also14182.9 proposes14183.22 202.514183.85 million14186.25 in14186.25 rental14186.33 assistance14186.82 for14187.6 families14187.84 in14188.08 transition,14188.48 RAFT.14189.84 A14190.08 short14190.08 term14190.32 eviction14190.56 and14191.04 homelessness14191.2 prevention14191.76 program.14192.72 RAFT14193.52 is14193.92 a14194.08 successful14194.32 and14194.96 flexible14195.2 tool14195.68 averaging14196.24 $3,70014196.88 per14198.24 family14198.4 per14198.96 year14199.12 to14199.98 keep14200.22 a14200.33 family14200.45 safely14201.49 in14201.9 their14202.06 home14202.3 and14202.85 out14203.09 of14203.33 the14203.49 unstable14203.9 nature14204.45 of14204.85 the14205.01 shelter14205.17 system.14205.57 Diversion14206.45 tools14207.09 and14207.42 case14207.57 management14207.9 services14208.45 are14209.09 critical14209.25 in14209.65 preventing14209.81 more14210.3 families14210.61 and14211.42 children14211.65 from14212.14 entering14212.38 shelter.14212.77 These14213.94 programs14214.1 are14214.74 recommended14214.98 and14215.78 recommended14216.02 funding14216.58 combined14216.98 represent14218.02 an14218.42 indispensable,14218.74 multilayered14219.7 system,14220.5 that14221.78 meets14222.02 the14222.34 critical14222.5 needs14222.98 of14223.46 Massachusetts14223.7 residents14224.34 throughout14224.9 our14225.3 state.14225.46 I14226.1 look14226.26 forward14226.5 to14227.06 your14227.14 questions.14227.38 Thank14227.94 you.14228.18
14229.8 SPEAKER114229.8 -14229.8 Thank14229.8 you,14230.03 mister14230.19 secretary.14230.59 I'm14231.56 gonna,14231.72 turn14232.35 to14232.59 my14232.75 left14232.92 here14233.16 to14233.32 my,14233.48 cochair14234.44 and14235.4 ask14235.56 him14235.8 if,14235.95 senator14236.52 Olivera14237 has14237.4 questions.14237.64
14238.19 OLIVEIRA14238.19 -14238.19 Thank14238.19 you.14238.35 Thank14238.59 you,14238.75 Mr.14239.32 Secretary,14239.8 and14239.8 thank14239.95 you14240.11 for14240.27 your14240.52 team.14240.67 I'm14241.59 glad14241.75 you14241.99 mentioned14242.15 the14242.55 Massachusetts14242.71 Rental14244.23 Voucher14244.63 Program14244.63 and14244.63 the14244.79 significant14244.95 investment14245.59 to14246.23 the14246.47 tune14246.63 of14246.87 about14247.11 a14247.35 16%14247.51 increase14248.31 in14248.79 that14248.87 line14249.19 item.14249.35 We14250.23 know14250.47 and14250.71 we14250.95 just14251.11 had14251.35 the14251.59 labor14251.91 secretary14252.31 here14252.87 right14253.11 before14253.27 us14253.51 talking14254.17 about14254.33 that14254.58 net14254.81 migration14255.06 issue14255.61 outside14255.93 of14256.25 Massachusetts14256.5 right14257.22 now.14257.45 And14258.17 one14259.14 of14259.38 the14259.45 largest14259.53 demographics14260.09 we14260.73 see14260.98 of14261.14 people14261.3 leaving14261.61 the14261.85 Commonwealth14262.01 are14262.9 2514263.06 to14263.61 4014263.77 year14264.09 olds,14264.25 a14264.9 demographic14265.3 I'm14265.85 holding14266.01 on14266.33 to14266.5 by14266.65 dear14266.81 life14267.14 person.14267.38 But14269.44 we14270 know14270.16 that14270.4 young14270.56 people14270.88 tend14271.2 to14271.44 rent14271.52 a14271.84 little14272 bit14272.16 more14272.4 right14272.64 now.14273.12 And14273.52 seeing14273.52 costs14274.16 are14274.56 increasing14274.8 so14275.36 greatly,14276.48 obviously,14276.96 a14276.96 16%14277.12 increase14277.92 in14278.24 this14278.4 line14278.56 item14278.88 is14279.2 very14279.44 important,14279.68 and14280.64 the14281.04 hundreds14281.28 of14281.68 millions14281.84 of14282.4 dollars14282.56 we14282.96 invest14283.2 in14283.52 that14283.6 program14284.17 to14284.65 try14284.81 to14285.06 keep14285.14 rents14285.53 down,14285.93 which14286.09 have14286.42 been14286.65 far14286.98 outpacing14287.3 the14288.09 rate14288.17 of14288.42 inflation.14288.58
14289.45 In14289.45 fact,14289.61 in14289.93 my14290.33 district14290.58 in14290.9 the14291.14 city14291.22 of14291.53 Springfield,14291.69 in14292.5 order14292.73 to14294.17 afford14294.5 the14294.5 median14294.65 family14295.14 rent14296.01 within14296.77 the14297.01 city,14297.17 you14297.57 need14297.81 to14297.97 earn14298.05 210%14299.01 above14299.33 the14299.57 median14299.65 family14300.05 income.14300.29 It's14300.93 becoming14301.25 out14301.65 of14301.81 reach14301.89 for14302.29 so14302.61 many14302.77 families14303.09 right14303.57 now.14303.81 Given14304.77 that14305.17 we're14305.41 seeing14305.73 a14305.89 16%14306.05 increase14306.93 in14307.33 the14307.49 governor's14307.65 budget,14308.13 how14308.77 can14308.93 this14309.09 program14309.33 become14309.89 more14310.21 sustainable14310.53 over14311.57 time14311.81 in14312.21 meeting14312.69 the14312.93 rising14313.08 cost14313.65 of14313.97 rent14314.13 rates?14314.36 And14314.69 there14314.85 are14315 other14315.17 ways14315.41 in14315.73 which14315.89 we14316.05 can14316.28 help14316.52 renters14316.69 afford14317.57 to14317.97 stay,14318.2 live,14318.93 and14319.25 work14319.49 here14319.65 in14319.89 the14319.97 Commonwealth.14320.13
14321.73 AUGUSTUS14321.73 -14321.73 Thank14321.73 you,14321.97 senator.14322.13 I14322.52 appreciate14322.6 the14323 question.14323.08 I14323.41 think14323.73 it's14323.89 probably14324.13 a14324.44 question14324.52 on14324.93 the14325.08 mind14325.25 of14325.49 every14325.73 legislator14326.47 here14326.87 and14327.19 of14327.43 every14327.67 resident14328.23 of14328.71 Massachusetts14328.87 as14329.59 either14329.91 they14330.15 themselves14330.47 or14330.87 someone14331.03 in14331.43 their14331.51 family14331.75 is14332.47 struggling14332.71 with14333.27 housing14333.43 affordability,14333.83 whether14334.79 it14335.11 be14335.19 somebody14335.67 who's14335.99 trying14336.31 to14336.55 launch14336.63 their14336.87 career,14337.03 and14337.43 move14337.59 out14337.75 of14337.99 their14338.23 home,14339.03 nd14339.31 and14339.31 start14339.47 their14339.59 life14339.71 or14340.19 a14340.43 family14340.51 member14340.91 who14341.23 wants14341.39 to14341.71 downsize14341.87 and14342.35 find14342.51 an14342.67 appropriate14342.91 place14343.39 to14343.63 do14343.79 that.14343.95 We14344.35 don't14344.67 have14344.83 enough14344.99 housing14345.23 in14345.55 Massachusetts.14345.71 Pure14346.51 and14346.75 simple.14346.99 That's14347.4 the,14347.64 you14348.27 know,14348.44 the14348.75 law14348.91 of14349.15 supply14349.32 and14349.64 demand.14349.88 Anything14350.27 that14350.68 is14350.84 in14351.08 strong14351.48 demand14351.8 and14352.27 short14352.44 supply14352.67 can14353.63 demand14354.36 prices14354.76 that14355.4 are14355.56 far14355.8 in14356.11 excess14356.36 of14356.83 what14356.99 many14357.24 folks,14357.48 particularly14357.87 some14358.44 of14358.68 our14358.83 lower14359.4 wage14359.72 or14360.03 lower14360.19 income14360.52 residents14361.55 can14361.87 afford14362.19 to14362.51 pay.14362.75
14363.15 And14363.15 that's14363.39 why14363.55 it's14363.79 so14363.95 important14364.19 that14364.75 we14364.91 not14365.39 only14365.55 provide14365.95 the14366.35 resources14366.51 for14367.07 these14367.23 safety14367.63 net14368.03 programs,14368.27 but14369.23 that14369.47 we14369.63 build14369.79 more14370.11 housing.14370.35 Because,14370.75 ultimately,14370.99 that14371.55 is14371.71 really14371.95 what's14372.19 gonna14372.43 take14372.67 some14372.91 of14373.15 the14373.23 pressure14373.31 off14373.71 this14373.95 housing14375.34 market,14375.66 is14375.66 creating14376.07 more14376.47 units14376.78 to14377.58 allow14377.74 for14378.07 more14378.31 vacancy14378.63 levels.14379.75 We14380.3 have14380.46 some14380.62 of14380.78 the14380.86 lowest14381.02 vacancy14381.35 levels14381.91 in14382.3 the14382.46 country14382.62 here14383.02 in14383.26 Massachusetts.14383.43 And14384.46 so14384.7 that14384.94 means14385.11 that14385.51 when14385.75 somebody14385.91 needs14386.3 to14386.62 move14386.78 or14386.94 wants14387.19 to14387.51 move,14387.67 they14388.14 often14388.39 don't14388.78 have14389.02 affordable,14389.43 options14390.95 within14391.43 proximity14392.55 to14393.11 their14393.27 job14393.51 or14393.75 their14393.99 school14394.15 or14394.47 wherever14394.55 they14395.03 need14395.19 to14395.35 be.14395.43 And14396.07 that's14396.23 why14396.39 the14396.55 Affordable14396.71 Homes14397.19 Act14397.43 is14397.67 so14397.83 important.14397.99 That's14398.39 why14398.63 implementing14398.79 the14399.35 MBTA14399.51 Communities14400.15 Act14400.71 is14401.03 so14401.11 important.14401.35 That's14402.15 why14402.31 some14402.63 of14402.71 the14402.87 recommendations14403.03 that14403.75 were14403.99 just14404.23 made14404.47 in14404.71 the14404.79 unlocking14404.95 housing14405.43 production14405.94 commission14406.07 report,14406.19 are14407.87 so14408.03 important.14408.27
14409.07 We14409.07 really14409.31 need14409.55 to14410.11 tackle,14410.27 at14411.78 multiple14412.02 levels,14412.51 creating14413.31 more14413.7 housing14413.86 and14414.19 preserving14414.35 the14414.83 housing14414.99 we14415.31 have,14415.47 which14415.86 is14416.02 why14416.19 some14416.43 of14416.59 the14416.75 investments14416.83 in14417.39 our14417.55 public14417.63 housing14418.02 stock14418.51 are14419.34 critical14419.42 because14419.66 we14420.06 know14420.22 what14420.38 is14420.54 an14420.86 important14420.86 safety14421.26 net.14421.66 You14422.22 know,14422.3 many14422.46 of14422.7 those14422.86 individuals14423.1 and14423.5 families14423.66 are14424.06 living14424.14 on14424.38 less14424.54 than14424.78 30%14424.94 AMI.14425.58 And14426.86 if14427.02 those14427.18 43,00014427.42 units14428.38 are14428.7 not14428.86 online14429.18 available14429.74 to14430.22 those14430.38 residents14430.62 in14431.55 this14431.7 housing14431.95 market,14432.43 it14433.07 is14433.23 gonna14433.39 be14433.7 very14433.86 challenging14434.19 for14434.75 them14434.91 to14435.15 find14435.23 appropriate14436.02 affordable14436.51 places14436.99 to14437.39 live.14437.47 So14438.02 I14438.27 think14438.35 it's14438.59 maintaining14439.07 our14439.55 safety14439.7 net14440.11 while14440.43 we14440.67 all14441.15 work14441.39 together14441.7 on14442.43 new14442.67 policies14442.91 and14443.81 new14444.05 investments,14444.29 many14444.93 of14445.17 them14445.33 in14445.49 the14445.65 capital14445.81 side14446.21 of14446.45 things,14446.53 to14447.17 help14447.33 us14447.57 build14447.81 more14448.05 housing14448.29 across14448.61 the14449.01 Commonwealth.14449.09
14453.65 FERRANTE14453.65 -14453.65 Thank14453.65 you,14453.89 Mr.14455.81 Secretary.14456.21 Mr.14456.21 Secretary,14456.21 I14456.21 wanna14456.29 ask14456.53 you14456.69 a14456.85 question14457.01 about14457.33 the14457.65 emergency14457.81 shelter14458.69 system.14458.85 The14460.02 first14460.19 part14460.99 of14461.23 that14461.31 question14461.55 is,14462.11 do14463.23 we14463.31 know14463.47 what14463.63 the14463.78 split14463.95 is14464.35 right14464.51 now14464.75 between14465.07 long14465.55 term14465.86 residents14466.11 of14466.59 Massachusetts14466.75 and14467.63 newer14467.86 residents14468.19 to14468.67 Massachusetts?14468.83
14470.19 AUGUSTUS-14470.43 It's14470.67 still14470.67 about14470.99 5014471.31 50,14472.28 within14472.76 the14473.16 system.14473.48 However,14473.96 the14474.44 demand,14474.76 so14475.32 the14475.48 folks14475.64 coming14475.96 into14476.28 the14476.52 system,14476.6 that's14477.32 skewing14477.56 much14478.04 more14478.28 75,14478.76 25,14480.2 Massachusetts14481.64 residents.14482.28 So14482.68 7514482.92 of14483.72 the14483.8 folks14483.96 who14484.2 are14484.28 presenting14484.44 at14484.92 the14485 front14485.16 door14485.4 are14486.06 longtime14486.22 Massachusetts14486.53 residents,14487.42 25%14488.14 new14489.1 arrivals.14489.26
14490.22 FERRANTE14490.22 -14490.22 Thank14490.22 you.14490.38 And14490.45 just14490.69 a14490.86 follow-up14491.02 question.14491.5 I14492.69 know14492.77 there's14492.94 been14493.26 talk14493.58 throughout14493.9 the14494.3 EA14494.53 system,14495.42 just14497.26 the14497.5 whole14497.98 discussion14499.44 of14499.76 it14499.84 and14500 the14500.24 controversy14500.4 of14500.96 it.14501.12 And14501.28 at14501.6 various14501.84 times,14502.24 we14502.56 talk14502.72 about14502.96 trying14503.76 to14504.08 get14504.16 folks14504.32 work14504.64 permits14504.96 and14505.52 trying14505.76 to14506.16 get14506.24 them14506.4 in14506.64 workforce14507.6 development14508.24 training14508.88 programs14509.28 so14510.08 that14510.24 there14510.56 is14510.8 a14510.96 pathway14511.12 out14512.32 of14512.47 the14512.55 EA14512.72 system14513.03 where14513.36 they14513.6 can14513.75 afford14513.91 their14514.16 own14514.4 apartment14514.55 and14515.52 their14515.6 own14515.83 housing.14516 Can14516.39 you14516.47 just14516.63 tell14516.8 us14516.95 a14517.11 little14517.19 bit14517.36 about14517.6 what's14517.83 happening14518.08 on14518.88 that14519.03 front?14519.19
14520.32 AUGUSTUS14520.32 -14520.32 Absolutely.14520.32 And14520.8 I14521.03 appreciate14521.27 Secretary14522.08 Jones14522.55 who14522.8 was14522.95 here14523.11 earlier14523.44 and14523.75 her14523.91 team14524.08 who've14524.32 just14524.55 done14524.8 amazing14525.52 work14526.08 in14526.47 this14526.63 space,14526.95 not14527.92 only14528.08 of14528.96 working14529.12 with14529.6 ORI14529.84 and14530.32 other14530.56 groups14530.8 to14531.12 set14531.28 up14531.44 the14531.6 legal14531.84 claims14532.24 to14532.64 make14532.72 sure14532.96 that14533.2 the14533.52 new14533.68 arrival14533.92 families14534.32 have14534.88 the14535.04 work14535.2 authorizations14535.44 necessary,14536.4 but14538.08 then14538.32 to14538.64 take14538.88 those14539.12 authorizations14539.36 and14540.16 turn14540.4 them14540.64 into14540.88 accessing14542 job14543.19 training14543.52 opportunities14544 where14544.95 jobs14545.27 are14545.68 actually14545.84 available.14546.24 And14547.52 Secretary14547.84 Jones14548.32 and14548.56 her14548.72 team14548.88 have14549.19 really14549.36 worked14549.68 with14549.92 a14550.16 lot14550.24 of14550.4 employers14550.56 around14551.19 the14551.44 state14551.6 and14552.24 helped14552.4 them14553.52 often14554.16 in14554.48 cases14554.64 where14554.95 they14555.19 were14555.36 struggling14555.52 to14556.16 meet14557.03 the14557.27 needs14557.36 of14557.68 their14557.76 business14558 or14558.4 the14558.48 services14558.88 that14559.2 they14559.28 provided14559.52 by14560.56 taking14561.68 these14561.92 motivated14562.24 individuals14564 and14565.04 giving14565.36 them14565.68 the14566 resources14566.24 necessary14566.88 to14567.36 plug14567.44 into14567.68 those14568 much14568.16 needed14568.48 jobs.14568.8 So14569.2 we've14569.68 seen14569.92 that14570.24 be14570.48 a14570.72 very14570.8 important14571.93 partnership.14572.72 And14572.97 we've14572.97 seen14573.2 that14573.44 help14573.61 expedite14574.41 the14575.05 exiting14575.2 of14575.93 shelter14576.16 for14577.05 many14577.28 of14577.52 those14577.61 families14577.85 once14578.16 they14578.41 get14578.49 that14578.72 work14578.97 authorization14579.28 and14580.01 that14580.16 job.14580.41 They14581.05 are14581.28 very14581.44 much14581.69 motivated14581.93 to14582.41 begin14582.57 their14582.88 lives14583.13 and,14583.44 you14584.01 know,14584.08 get14584.33 stable14584.57 housing.14585.93 And14586.87 we14586.87 see14587.19 that14587.27 as14587.51 a14587.83 model14588.39 that14588.71 we'd14588.87 like14589.11 to14589.27 continue14589.35 to14589.91 support.14589.99
14591.83 SPEAKER214591.83 -14591.83 Thank14591.83 you.14592.15 Representative14592.71 Smollett?14593.51
14595.03 SMOLA14595.03 -14595.03 Thank14595.03 you,14595.19 Madam14595.67 Chair14595.91 and14595.91 Mr.14596.31 Secretary.14596.63 Thank14596.63 you14596.79 for14596.87 your14597.03 testimony14597.11 here14597.59 today.14597.83 Out14598.59 of14598.95 respect14599.11 for14599.51 the14599.75 chairlady's14600.39 request14601.05 that14601.2 we14601.28 ask14601.44 one14601.85 question,14602.25 I'm14602.25 gonna14602.41 pack14602.64 three14602.97 questions14603.28 in14603.69 all14604.01 at14604.17 once.14604.25
14605.2 AUGUSTUS14605.2 -14605.2 Expect14605.2 nothing14605.69 less.14606.01
14606.32 SMOLA14606.57 -14606.57 Just14606.97 roll14607.2 with14607.44 it.14607.61 Okay.14608.01 And,14608.41 hopefully,14609.36 I14609.76 don't14610.09 get14610.25 in14610.41 too14610.57 much14610.65 trouble14610.89 with14611.13 her.14611.28 But,14612.01 actually,14612.09 it's14612.41 a14612.48 continuation14612.65 of14613.6 where14613.69 the14614.41 chair14614.57 had14615.13 had14615.93 just14616.09 come14616.25 from14616.33 in14616.65 terms14616.73 of14616.89 the14616.97 EA14617.13 program.14617.45 So14617.93 we14618.33 just14618.49 passed14618.73 a14619.05 supplemental14619.21 budget14619.69 for14620.01 $42514620.17 million,14622.65 money14622.65 that14622.89 comes14622.97 from14623.21 transitional14623.37 escrow,14623.85 which14624.25 is14624.41 not14624.49 a14624.65 long14624.81 term14624.97 fix.14625.13 We14625.45 all14625.61 know14625.77 that.14625.93 So14627.61 that14628.33 supplemental14629.3 also14629.62 had14629.94 some14630.1 reforms14630.34 in14630.74 it14630.9 relative14631.22 to14631.78 the14632.58 EA14632.9 system.14633.22 So14633.78 let14634.58 me14634.66 roll14634.9 with14635.14 these14635.22 questions14635.45 first.14635.86 Are14637.38 there14637.53 any14638.02 plans?14638.26 Number14639.06 1,14639.3 where14639.53 is14639.69 transitional14640.1 escrow?14640.74 That's14641.74 kind14642.14 of14642.38 where14642.54 it14642.7 is14642.86 now14643.1 outside14643.42 of14643.74 this14643.82 $42514643.98 million.14645.34 Do14645.34 we14645.5 plan14645.66 on14645.82 going14646.46 after14646.7 any14647.1 additional14647.42 transitional14647.9 escrow14648.38 for14648.78 this14648.86 purpose14649.1 in14649.42 the14649.58 future?14649.66 Because14650.06 I14650.22 know14650.38 one14650.94 of14651.1 the14651.18 things14651.34 in14651.9 the14652.06 legislature14652.22 we've14652.7 been14652.86 concerned14653.02 about14653.34 is14653.58 this14653.74 rising14653.9 number,14654.22 and14654.46 we14654.62 get14654.7 a14654.86 supplemental14655.02 that14655.42 comes14655.58 back14655.82 around,14655.98 and14656.14 then14656.3 we14656.38 have14656.61 to14656.65 put14656.69 more14656.77 money14657.01 into14657.1 the14657.34 system.14657.57 And14658.22 with14658.45 respect14658.61 to14658.94 the14659.1 reforms,14659.18 do14660.06 we14660.13 anticipate14660.38 that14660.69 we're14660.85 gonna14661.01 get14661.18 any14661.34 money14661.57 back?14661.82 So14662.13 as14662.29 a14662.53 result14662.61 of14662.94 these14663.1 new14663.34 things14663.5 that14663.82 we14664.06 have14664.13 included14664.85 for14665.5 reforms14665.73 in14666.77 the14667.1 supplemental14667.97 budget,14668.53 do14669.01 we14669.18 anticipate14669.26 that14669.73 we're14669.82 gonna14669.97 have14670.29 any14670.38 savings14670.53 as14670.94 a14671.02 result14671.1 of14671.41 those14671.5 reforms?14671.73
14674.11 AUGUSTUS14674.11 -14674.11 In14674.11 terms14674.35 of14674.67 the14675.07 status14675.47 of14675.79 the14675.95 escrow14676.11 account,14676.59 what14676.91 might14677.07 be14677.31 available,14677.39 I'm14677.87 gonna14677.95 defer14678.19 to14678.51 Secretary14679.07 Gorkowicz14679.79 on14679.79 that.14679.95 But14681.23 I14681.55 do14681.79 know14681.95 that14682.19 that14682.43 has14682.59 been14682.75 a14683.15 source14684.35 of14684.83 the14685.15 supplemental14685.31 funding14685.95 that14686.38 we've14686.38 needed14686.61 to14686.86 date.14687.66 And14688.86 it's14689.1 been14689.42 very14689.58 helpful14689.9 in14690.3 helping14691.26 us14691.66 meet14691.9 this14692.22 unprecedented14692.86 demand.14693.58 You14694.3 know,14694.38 if14694.53 you14694.69 think14694.77 back14695.1 about14695.42 a14695.66 year14695.73 and14695.9 a14696.06 half14696.14 ago,14696.3 we14696.53 were14696.69 seeing14696.94 100014697.26 families14697.66 a14698.22 month14698.3 arriving14699.02 at14699.5 the14699.58 front14699.66 door14699.98 of14700.14 the14700.22 EA14700.38 system.14700.69 We14701.45 all14701.69 read14701.85 the14702.01 stories14702.25 about14702.65 emergency14702.97 rooms14703.61 filled14704.33 with14704.57 families,14704.81 the14705.45 waiting14705.61 areas14706.01 at14706.33 Logan14706.49 Airport.14707.05 That14707.85 no14708.17 longer14708.33 is14708.65 the14708.81 case.14708.97 And14709.85 so14710.09 by14710.89 many14711.05 of14711.29 the14711.37 actions14711.53 the14711.85 governor's14712.01 already14712.49 taken14712.81 and14713.13 some14713.29 of14713.45 the14713.61 new14713.69 reforms14713.93 that14714.33 were14714.57 in14714.65 the14714.81 supplemental,14714.97 continuing14716.4 to14716.88 drive14717.12 that14717.6 demand14717.92 piece14718.4 down14718.8 and14719.36 able14719.6 to14719.84 focus14719.92 a14720.24 little14720.32 less14720.64 on14720.88 the14721.03 front14721.12 door14721.36 and14721.6 a14721.76 little14721.84 more14722.08 on14722.24 the14722.4 back14722.56 door.14722.8
14723.6 And14723.6 we've14723.84 transitioned14724.56 from14725.03 about14725.36 10014725.76 exits14726.16 a14726.95 month14727.12 to14727.44 now14727.6 70014727.92 exits14728.48 a14728.88 month.14728.95 And14729.64 those14729.8 families14730.04 are14730.44 exiting14730.6 to14731.16 permanent14731.4 housing,14731.96 which14732.28 is14732.44 where14732.6 they14732.84 wanna14733 be14733.24 and14733.64 where14733.88 we14734.04 want14734.28 them14734.44 to14734.68 be14734.76 as14735 a14735.16 system.14735.32 That's14735.64 better14735.88 for14736.2 the14736.36 families14736.52 and14737 certainly14737.32 better14737.72 for14738.04 the14738.28 taxpayers14739 of14739.56 the14739.64 Commonwealth.14739.8 So14740.84 some14741.24 of14741.4 the14741.56 changes14741.72 and14742.12 the14742.28 reforms14742.44 that14742.92 were14743.08 in14743.32 the14743.56 supplemental,14743.88 we14745.23 do14745.48 think14745.64 are14745.95 gonna14746.11 help14746.44 us14746.6 realize14747.4 additional,14747.95 but14749.23 we14749.4 are14749.64 in14749.79 a14749.88 transition14750.03 period14750.6 as14750.92 we14751.16 just14751.32 start14751.72 implementing14752.03 some14752.68 of14752.84 those14752.92 changes14753.16 and14754.27 see14754.6 the14754.84 impacts14755 that14755.72 they're14755.88 gonna14756.11 have.14756.35 But14756.51 we14756.68 do14756.92 expect14757.07 to14757.56 see14757.72 the14758.44 cost14758.6 of14758.92 the14759 system14759.16 come14759.56 down,14759.79 as14760.93 well14761.09 as14761.25 the14761.57 quality14761.73 of14762.13 the14762.37 programming14762.61 that14763.73 we're14763.81 providing14764.13 and14764.45 the14764.69 supports14764.77 that14765.09 we're14765.25 providing14765.49 to14765.97 the14766.05 families,14766.21 in14767.33 hands.14767.49
14769.17 Sure.14769.17
14771.01 SPEAKER214771.01 -14771.01 Thank14771.01 you,14771.33 representative14771.57 Kearns.14772.37
14778.32 KEARNS14778.32 -14778.32 Thank14778.32 you,14778.56 Madam14779.27 Chair.14780 Good14780 to14780.24 see14780.32 you,14780.56 secretary.14780.64 Appreciate14782.16 the14782.64 work14782.8 of14783.19 your14783.68 staff.14783.92 I've14784.4 shared14784.64 my14785.36 thoughts14785.6 over14786.32 the14786.56 course14786.64 of14786.95 the14787.12 last14787.27 several14787.52 months14787.84 on14789.13 both14789.29 the14789.69 efforts14790.33 around14790.65 shelter.14790.97 But14791.61 my14791.77 question14792.01 slash14794.17 statement14794.89 is,14795.45 I14797.45 represent14797.69 Middleton.14798.17 Tiny14799.45 town,14801.48 no14801.95 MBTA14801.95 access14802.68 that14803.16 is14803.4 meaningful.14803.64 Really14804.36 none.14804.68 2014806.51 minute14806.84 drive14807.23 to14807.64 a14807.8 train14807.95 stop.14808.27 I14808.84 guess14809 they14809.23 could14809.48 drive14809.72 another14810.11 1514810.68 minutes14811.56 to14812.44 get14812.6 to14812.84 a14813 bus.14813.16 Can14815.08 you14815.23 please14815.48 assure14817 me14817.4 and14819.16 perhaps14819.4 share14820.04 some14820.36 steps14820.76 that14821.48 you14821.72 and14822.36 your14822.6 team14822.84 are14823.24 taking14823.48 to14824.84 help14825.08 a14825.48 town14825.64 like14826.04 Middleton14826.28 get14828.12 through14828.44 this14828.68 process?14829 I14829.72 think14829.88 they14830.28 would14830.44 like14831.03 to14831.28 comply.14831.52 I14832 have14832.24 other14832.48 small14832.8 towns,14833.12 I14833.36 know14833.52 Rep14834.08 Kassner14834.56 has14834.56 small14834.72 towns.14834.95 These14835.76 smaller14836.08 towns14836.56 need14837.12 you14838.24 to14838.48 work14838.64 with14839.19 them.14839.52 I'm14840.8 wondering14840.95 to14841.44 what14841.6 extent14841.76 is14842.08 that14842.24 happening,14842.48 and14842.8 can14842.95 you14843.12 share14843.28 any14843.52 details?14843.68 Thank14844.16 you.14844.4
14845.2 AUGUSTUS14845.2 -14845.2 Thank14845.2 you,14845.44 representative,14845.68 through14846.56 you,14846.8 through14847.28 the14847.52 chair.14847.68 Representative,14849.68 I14851.04 think14851.12 we14851.36 have14851.6 tried14851.92 to14852.16 work14852.32 with14852.64 our14853.12 communities,14853.36 and14853.76 we14853.92 continue14854.08 to14854.48 stand14854.64 ready14854.88 to14855.2 do14855.28 that.14855.52 We've14856.4 provided14856.64 $7.814857.36 million14859.12 of14859.12 grants14859.28 and14859.68 technical14859.84 assistance14860.59 to14861.72 15714862.03 of14863.08 the14863.24 17714863.4 MBTA14864.92 communities.14865.64 To14866.76 my14866.92 knowledge,14867.15 no14867.64 community14867.88 has14868.52 requested14869.24 a14869.72 grant14869.8 that14870.11 hasn't14870.28 been14870.59 given14870.76 one14871.08 or14871.4 technical14871.64 assistance.14872.11 So,14872.68 we14873.72 stand14874.03 as14874.96 partners14875.2 with14875.6 our14875.84 local14876.08 communities14876.56 to14877.52 help14877.68 them14877.92 comply14878.32 with14879.68 the14879.92 zoning14880.08 changes14880.48 that14880.96 are14881.04 called14881.2 for14881.44 by14881.68 the14881.92 MBTA14882 Communities14882.56 Act.14883.12 And14884.16 we14884.4 wanna14884.56 be14884.88 as14884.96 reasonable14885.68 and14886.24 flexible14886.4 as14886.96 the14887.12 law14887.2 law14887.45 allows14887.61 us14887.85 to14887.98 be14888.09 in14888.98 supporting14889.22 these14889.61 communities.14889.94 And14890.42 a14890.82 few14890.9 things14891.22 that14891.38 we've14891.53 done,14891.85 I14892.66 think14892.82 you're14892.98 familiar,14894.42 we14894.5 created14894.5 the14894.9 MBTA14894.98 catalyst14895.61 fund.14896.18 That's14896.58 a14896.9 capital14897.14 program14897.78 that14898.66 has14898.9 communities14899.22 create14900.26 their14900.58 zones14900.82 to14901.82 the14902.06 extent14902.22 that14902.62 housing14902.94 is14905.42 built14905.66 in14905.98 those14906.14 zones14906.38 that14906.86 requires14907.1 some14907.82 infrastructure14908.7 improvements,14909.42 maybe14910.06 a14910.3 new14910.46 sidewalk,14910.7 a14911.26 traffic14911.42 signal,14911.98 water14913.1 sewer14913.5 hookups.14913.82 We14914.38 now14914.54 have14914.78 a14914.94 grant14915.1 program14915.42 that14915.82 is14916.06 only14916.3 available14916.62 to14917.26 MBTA14917.5 compliant14918.17 communities14918.73 for14919.77 projects14920.09 within14920.65 MBTA14921.13 zones.14921.77
14922.73 So14922.73 we14923.29 see14923.53 that14923.77 as14924.17 us14924.41 listening14924.65 to14925.05 communities,14925.2 hearing14925.85 some14926.17 of14926.33 their14926.49 concerns,14926.65 hearing14927.53 some14927.93 of14928.01 their14928.17 challenges,14928.41 and14929.61 trying14929.77 to14930.09 come14930.17 up14930.41 with14930.65 new14930.97 tools14931.2 that14931.97 we14932.13 can14932.29 partner14932.45 with14932.85 them14933.01 on14933.25 those14933.41 legitimate14933.65 concerns14934.29 so14935.09 that14935.25 we14935.41 can14935.49 reach14935.73 our14935.97 common14936.53 goal14936.85 of14937.49 getting14937.73 the14938.29 housing14938.45 that14938.77 we14938.93 need14939.01 for14939.25 all14939.49 the14939.57 reasons14939.73 we've14940.05 discussed14940.37 already14940.77 but14942.45 helping14942.69 communities14943.17 that,14943.81 you14944.37 know,14944.53 sometimes14944.77 don't14945.33 have14945.57 the14945.73 capacity14946.85 at14947.33 the14947.49 local14947.65 level14948.05 or14948.6 concern14949.17 about14949.65 some14949.97 of14950.13 the14950.29 costs14950.6 of14951.25 actually14951.57 building14951.97 the14952.29 housing.14952.44 We14952.85 wanna14953.01 be14953.25 partners,14953.41 and14953.73 we've14953.89 tried14954.05 to14954.29 demonstrate14954.44 that.14954.85 We14955.01 continue14955.25 to14955.73 be14956.13 willing14956.29 to14956.6 work14956.69 with14956.85 communities14957.17 to14957.65 help14957.81 them14957.97 get14958.2 there.14958.36
14960.14 KEARNS14960.14 -14960.14 Thank14960.14 you.14960.38 Hope14960.7 it14960.94 continues.14961.1 Thank14961.66 you.14961.9
14963.98 SPEAKER214963.98 -14963.98 Senator14963.98 Doona.14964.46
14968.38 DOONER14968.38 -14968.38 Thank14968.38 you,14968.7 Madam14969.34 Chair.14969.58 And14969.58 I14969.66 just14969.74 wanna14969.98 quickly14970.3 echo14970.86 Rep14971.66 Kearn's14973.42 remarks.14973.42 I've14974.38 been14974.61 on14974.85 the14975.02 emails14975.18 with14975.58 some14975.82 of14975.98 my14976.14 communities14976.3 that14976.94 are14977.18 trying.14977.5 And14977.98 if14978.14 this14979.26 is14979.5 our14979.74 way14980.06 of14980.38 trying,14980.69 I14981.09 would14981.26 just14981.42 ask14981.65 that14981.82 we14982.3 try14982.45 to14982.61 go14982.77 the14983.02 extra14983.26 mile14983.65 a14984.21 little14984.38 bit14984.61 further14984.85 to14985.18 help14985.42 those14985.65 communities14985.98 comply,14986.53 especially14987.02 the14988.33 small14988.49 ones14988.73 such14989.05 like14989.21 Middleton,14989.53 Berkeley14990.09 with,14990.57 you14990.81 know,14990.97 they're14991.37 just14991.53 very,14991.85 very14992.09 tiny.14992.25 But14993.05 back14993.29 to14993.45 my14993.61 actual14993.93 question14994.25 with14994.57 the14994.81 budget.14994.89 For14996.97 line14997.93 item14998.25 7004-009,14998.73 I15001.85 don't15002.01 expect15002.33 you15002.65 to15002.81 have15002.89 this15003.05 information15003.29 handy,15004.86 but15005.1 if15005.1 you15005.26 could15005.43 get15005.67 back15005.82 to15006.07 me15006.23 relatively15006.55 soon15007.51 on15007.99 the15008.23 safety15008.38 net15009.02 line15009.75 item,15010.14 specifically15012.14 with15013.02 7004-0101,15013.51 which15016.78 is15017.02 a15017.26 subsection15017.58 of15018.23 what15018.46 I15018.7 just15018.86 see,15019.34 0099.15020.68 My15023.96 concern15024.28 with15025.56 the15025.8 safety15025.96 net15026.44 item15026.68 is15027.16 just15027.4 that's15028.68 a15028.92 very15029.08 large15029.4 item15029.88 for15030.36 $56515035.22 million.15035.53 Just15035.53 if15035.53 you15035.69 could15035.78 break15036.02 that15036.26 down15036.58 a15036.82 little15036.98 bit15037.22 further,15037.69 whether15038.1 it's15038.42 housing,15038.66 food,15039.14 transportation,15039.53 education.15040.18 I15040.82 just15040.9 think15041.14 having15041.94 a15042.18 line15042.34 item15042.66 that15043.06 large15043.3 without15044.74 having15045.14 a15045.45 breakdown15045.61 of15046.26 how15047.17 you're15047.33 coming15047.57 up15047.65 with15047.89 that15048.13 safety15048.37 net15048.69 number,15050.05 I15051.09 think15051.17 it15051.41 could15051.65 just15051.81 be,15051.97 like,15052.13 a15052.29 little15052.45 bit15052.69 more15052.85 transparent.15053.17
15054.61 AUGUSTUS15054.61 -15054.61 We're15054.61 happy15054.93 to15055.17 get15055.33 back15055.49 to15055.65 you15055.81 with15055.89 that.15056.13
15056.45 DOONER15056.45 -15056.45 Thank15056.45 you.15056.69
15060.69 SPEAKER215060.69 -15060.69 Next15060.69 is15061.09 representative15061.57 Holmes.15062.29
15066.91 HOLMES15066.91 -15066.91 Thank15066.91 you,15067.07 Mr.15069.55 Secretary.15070.27 Mr.15070.27 Secretary,15070.27 thanks15070.27 for15070.59 last15071.31 year's15071.55 testimony15071.86 and15072.51 your15072.67 2515073.63 years15074.11 of15074.43 great15074.51 service15074.67 here15074.99 in15075.15 the15075.23 Commonwealth,15075.31 and15075.79 the15075.94 House15076.11 and15076.35 all15076.51 of15076.67 the15076.83 other15076.91 places.15077.15 I15078.35 don't15078.55 know,15078.79 Mr.15079.59 Secretary,15079.99 if15079.99 you15080.15 got15080.23 the15081.11 question15081.27 I15081.59 was15081.67 gonna15081.83 ask15081.99 you15082.15 from15082.23 the15082.39 governor15082.55 or15082.79 not,15082.87 so15083.03 I15083.19 wanted15083.27 to15083.43 make15083.59 sure15083.67 I15083.91
15084.15 AUGUSTUS15084.15 -15084.15 She15084.15 told15084.39 me15084.71 so.15084.87 I'm15085.35 ready.15085.43
15085.83 HOLMES15085.83 -15085.83 Yeah.15085.83 I'm15085.99 coming15086.23 your15086.55 way.15086.71 I15087.35 told15087.51 her15087.75 I15087.83 was15087.91 in15088.07 particular,15088.23 but15088.63 I'm15088.75 gonna15088.87 only15089.19 give15089.35 one15089.59 question.15089.83 It'll15090.71 be15090.95 loaded,15091.19 not15092.89 as15093.14 loaded15093.3 as15093.69 the15093.85 as15095.14 minority15095.45 leader.15096.01 But,15096.26 my15097.3 big15098.09 concern15098.42 has15098.89 been15099.06 we15100.18 as15100.42 a15100.65 Commonwealth15100.74 has15101.38 said,15101.53 yeah,15102.26 we've15102.5 done15102.5 great15102.82 with15103.69 this15103.94 millionaire's15104.18 tax.15105.06 And15105.21 we've15105.21 been15105.38 able15105.61 to15105.85 add15106.01 some15107.3 funds15107.54 for15107.62 education,15107.94 some15109.06 funds15109.3 for15109.54 transportation,15111.78 but15112.1 the15112.1 place15112.34 where15112.58 we're15112.9 killing15113.14 ourselves15113.86 is15114.26 housing.15114.5 And15115.62 we15115.86 need15116.02 a,15116.42 it'd15116.9 be15117.06 great15117.14 if15117.3 we15117.46 can15117.54 get15117.78 another15117.94 billion.15118.18 I15118.58 mean,15118.74 obviously,15118.9 we'd15119.3 expect15119.46 215120.29 billion,15120.69 but15120.69 we've15120.93 gotten15121.09 a15121.33 billion15121.41 each15121.89 year15122.2 for15122.61 housing,15122.77 I15123.25 mean,15123.33 for15123.49 transportation15123.73 and15124.29 education.15124.44 It'd15125.57 be15125.73 great15125.81 if15126.05 we15126.2 could15126.29 do15126.36 something15126.53 similar15126.85 for15127.17 housing.15127.25 And15127.57 one15127.73 of15127.89 the15128.05 things15128.13 that15128.36 came15128.53 up15128.69 in15128.85 Ways15129.01 and15129.25 Means15129.49 last15129.81 week15130.05 was15130.85 a15131.01 dedicated15131.17 215131.73 and15131.97 a15132.05 half15132.2 percent15132.44 towards15132.93 the15134.36 endowments15134.53 that15135.63 might15135.79 generate15135.95 another15136.51 billion15136.99 that15137.39 could15137.63 be15137.87 used15137.95 for15139.47 housing.15139.71 I15140.59 said15140.75 the15140.99 housing15141.15 piece,15141.47 they15141.63 had15141.79 some15141.95 other15142.11 things15142.27 inside15142.51 the15142.83 bill.15142.99
15144.11 My15144.11 big15144.35 question15144.59 has15145.15 been,15145.47 as15146.83 I15147.07 go15147.31 your15147.55 page15147.79 4615148.19 of15148.67 the15148.83 summary,15148.99 I'm15149.47 thinking15149.63 what15150.03 has15150.27 happened15150.51 is,15150.83 I15151.91 take15152.07 public15152.39 housing15152.7 program,15153.43 and15153.91 it15154.07 says15154.15 the15154.39 average15154.63 cost15154.94 is15155.67 about15155.91 $2,78115156.23 a15158.87 year15159.03 per15159.51 unit.15159.75 When15160.87 I15161.11 did15161.19 my15161.35 math,15161.51 I15161.75 just15161.91 took15162.07 the15162.31 12515162.7 million15163.51 divided15163.51 by15163.83 43,000.15163.99 I15164.87 came15165.03 to15165.51 about15165.67 2,800,15165.91 So15167.01 about15167.17 that15167.41 number.15167.65 And15168.13 I'm15168.37 thinking15168.53 you15168.77 did15168.93 the15169.09 same15169.17 thing15169.41 for15169.65 MRVP,15171.73 you15171.89 did15171.89 the15172.05 thing15172.21 for,15172.53 AHVP,15174.05 and15174.45 that's15174.61 how15174.77 you15174.93 got15175.09 to15175.25 these15175.49 approximations.15176.13 I'm15176.69 assuming15176.85 you15177.25 just15177.33 take15177.49 the15177.65 number15177.73 from15178.05 the15178.21 budget15178.37 and15178.85 divide15179.01 it15179.25 by15179.33 how15179.41 many15179.57 people15179.73 you15179.97 serve.15180.13 Did15180.37 that?15180.61 Okay.15182.32 So15182.48 nothing15183.76 is15184.08 more15184.24 effective15184.56 than15185.04 public15185.19 housing15185.6 at15186.32 $2,700,15186.72 you15188.88 know,15189.04 per15189.35 unit.15189.68
15190.8 All15190.8 I'm15191.04 asking15191.19 is,15191.52 what15191.68 I15191.84 keep15191.92 asking,15192.08 I15192.4 hope15192.48 you15192.64 have15192.8 the15192.95 answer15193.04 now,15193.6 of15193.76 the15193.76 43,55815193.84 units15196.5 that15197.06 we15197.3 brag15197.54 about15197.86 having,15198.98 how15200.26 many15200.42 of15200.66 those15200.74 are15201.06 actually15201.22 vacant?15201.7 And15203.14 then15203.3 how15203.94 much15204.18 would15204.5 it15204.66 cost?15204.82 Madam15205.22 Secretary,15205.78 if15206.34 you15206.42 recall15206.5 when15207.3 Chelsea15207.54 fell15208.02 apart15208.26 and15208.58 we15208.82 did15208.98 the15209.22 whole15209.3 public15209.94 housing15210.26 commission,15212.32 we15213.19 were15213.44 able15213.68 to15213.92 get15214.16 to15214.48 spending15215.11 money15215.52 to15216.56 get15216.72 as15217.11 many15217.28 units15217.6 as15218.16 possible15218.4 online15219.04 by15219.52 spending15219.68 50,00015220.16 or15220.8 less.15220.95 And15221.52 that's15221.68 how15221.84 we15222 got15222.08 as15222.32 many15222.4 units15222.64 we15222.95 could15223.11 online15223.28 at15223.68 the15223.84 time.15224 Since15225.15 nothing's15225.31 more15225.79 effective15226.03 than15226.59 these15226.75 housing15227.07 units,15227.39 how15229.15 many15229.31 are15229.63 offline?15229.87 How15231.07 much15231.23 would15231.47 it15231.63 take15231.71 to15232.03 get15232.19 them15232.35 online?15232.67 And15233.71 do15233.95 we15234.11 know15234.27 where15234.43 they15234.67 are15234.83 across15235.07 the15235.55 state?15235.71
15237.95 AUGUSTUS15237.95 -15237.95 It's15237.95 a15238.27 multipronged15239.47 answer15240.19 but15240.59 I'm15240.83 gonna15240.91 do15241.15 the15241.23 best15241.39 I15241.63 can15241.7 to15242.03 tackle.15242.19 There's15242.51 about15242.75 2,20015243.07 units15244.75 that15245.23 are15245.39 vacant,15245.55 at15246.43 this15246.59 particular15246.83 time.15247.39 A15249.39 decent15249.47 number15249.86 of15250.19 those,15250.27 and15250.43 we15250.59 can15250.75 get15250.91 you15251.15 a15251.47 follow-up15251.63 with15252.03 the15252.27 exact15252.35 numbers,15252.75 are15253.71 units15254.03 that15254.35 are15254.51 vacant15254.67 because15255.15 the15255.63 public15256.27 housing15256.59 is15256.91 being15257.07 repositioned.15257.47 In15258.43 other15258.59 words,15258.83 we're15259.15 gonna15259.23 tear15259.55 down15259.79 some15260.11 of15260.27 the15260.43 existing15260.51 public15261.07 housing,15261.31 build15261.79 back15262.11 new15262.99 public15263.31 housing15263.71 units15264.03 as15264.43 well15264.67 as15264.91 often15265.47 workforce15266.81 and15267.44 market15267.77 rate15268.08 units,15268.4 mixed15268.96 income15269.36 areas.15270.01 We're15270.4 doing15270.64 this15270.89 in15271.13 multiple15271.28 locations15271.84 across15272.33 the15272.64 state.15272.81 We've15273.13 got15273.28 two15273.52 large15274.17 projects15274.49 in15275.05 Worcester15275.69 that15276.49 are15276.64 underway.15276.81 We've15277.36 got15277.6 the15278.58 last15278.82 phase15279.06 of15279.46 Old15279.7 Colony15280.02 in15280.42 South15280.98 Boston.15281.22 We're15281.7 getting15281.94 ready15282.18 to15282.5 start15282.66 Mary15282.9 Ellen15283.14 McCormick15283.54 also15284.58 in15284.9 South15285.06 Boston.15285.38 Chelsea15286.18 has15286.82 very15287.22 much15287.46 embraced15288.18 this15288.74 strategy.15288.98 So15289.7 there15289.86 are15290.02 literally15290.26 hundreds15290.58 of15290.98 units15291.14 that15291.54 are15291.7 purposefully15292.19 vacant15292.84 because15293.64 we15293.88 knew15294.11 we15294.84 were15295 gonna15295.16 be15295.4 tearing15295.56 down15295.88 these15296.11 units.15296.36
15296.68 And15296.68 so15296.84 at15297.56 some15297.8 period15298.04 before15298.6 they15299 were15299.16 gonna15299.32 come15299.56 offline,15299.8 we15300.28 stopped15300.52 back15300.84 filling15301.08 them15301.4 so15301.56 there'd15301.72 be15301.95 less15302.11 families15302.36 who15302.84 would15303 have15303.16 to15303.32 be15303.4 relocated15303.64 to15304.28 hotels15304.44 for15304.92 periods15305.08 of15305.4 time.15305.56 So15305.95 that's15306.19 short15307.81 term15308.13 pain15308.45 for15308.77 long15309.09 term15309.41 gain.15310.37 And15310.53 that15310.53 we'll15310.69 have15310.85 brand15311.17 new15311.41 units15311.65 with15312.53 the15313.09 latest15313.25 kind15313.89 of15314.13 green15314.37 technologies15314.85 and15315.65 benefits15315.89 that15316.29 come15316.53 with15316.61 those15316.85 units.15317.09 Some15318.45 of15318.69 the15318.85 vacancies15319.01 had15319.81 to15320.05 do15320.29 with15320.53 the15321.17 CHAMP15321.56 system.15321.88 We15322.76 have15322.92 made15323.15 significant15323.63 increases.15324.83 And15325.32 you15325.32 may15325.48 know,15325.71 I'm15325.95 trying15326.19 to15326.35 visit15326.51 every15326.92 housing15327.15 authority15327.56 in15327.88 the15328.03 state.15328.11 I've15328.44 been15328.59 to15328.76 9915328.92 of15329.39 them15329.56 so15329.88 far15330.11 of15330.76 the15330.92 232.15331.15 And15334.5 as15334.82 I've15334.9 talked15335.14 to15335.38 executive15335.62 directors,15336.1 members15337.94 of15338.42 the15338.58 boards,15339.38 I'm15340.34 hearing15340.58 significant15341.22 reductions15342.58 in15343.14 the15343.3 amount15343.46 of15343.7 time15343.86 it15344.1 takes15344.34 through15344.82 the15345.06 CHAMP15345.22 system15345.78 to15346.58 actually15347.19 fill15347.59 units15347.91 that15348.31 become15348.55 vacant15348.86 because15349.59 we15349.91 now15350.15 are15350.94 doing15351.03 centralized15351.43 screening.15351.99
15352.86 So15352.86 the15353.03 preferences15353.27 that15353.99 folks,15354.31 or15354.63 the15354.86 priorities15355.51 that15356.07 folks15356.23 might15356.55 be15356.7 eligible15356.94 for15357.43 if15357.67 they're15357.83 homeless15358.07 or15358.47 they're15358.63 veteran,15358.86 that15359.91 isn't15360.15 being15360.47 left15360.79 to15361.2 the15361.52 responsibility15361.76 of15362.4 local15362.56 housing15362.8 authorities,15363.2 which15363.6 are15363.76 often15363.92 so15364.72 poorly15365.76 staffed15366.24 that15366.72 they15366.96 just15367.12 can't15367.36 manage15367.68 those15368.16 list15368.56 pools.15368.88 So15369.36 we're15369.6 taking15369.84 on15370.16 that15370.32 responsibility.15371.2 And15371.36 we're15371.36 seeing15371.6 quicker15372.4 filling15373.36 of15373.68 those15373.84 vacant15374.08 units15374.48 and15375.3 we're15375.45 seeing15375.69 higher15376.02 percentages15376.34 of15376.98 locals15377.22 getting15377.69 those15378.02 units.15378.26 So15378.58 we're15378.73 back15378.98 up15379.22 to15379.37 6515380.02 to15380.58 70%15380.73 of15381.69 locals15381.94 getting15382.42 those15382.73 available15383.06 units.15383.53 The15384.26 third15384.49 thing15384.73 we're15384.98 doing15385.61 is15385.94 we're15386.1 getting15386.34 ready15386.66 to15387.06 start15388.4 a15388.72 new15388.8 pilot.15389.04 We15389.44 just15389.6 put15389.76 out15390 a15390.16 request15390.32 for15390.72 proposals,15390.88 got15391.44 that15391.6 back.15391.84 We're15392.08 gonna15392.24 stand15392.56 up15392.8 two15393.04 regional15394.16 kind15395.28 of15395.52 SWAT15395.92 teams,15396.24 if15396.64 you15396.72 will,15396.96 that15397.68 are15397.84 gonna15398 be15398.24 additional15398.64 maintenance15399.28 and15400.32 skilled15400.64 laborers.15401.12
15401.92 We're15401.92 gonna15402.16 be15402.48 located15402.64 in15403.78 two15403.85 larger15404.26 housing15404.66 authorities15405.06 that15405.78 will15406.02 be15406.18 deployed15406.5 to15407.45 smaller15407.61 housing15408.02 authorities.15408.5 And15410.02 as15410.5 I've15410.66 been15410.82 out15410.98 to15411.14 these15411.22 housing15411.38 authorities,15411.69 I've15412.1 seen15412.26 some15412.58 housing15412.74 authorities15413.06 with15413.54 one15413.78 maintenance15414.02 person15414.42 or15414.98 115415.3 and15415.45 a15415.54 half15415.69 maintenance15415.94 people.15416.42 If15418 one15418.24 person15418.48 is15418.8 out15418.96 injured15419.2 on15419.6 duty,15419.68 or15420.08 vacation,15420.32 or15420.8 paternity15421.04 leave,15421.84 then15422.32 you're15422.56 down15422.8 50%15423.12 or15423.76 down15423.92 %15424.24 of15424.96 the15425.04 person15425.2 who15425.6 turns15425.84 over15426.24 units.15426.56 Add15427.76 to15428 that15428.16 if15428.56 you've15428.72 got15428.96 winter15429.2 storm15429.68 and15429.92 that15430.16 same15430.32 person15430.56 is15430.96 plowing15431.2 or15431.6 doing15431.84 the15432.08 other15432.24 things15432.48 that15432.8 are15433.12 necessary.15433.28 We15434.01 just15434.17 don't15434.33 have15434.57 enough15434.73 staff15435.05 in15435.36 these15435.6 places15435.77 to15436.24 keep15436.41 up.15436.57 And15436.97 every15437.2 once15437.36 in15437.6 a15437.73 while,15437.85 we15438.17 get,15438.41 like,15438.57 a15439.53 particularly15439.6 large15440.57 number15440.89 of15441.12 vacancies15441.28 at15441.77 one15441.93 time15442.09 or15442.33 the15442.57 units,15442.73 you15443.36 know,15443.53 that15443.69 need15443.85 a15444.09 lot15444.17 of15444.33 work15444.48 and15444.73 they're15444.97 not15445.12 just15445.28 a15445.53 paint15445.6 job,15446.24 they're15446.57 much15446.57 more15446.81 involved15447.05 in15447.44 the15447.6 turnover.15447.85
15449.1 So15449.1 we15449.34 wanna15449.5 be15449.74 able15449.9 to15450.14 surge15450.3 these15450.78 additional15451.1 staff15452.22 out15452.78 to15452.94 those15453.18 smaller,15453.66 less15454.54 well15454.86 staffed,15455.98 more15456.3 particularly15456.3 staffing15457.58 challenged15458.14 housing15458.54 authorities15458.94 to15459.34 see15459.5 if15459.66 we15459.82 can15459.9 move15460.14 those15460.38 unit15460.7 turnovers15461.76 more15462.47 quickly.15462.71 And15463.76 if15463.99 that15464.16 works15464.4 in15464.71 this15464.95 pilot15465.11 program,15465.44 we15465.83 wanna15465.99 take15466.32 that15466.47 to15466.64 scale15466.8 and15467.28 create15467.52 more15467.83 of15468.16 those15468.32 around15468.71 the15469.03 state15469.19 so15469.52 that15469.68 we15469.83 can15469.99 really15470.23 kind15470.95 of15471.19 supplement15472.47 the15473.11 staffing15473.28 at15473.76 some15473.92 of15474.16 our15474.32 smaller15474.47 housing15474.87 authorities.15475.28 I15476.81 guess15476.97 the15477.13 fourth15477.29 thing15477.53 I15477.69 would15477.77 add15478.01 is15478.17 what15478.49 I15478.73 talked15478.89 about15479.13 in15479.37 my15479.53 testimony.15479.69 We15480.57 need15480.73 to15480.97 continue15481.13 to15481.61 try15481.77 to15482.01 invest15482.17 in15482.65 the15482.89 subsidy15483.05 because15483.69 the15484.09 subsidy15484.25 that15484.81 we15484.97 provide15485.21 and15486.01 the15486.17 rents15486.33 are15486.97 the15487.13 only15487.29 two15487.61 things15487.85 that15488.17 really15488.33 go15488.65 to15488.81 how15488.97 many15489.13 people15489.37 are15489.69 working15489.85 there.15490.17 At15490.65 the15490.81 end15490.89 of15491.12 the15491.2 day,15491.36 to15492.09 paint15492.17 the15492.48 unit,15492.57 to15492.97 put15493.05 the15493.28 new15493.53 appliances15494.41 in,15495.05 to15495.28 do15495.44 the15495.6 repairs,15495.77 is15496.72 people.15497.05 You15497.84 need15498.01 the15498.24 staff15498.41 or15498.72 you15498.89 need15499.05 the15499.2 dollars15500.09 to15500.57 contract15500.81 with15501.28 the15501.44 skilled15501.6 workers15501.93 to15502.65 do15502.81 that15502.97 and15503.12 get15503.28 those15503.53 units15503.77 back15504.09 online.15504.33 But15504.72 it15505.27 is15505.51 a15505.75 very15505.99 high15506.39 priority15506.63 of15507.11 mine15507.27 as15507.83 is15508.07 public15508.23 housing.15508.55 I'm15508.87 trying15509.11 to15509.43 literally15510.31 not15510.79 just15510.95 read15511.19 about15511.43 it15511.75 in15511.99 the15512.07 office,15512.23 but15512.63 physically15513.03 look15513.83 at15514.07 units,15514.23 walk15514.87 through15515.11 with15515.43 the15516.31 maintenance15516.47 staff15517.43 as15517.75 well15517.99 as15518.15 the15518.31 other15518.47 staff15518.71 so15519.27 I15519.51 can15519.59 really15519.83 educate15520.15 myself15520.63 on15520.95 what's15521.25 needed.15521.41 And15521.65 we're15521.73 trying15521.97 to15522.2 bring15522.29 some15522.53 of15522.77 those15522.85 lessons15523.09 back15523.57 to15524.05 what15524.2 we're15524.36 doing15524.6 day15524.93 in15525.09 and15525.25 day15525.41 out.15525.57
15526.2 HOLMES15526.2 -15526.2 Alright.15526.2 I15526.53 think15526.6 I15526.85 have15527.01 a15527.17 follow-up.15527.33 I15528.05 think15528.13 that15528.44 was15528.6 allowed.15528.85 So15529.89 is15530.36 one15530.6 of15530.85 the15531.09 9915532.93 you15533.49 visited,15533.73 is15534.97 one15535.21 of15535.53 them15535.69 Fall15536.57 River?15536.89 The15537.29 reason15537.37 I15537.69 ask15537.85 is15538.57 because15538.73 if15539.05 you15539.21 haven't,15539.45 Maple15540.65 Gardens,15541.13 which15541.69 is15541.85 where15541.93 my15542.17 sister15543.05 lives,15543.45 there's15544.01 two15544.41 buildings15544.73 that15545.61 are15545.85 literally15545.93 empty15546.33 at15546.65 this15546.81 moment15546.97 that15548.24 she15549.44 said15549.69 she15549.93 had15550.08 moved15550.24 in15550.48 one15550.65 of15550.81 them,15550.89 and15551.12 then15551.28 they15551.44 moved15551.6 her15551.93 back15552.08 into15552.24 an15552.96 older15553.2 building.15553.53 And15554.48 so15554.72 if15554.96 you15555.2 haven't15555.44 visited15555.77 Fall15556.24 River,15556.48 can15557.36 you15557.6 please15557.77 find15558.32 out15558.57 why15560.08 those15560.41 units15560.65 are15561.05 offline?15561.05 Because15561.44 they15561.69 seem15561.84 to15562.08 be15562.17 newer15562.41 than15562.72 the15562.89 units15563.05 that15563.44 people15564.14 are15564.46 actually15564.62 in.15565.1 And15567.5 as15567.74 you're15567.9 doing15568.06 that,15568.3 just15568.62 the15568.94 other15569.1 part15569.34 of15569.66 the15569.98 bonding15570.38 money,15570.86 since15571.82 we15572.06 don't15572.22 have15572.46 a15572.7 dedicated15572.86 revenue15573.34 at15573.74 this15573.9 moment,15574.06 will15575.02 you15575.26 be15575.5 pushing15575.74 hard15576.38 to15576.86 get15576.94 the15577.75 bonding15577.99 money,15578.55 not15579.03 just15579.27 the,15579.51 of15579.91 course,15580.07 we15580.23 wanna15580.47 repair15581.03 some15581.51 of15581.67 the15581.83 older15581.91 units,15582.23 but15582.94 pushing15583.19 hard15583.59 out15583.83 of15583.99 that15584.07 bonding15584.31 money15584.78 to15585.35 get15585.43 these,15585.67 because15585.99 we15586.31 actually15586.55 only15586.86 have15587.1 what,15587.27 you're15587.43 saying15587.59 to15587.83 me15587.99 is15588.15 we15588.47 don't15588.63 have15588.78 43,558.15588.94 We15591.1 actually15591.27 have15591.59 41,238.15593.78 That's15594.82 what15594.98 we're15595.14 actually15595.38 saying.15595.7 Correct?15596.18
15597.62 AUGUSTUS15597.62 -15597.62 The15597.62 units15598.02 are15598.5 there15598.58 or15598.9 they're15599.06 in15599.3 process15599.54 of15599.94 being15600.1 restored15600.42 because15600.9 they're15601.14 gonna15601.3 be15601.46 replaced.15601.62 So15601.94 the15602.18 buildings15602.26 are15602.66 torn15602.74 down15603.06 so15603.22 we15603.38 haven't15603.54 taken15603.86 those15604.1 units15604.42 out.15604.82 But15605.06 they're15605.22 not15606.22 online15606.53 with15607.02 someone15607.18 in15607.49 them,15607.74 but15607.9 they're15608.06 in15608.22 the15608.37 process15608.45 of15608.85 being,15609.02 you15609.82 know,15610.06 built15610.94 new15611.66 with15612.06 new15612.3 buildings.15612.53 I15613.34 have15613.49 not15613.66 been15613.82 to15613.98 Fall15614.14 River15614.37 yet.15614.53 I15614.78 do15614.94 commit15615.18 to15615.49 going15615.66 and15615.98 checking15616.22 out15616.53 that15616.69 particular15616.85 building.15617.49 And15619.18 as15619.46 far15619.62 as15619.7 the15619.78 capital15620.18 investments,15620.9 I15621.3 would15621.38 tell15621.54 you15621.7 since15621.86 this15622.1 governor15622.34 has15622.98 been15623.14 in15624.18 this15624.42 position,15624.58 we've15624.98 increased15625.38 public15625.78 housing15626.18 capital15626.74 by15627.3 43%15627.46 in15628.58 the15628.9 last15628.98 two15629.3 capital15630.18 improvement,15630.58 plans,15631.54 and15632.02 I15632.26 expect15632.34 a15632.74 similar15632.9 increase15633.54 in15634.77 the15634.84 plan15634.93 that15635.24 we'll15635.41 be15635.65 putting15635.72 out15636.05 the15636.44 end15636.6 of15636.6 May15636.6 or15637.09 early15637.24 June.15637.57
15637.96 HOLMES15637.96 -15637.96 Thank15637.96 you15638.12 much.15638.2 Appreciate15638.69 it.15639.09
15641.33 SPEAKER215641.33 -15641.33 Thank15641.33 you.15641.57 Next15641.72 up,15641.96 we15642.12 have15642.28 Rep15642.44 McKenna.15642.69
15643.48 MCKENNA15643.48 -15643.48 Thank15643.48 you,15643.72 Madam15645.33 Chair.15645.81 Mr.15645.81 Secretary,15645.81 unfortunately,15645.81 Rep15647.43 Kearns15647.59 asked15647.83 much15648.31 of15648.63 my15648.71 questions,15648.87 so15649.11 I15649.27 don't15649.35 know15649.51 that15649.67 I15649.83 necessarily15650.07 need15650.55 an15650.71 answer.15650.87 Just15651.19 wanna15651.35 amplify15652.15 that15652.63 point.15652.79 And15653.03 from15653.51 my15653.75 district,15653.91 the15654.23 town15654.39 of15654.55 Sutton15654.71 is15655.27 1815655.67 minutes15656.07 of15656.55 a15656.71 drive15656.87 through15657.27 neighborhoods15657.59 and15658.15 back15658.39 roads15658.71 to15659.11 get15659.19 to15659.35 the15659.43 nearest15659.59 T15659.99 stop.15660.15 That's15660.71 not15660.95 practical15661.27 access15661.99 to15662.36 an15662.53 MBTA15662.6 station15663.33 by15664.44 any15664.69 reasonable15664.93 estimation.15665.57 And15666.2 I'd15666.6 just15666.85 like15667.17 to15667.41 point15667.49 out15667.73 that15668.05 last15668.36 week15668.6 at15668.85 our15668.93 kickoff15669.09 hearing,15669.49 we15669.81 heard15670.29 Governor15670.93 Healey15671.65 bemoan15671.65 the15672.2 actions15672.29 of15672.69 President15672.93 Trump15673.41 in15673.65 withholding15673.81 funds15674.36 or15674.69 threatening15674.85 to15675.25 withhold15675.41 funds15675.81 from15676.62 states15676.78 that15677.02 fail15677.26 to15677.58 comply15677.74 with15678.14 his15678.3 priorities,15678.54 which15679.1 I15679.82 can't15680.38 argue15680.62 against15680.94 that.15681.26 It's15681.66 problematic.15682.06 And15683.34 yet15683.58 we15683.74 see15683.98 the15684.78 Commonwealth15684.94 doing15685.98 the15686.22 same15686.38 to15686.7 communities15686.94 that15687.42 fail15687.66 to15687.98 comply15688.54 with15688.94 the15689.1 MBTA15689.9 Communities15690.46 Act.15691.02 So,15691.34 I15694.55 hope15694.63 that15694.86 we15695.03 don't15695.19 go15695.43 down15695.67 that15695.83 road15696.07 and15696.31 that15696.47 we15696.63 work15696.78 in15696.94 a15697.07 more15697.19 collaborative15697.51 spirit15697.99 with15698.39 our15698.55 communities15698.7 rather15699.51 than15699.83 a15699.99 punitive15700.15 one15700.63 for15700.86 those15701.03 communities15701.27 that15701.75 really15702.07 don't15702.78 fit15703.19 that15703.51 mold15703.83 of15704.15 transportation15706.15 adjacent15707.51 community.15707.99 Thank15708.63 you.15708.79
15712.63 SPEAKER215712.63 -15712.63 Senator15712.63 Comerford?15713.03
15716.31 COMERFORD15716.31 -15716.31 Thank15716.31 you,15716.31 Madam15716.31 Chair.15716.31 Secretary15716.31 and15716.79 team,15716.87 thank15717.19 you15717.35 very15717.51 much.15717.75 And,15717.99 I15718.87 wanna15719.18 start15719.42 by15719.58 thanking15719.82 you15720.14 for15720.53 continuing15721.02 this15721.66 now15722.3 long15722.61 conversation15722.94 around15723.42 regional15723.74 equity15724.14 and15725.58 really15725.82 seeing15726.14 the15726.53 folks15726.78 out15727.02 in15727.18 Western15727.34 Massachusetts15727.74 and15728.78 the15728.94 communities15729.1 as15729.74 worthy15729.98 and15730.38 eager15730.53 for15730.94 investment.15731.1 So15731.66 thank15731.82 you.15732.06 I15732.85 wanted15733.01 to15733.41 talk15733.49 about15733.81 federal15734.13 funding,15734.53 and15735.01 the15735.17 impact15735.33 of15735.65 federal15735.81 funding,15736.21 and15736.61 how15736.77 HLC15737.65 is15738.29 considering15738.69 or15740.29 perhaps15740.61 creating15741.17 contingency15741.81 plans15742.53 around15743.73 federal15744.37 actions.15744.77 When15745.25 we15745.49 talked15745.73 with15745.97 the15746.13 governor,15746.21 when15746.85 she15747.01 spoke15747.27 about15747.51 H15747.74 1,15747.98 you15748.62 know,15748.86 we15748.94 asked15749.19 1615751.1 plus15751.51 billion15751.74 dollars,15752.22 right,15752.7 is15753.1 on15753.27 the15753.43 table15753.51 for15753.83 Massachusetts.15754.15 How15755.43 is15755.67 the15755.98 administration15756.15 considering15757.67 and15758.86 planning15759.1 around15759.74 potential15760.79 federal15761.11 cuts?15762.31 And15762.71 she15762.71 spoke,15762.95 I15763.27 think,15763.43 well15763.67 about15764.07 each15764.79 agency15765.11 making15765.83 plans,15766.31 thinking15767.67 about15767.91 priorities,15768.23 thinking15768.79 about15769.19 ways15769.43 in15769.75 which15769.91 to15770.15 respond15770.87 quickly.15771.43 So15772.15 I'd15772.39 just15772.55 like15772.71 to15772.95 understand15773.11 how15773.59 is15773.83 HLC15774.07 as15774.47 we15774.63 look15774.79 at15774.95 the15775.11 array,15775.35 it's15775.99 actually15776.16 jaw15776.4 dropping,15776.8 right,15777.35 of15777.76 critical15778.08 federal15778.56 funding15778.95 that15779.28 we15779.52 get15779.76 to15780.87 power15781.19 programs15781.52 that15781.92 our15782.16 constituents15782.32 need15782.95 like15783.6 LIHEAP,15783.92 for15784.64 example?15784.87
15786.48 And,15786.48 actually,15786.72 that15787.03 was15787.19 one15787.35 of15787.52 the15787.6 first15787.68 votes15787.92 I15788.23 took15788.32 back15788.64 in15788.8 the15788.95 first15789.11 Trump15789.44 administration.15789.6 Donald15790.91 Trump15791.23 and15791.63 his15791.87 administration15792.03 cut15792.67 LIHEAP.15793.23 We15793.79 put15794.03 it15794.19 back15794.27 in15794.51 in15794.75 the15794.91 administration.15795.31 That15795.95 was15796.11 3015796.35 or15796.51 $4015796.75 million15798.11 in15798.11 2019.15798.35 Now15799.23 we're15799.47 looking15799.63 at15799.87 potential15800.51 billions15800.99 of15801.47 dollars15801.63 of15802.03 cuts.15802.19 So15802.43 I'd15802.98 love15803.14 to15803.38 understand15803.45 how15803.94 HLC15804.18 is15804.74 thinking15805.06 about15805.54 the15805.69 federal15805.85 funding15806.18 that15806.58 you15806.74 have.15807.45 How15807.61 are15807.61 you15807.78 looking15807.94 at15808.26 the15808.5 existing15808.66 investments15809.94 proposed15810.74 in15811.14 H15812.58 1?15812.9 How15812.9 would15812.9 you15813.06 initiate15813.94 a15814.34 planning15814.5 process15815.06 that15816.19 would15816.35 weigh15816.67 these15816.99 investments15817.39 and15818.03 make15818.19 quick15818.51 decisions15818.83 about15819.71 where15819.95 potentially15820.19 to15820.75 fill15820.91 holes?15821.15 Understanding15821.71 we15822.27 won't15822.43 be15822.59 able15822.75 to,15822.99 as15823.23 a15823.39 commonwealth,15823.47 fill15824.35 all15824.59 these15824.75 holes,15824.91 how15826.59 can15826.67 we15826.91 talk15827.07 to15827.23 our15827.31 afraid15828.32 constituents,15828.72 frankly,15829.28 about15830.16 ways15830.4 in15830.64 which15830.8 the15830.95 administration15831.11 is15831.84 creating15833.04 a15833.52 net15833.68 for15834 them?15834.16
15835.44 AUGUSTUS15835.44 -15835.44 Well,15835.44 I15835.68 appreciate15835.84 the15836.32 question,15836.4 senator.15836.8 I15836.96 'm15838.95 probably15839.04 gonna15839.52 disappoint15839.84 in15840.32 the15840.48 answer15840.64 in15841.04 that15841.19 we15841.52 don't15841.76 know,15842 specifically15844.07 where15844.79 the15845.19 cuts15845.35 may15845.67 be15845.91 coming.15845.99 We're15846.31 hearing15846.71 all15847.11 sorts15847.27 of15848.23 rumors15848.47 and15849.35 announcements,15850.55 but15851.27 trying15851.51 to15851.83 stay15851.91 as15852.15 informed15852.31 as15852.79 possible.15852.95 I15853.35 just15853.59 on15853.91 Friday15854.07 met15854.55 with15854.71 our15854.95 regional15855.59 HUD15856.15 folks15856.47 to15856.79 try15856.95 to15857.19 understand15857.35 as15857.91 clearly15858.46 from15858.86 them15859.19 what15859.34 are15859.51 they15859.67 hearing,15859.91 what15860.39 areas15860.62 might15861.1 be15862.39 facing15862.55 some15862.94 kind15863.1 of15864.31 cuts.15864.31 So15865.27 we're15865.51 really15865.74 in15865.98 a15866.22 kind15866.62 of15866.86 wait15867.34 and15867.67 see15867.91 and15868.15 listen15868.39 mode,15868.78 talking15869.19 to15869.51 a15869.67 lot15869.74 of15869.91 our15870.07 partners15870.22 because15870.55 some15870.78 of15870.94 the15871.03 money15871.19 that15871.43 comes15871.58 into15871.82 the15872.07 state15872.22 doesn't15872.46 necessarily15872.78 come15873.34 through15873.55 us15873.79 but15873.91 goes15874.03 directly15874.51 to15874.91 homeless15876.11 individuals,15877.79 homeless15878.91 providers,15879.39 and15880.99 others.15881.31 You15882.51 know15882.67 the15882.91 block15883.71 grant15884.03 program15884.35 that15884.75 we15884.99 administer15885.23 from15886.09 the15886.26 state15886.42 level,15886.73 65%15887.61 of15888.42 those15888.58 grants15888.82 go15889.14 to15889.3 rural15889.45 communities,15889.78 many15890.66 in15890.9 your15891.06 district.15891.3
15891.69 COMERFORD15891.69 -15891.69 Aware.15891.69
15892.58 AUGUSTUS15892.58 -15892.58 As15892.58 you're15892.73 well15892.97 aware.15893.21 And15894.58 that15894.82 is15894.97 a15895.14 program15895.21 that15895.61 often,15895.94 you15896.66 know,15896.82 we15896.9 try15897.06 to15897.21 prioritize15897.37 housing15898.02 infrastructure15899.17 that15899.73 supports15899.89 housing15900.37 programs.15900.85 So15901.25 that15901.73 is15901.89 a15902.05 federally15902.13 funded15902.61 source15903.09 that15903.41 really15903.65 helps15903.89 us15904.21 advance15904.45 our15904.93 housing15905.09 goals,15905.57 as15906.45 well15906.61 as15906.77 our15906.93 community15907.09 development15907.65 goals.15908.21 So,15908.61 those15909.41 would15909.65 be15909.89 very15910.13 worrisome15911.35 if15911.75 we15911.91 were15912.07 to15912.23 see15912.31 any15912.47 kind15912.7 of15912.86 reduction15913.03 in15913.59 those15913.75 programs.15913.99 Also,15915.03 on15915.43 the15915.59 housing15915.75 development15916.23 side15916.86 of15917.1 the15917.35 house,15917.43 the15918.47 IRA,15918.7 the15919.35 Inflation15919.51 Reduction15920.07 Act,15920.55 there15921.35 were15921.51 many15921.75 tax15922.7 credits15923.03 that15923.59 were15923.75 offered15924.07 to15924.55 developments,15925.1 whether15925.83 they15926.23 be15926.39 economic15927.74 development15928.3 projects15928.62 or15929.18 housing15929.9 projects15930.38 that15930.86 incorporated15931.1 green15931.82 technologies,15932.22 things15932.94 like15933.26 solar15933.66 arrays15934.06 or15935.26 heat15935.82 pumps,15936.06 which15936.46 are,15936.78 you15937.34 know,15937.42 best15937.74 practices15938.06 in15938.78 terms15938.94 of15939.18 helping15939.34 us15939.66 lower15939.9 our15940.22 carbon15940.3 footprint15940.72 to15941.03 meet15941.28 our15941.44 climate15941.6 goals.15941.92
15942.72 And15942.72 there's15942.87 some15943.11 question15943.35 about15943.76 whether15943.99 those15944.32 programs,15944.72 even15945.76 though15946.08 projects15946.32 move15946.87 forward15947.11 on15947.52 the15947.68 assumption15947.84 that15948.32 those15948.48 programs15948.72 were15949.11 gonna15949.28 exist,15949.6 those15950.16 tax15950.4 credits15950.64 were15951.03 gonna15951.11 be15951.44 available15951.52 because15952.94 it15953.26 takes,15953.58 you15953.98 know,15954.06 two15954.38 or15954.62 three15954.78 years15955.18 to15955.58 develop15955.74 a15956.22 plan15956.62 for15957.02 a15957.18 project,15957.34 to15957.9 design15958.14 the15958.54 plan15958.7 and15958.94 start15959.18 to15959.34 construct15959.5 the15959.9 plan,15959.98 and15960.54 the15960.7 credits15960.86 wouldn't15961.26 come15961.5 till15961.74 after15961.98 the15962.22 project15962.38 was15962.7 online.15962.94 There's15963.74 a15963.98 lot15964.06 of15964.22 fear15964.46 that15965.18 projects15965.42 that15965.9 anticipated15966.22 those15967.02 tax15967.26 credits15967.66 may15968.42 or15968.58 may15968.74 not15968.82 be15969.06 able15969.3 to15969.45 see15969.53 those15969.69 tax15970.02 credits.15970.26 So,15970.74 we're15971.06 waiting15971.3 to15971.61 see15971.78 how15972.02 that15972.26 shakes15972.5 out.15972.9 And15973.45 are15973.78 there15973.94 projects15974.26 that15974.82 are15974.98 gonna15975.06 have15975.3 holes15975.61 in15976.34 their15976.5 pro15976.9 formas15977.14 that15977.94 are15978.18 gonna15978.26 delay15978.5 the15979.45 production15979.61 of15980.1 new15980.26 units15980.5 that15980.82 we15980.98 desperately15981.14 need?15981.69 So15982.76 there's15982.84 multiple15983.48 streams15984.28 of15985 funding15985.56 that15986.36 we're15986.6 trying15986.76 to15986.88 keep15987 an15987.24 eye15987.32 on.15987.48
15988.36 You15988.36 probably15988.68 know15989.24 that15989.56 about15991.56 half15991.8 of15992.12 our15992.28 housing15992.52 authorities15993 also15993.72 have15994.12 federal15994.36 units15994.84 in15995.32 their15995.48 portfolios15995.72 or15996.52 federal15996.68 vouchers15997.16 that15997.64 they15997.94 also15998.1 administer.15998.78 Those15999.61 are15999.85 important16000.1 parts16000.58 of16000.98 our16001.14 safety16001.38 net16001.78 system,16002.1 that16003.14 happen16003.45 on16003.94 the16004.02 ground16004.18 to16005.38 make16005.54 sure16005.69 that16005.94 folks16006.1 who16006.34 are16006.42 eligible16006.58 for16007.06 those16007.22 vouchers16008.26 or16008.82 folks16009.14 who16009.38 use16009.61 those16009.85 federal16010.18 housing16011.54 authority16012.02 units,16012.5 are16013.92 maintained16014.08 and16014.8 operational.16015.04 So,16015.68 I16016.4 met16016.56 with16016.8 the16017.52 team,16017.68 as16018.08 I16018.32 do16018.4 quarterly16018.64 from16019.2 Mass16019.52 NAHRO,16019.76 talking16020.96 with16021.2 them,16021.44 finding16022.4 out16022.8 from16022.96 them16023.12 what16023.44 they16023.6 are16023.76 hearing,16024 sharing16024.4 what16024.8 we're16025.04 hearing.16025.28 So16025.6 really16026.19 trying16026.52 to16026.6 stay16026.84 engaged16027.08 with16027.4 all16027.64 of16027.88 our16027.95 partners16028.11 and16029 share16029.24 information16029.64 and16030.28 notes16030.44 in16030.76 real16030.92 time16032.28 so16032.76 that16033 we16033.16 can16033.32 stay16033.95 on16034.19 top16034.35 of16034.52 it16034.6 and16034.84 work16035 with16035.24 the16035.4 governor's16035.56 office16036.04 and16036.84 her16037.08 team16037.32 as16037.88 they16038.11 work16038.19 with16038.44 the16038.6 attorney16038.76 general16039.16 and16039.64 others16039.8 on16040.65 what16040.89 the16041.05 right16041.33 strategies16041.93 and16042.49 approaches16042.73 are16043.21 as16043.45 things16043.77 become16044.09 clearer.16044.41
16047.53 SPEAKER216047.53 -16047.53 Thank16047.53 you.16047.77 Rep.16048.01 Peace.16048.33
16050.41 PEASE16050.41 -16050.41 Thank16050.41 you,16050.65 Madam16051.29 Chair.16051.61 And,16051.61 again,16052.01 I16052.33 think,16052.49 I16053.77 was16053.85 gonna16054.01 have16054.25 a16054.57 question16054.65 about16055.05 the16055.2 local16055.36 housing16055.77 authority,16056.81 but16057.2 I16057.44 think16057.53 you16057.69 addressed16058.33 that16058.73 rather16058.97 well.16059.36 So16060.41 I16060.65 will16060.81 say16061.05 that,16061.28 what16061.77 I'm16062.01 very16062.25 glad16062.57 to16062.81 hear16062.97 the16063.12 trend16063.28 is16063.6 75%16063.85 more16064.81 Massachusetts16065.05 residents16065.69 now16066.17 as16066.33 we16066.49 move16066.65 forward.16066.89 And16068.31 I16068.55 appreciate16068.79 you16069.11 coming16069.43 out16069.67 and16069.83 visiting16069.99 our16070.39 housing16070.63 authority16071.11 out16071.51 there16071.67 in16071.91 Westfield.16071.99 So16072.63 thank16073.43 you.16073.67
16075.91 SPEAKER216075.91 -16075.91 You.16075.91 Rep,16076.63 Marcy?16077.91
16080.84 MARSI16080.84 -16080.84 Thank16080.84 you,16081.08 Madam16081.72 Chair.16082.19 Thank16082.19 you,16082.35 Mr.16083.16 Secretary16083.64 and16083.64 team.16083.8 Also16084.84 on16085.24 housing16085.56 authorities,16086.03 like,16086.44 you16086.6 touched16086.76 on16087 a16087.16 lot16087.24 of16087.4 it16087.48 but16087.64 I16087.8 just16087.95 felt16088.76 it16089 important.16089.16 I16089.56 get16089.72 a16089.88 lot16090.03 of16090.19 calls16090.76 from16091.08 constituents16091.8 that,16092.6 you16093.8 know,16093.95 have16094.11 a16094.44 hard16094.52 time16094.68 getting16094.92 in,16095.82 right?16096.06 So16096.06 I16096.3 know16096.46 that,16096.7 like,16096.86 in16097.1 this16097.26 budget,16097.42 I16097.74 wanna16097.9 make16098.14 sure16098.22 that16098.46 we're16098.54 supporting16099.5 our16099.98 housing16100.14 authorities16100.46 as16100.94 best16101.18 we16101.34 can.16101.5 It's16101.82 not16101.98 just16102.14 having16103.34 to16103.58 say16103.82 no16103.98 to16104.22 local16104.38 people16104.62 is16104.94 very16105.18 difficult16105.34 for16105.82 them,16105.98 and16106.14 I16106.46 don't16106.54 have16106.78 a16107.02 good16107.42 answer16107.66 for16107.9 them.16108.06 So16109.27 just16109.59 implore16110.07 the16110.55 administration16111.1 to,16111.91 like,16112.07 you16112.31 know,16112.39 keep16112.63 them16112.86 in16113.03 mind16113.19 as16113.43 they16113.67 make16113.91 decision.16114.15 I16114.55 know16114.7 we16115.75 all16115.91 hear16116.15 about16116.31 CHAMP16116.55 and,16117.03 you16117.1 know,16117.19 that16117.43 it's16117.59 pluses16118.15 and16118.55 minuses.16118.7 But,16119.27 you16120.07 know,16120.15 for16120.39 this16120.55 budget,16120.7 I16122.49 know16122.57 we're16122.97 doing16123.21 our16123.37 best16123.53 to16123.77 support16123.85 but16124.25 I16124.57 wanted16124.73 to16124.85 make16124.97 sure16125.13 you16125.29 heard16125.45 it16125.69 from16125.77 me.16126.01
16126.41 AUGUSTUS16126.41 -16126.41 Appreciate16126.41 that.16126.97 Thank16127.21 you.16127.45
16130.33 FERRANTE16130.33 -16130.33 Thank16130.33 you,16130.49 Mr.16131.85 Secretary.16132.17 One16132.17 last16132.17 question.16132.49 The16133.93 question16134.01 is,16134.33 I16135.19 didn't16135.35 see16135.68 this16136 morning's16136.24 full16137.44 paper16137.68 but16138.56 I16138.88 know16139.03 over16139.52 the16139.68 weekend16139.84 the16140.56 Trump16140.64 administration16140.95 was16141.68 talking16141.92 about16142.32 increased16142.64 tariffs16143.11 on16143.52 lumber.16143.68 Do16144.56 we16144.72 have16144.88 any16145.19 idea16145.52 where16147.11 that16147.35 tariff16147.76 stands16148.24 and16157.01 what16157.01 the16157.01 implication16157.01 would16157.01 be16157.01 on16157.01 new16157.01 housing?16157.01
16157.01 AUGUSTUS16157.01 -16157.01 My16157.01 understanding16157.01 is16157.01 it's16157.01 a16157.01 25%16157.01 tariff16157.01 on16157.01 wood16157.01 coming16157.01 from16157.33 Canada,16157.65 which16158.05 is16158.21 one16158.29 of16158.33 our16158.37 biggest16158.69 sources16159.81 of16160.45 wood16160.48 for16160.52 housing16160.55 production16160.58 here16160.62 in16160.65 Massachusetts.16160.68 What16160.72 that16160.75 impact16160.78 is16160.82 gonna16160.85 be16164.94 is16166.46 obviously16166.7 too16167.19 early16167.34 to16167.67 say.16167.83 I16168.62 think16168.78 one16169.03 of16169.27 the16169.43 things16169.58 that16169.91 I'm16170.22 concerned16170.46 about16170.94 is16171.34 some16172.15 of16172.31 the16172.46 uncertainty16172.62 that16173.43 we16173.58 see.16173.83 What16175.66 developers16175.9 tell16176.46 me16176.7 is16176.86 equity,16177.66 which16178.14 they16178.38 are16178.54 usually16178.78 pursuing16179.18 in16179.74 order16179.9 to16180.3 get16180.46 the16180.7 financing16180.86 to16181.5 build16181.66 a16181.9 unit,16182.06 equity16183.02 doesn't16183.5 like16183.82 uncertainty.16184.06 And16185.42 the16185.66 idea16185.82 that16186.22 this16186.46 project16186.7 may16187.18 cost16187.42 1016187.74 or16187.98 1516188.14 or16188.54 20%16188.7 more16189.34 than16189.58 they're16189.82 projecting16190.06 it16190.54 doesn't16191.26 often16191.58 attract16192.06 that16192.45 investment.16192.85 And16193.98 so16194.22 what16195.1 I'm16195.34 hopeful16195.49 is16195.82 that16196.06 we'll16196.22 get16196.37 to16196.61 a16196.78 period16196.85 of16197.26 time16197.34 soon16197.58 where16197.9 there's16198.14 more16198.37 certainty,16198.61 as16199.18 much16199.34 certainty16199.58 as16199.98 you16200.14 can16200.22 have,16200.45 in16201.58 what16201.82 a16202.06 project16202.14 will16202.61 cost16202.94 so16203.58 that16203.74 we16203.9 can16204.06 get16204.22 that16204.37 equity16204.69 in16205.1 to16205.49 support16205.66 the16206.28 creation16206.52 of16206.76 the16206.92 units16207.08 that16207.32 we16207.48 desperately16207.64 need16208.12 that16208.36 are16208.52 gonna16208.6 take16208.84 some16209.08 of16209.24 the16209.4 pressure16209.48 off16209.96 our16210.6 housing16210.76 crisis16211.16 here16211.64 in16211.8 Massachusetts.16211.88
16214.44 SPEAKER216214.44 -16214.44 Thank16214.44 you,16214.68 mister16214.84 secretary.16215.24 Thank16216.04 you16216.28 for16216.36 your16216.52 testimony16216.68 today.16217.24 Thank16217.72 you16217.96 for16218.28 answering16218.6 our16219.16 questions.16219.24 With16220.95 that,16221.11 we'll16221.99 conclude16222.32 your16222.64 portion16222.87 of16223.35 the16223.52 hearing,16223.68 and16224.8 we'll16225.03 welcome,16225.35 secretary16226.32 Howup16226.8 of16227.19 economic16227.44 development.16227.92 If16228.87 any16229.11 of16229.35 the16229.52 members16229.68 have16230.16 a16230.32 lingering16230.47 question,16231.19 just16232.56 direct16233.76 that16234 to16234.4 the16234.8 secretary16235.04 and16235.44 his16235.6 staff16235.76 on16236.08 his16236.16 way16236.32 out.16236.48
16244.32 SPEAKER416244.32 -16244.32 I16244.32 don't16244.48
16244.72 SPEAKER116244.72 -16244.72 know16244.72 if16244.88 I16245.04 know16245.12 Harrison.16245.28
16259.81 SPEAKER416259.81 -16259.81 On16259.81 the16260.05 water.16260.13
16260.61 SPEAKER716260.61 -16260.61 116260.61 116261.01 on16261.17 the16261.33 water16261.41 is16261.73 cloud.16261.97
16269.33 Right?16269.33 That's16269.73 fine.16270.13 Nobody16270.37 everybody16270.94
16311.69 SPEAKER416311.69 -16311.69 Yeah.16311.69
16324.92 SPEAKER1216324.92 -16324.92 God.16324.92 I'm16325.2 putting16325.48 them16325.72 everywhere?16325.88
16330.95 SPEAKER1316330.95 -16330.95 Do16330.95 you16331.11 need16331.19 a16331.28 bracelet?16331.44
16332.95 SPEAKER1216332.95 -16332.95 I'll16332.95 save16333.28 your16333.44 bracelet.16333.6
16340.73 SPEAKER1416340.73 -16340.73 You16340.73 can16340.97 just16341.13 click16341.37 it16341.61 at16341.77 us16342.01 after16342.33 me.16342.65
16349.45 It's16349.45
16381.06 SPEAKER1316381.06 -16381.06 Alright,16381.06 friends.16381.61
16398.82 SPEAKER1416398.82 -16398.82 I16398.82 will16398.98 take16399.22 another.16399.62 Yeah.16401.06
16419.53 SPEAKER416419.53 -16419.53 Hello?16419.53
16434.78 SPEAKER216434.78 -16434.78 Okay.16434.78 We're16435.26 in16435.49 the,16435.74 last16436.3 stretch16436.69 here16437.17 of16437.42 the16437.58 last16437.74 4516438.06 minutes16438.62 of16439.01 this16439.17 hearing.16439.49 Madam16440.53 secretary,16440.93 we16441.42 have16441.49 a16441.65 hard16441.82 stop16442.06 at16442.46 5.16443.26 So16443.74 I'm16443.97 gonna16444.14 ask16444.46 you16444.78 and16444.93 your16445.1 team16445.33 to16445.65 begin,16445.82 and,16446.93 let's16448.3 go.16448.53
16450.13 YVONNE16450.13 HAO16450.13 -16450.13 EOED16450.13 -16450.13 Great.16450.13 Well,16450.61 thank16450.93 you16451.09 so16451.33 much.16451.49 We16452.61 are16452.77 so16452.93 grateful16453.09 to16453.49 be16453.57 here.16453.73 I'm16454.13 just16454.37 very16454.85 consistently16455.17 annoying16455.65 with16455.97 my16456.13 bracelets16456.29 because16456.85 we16457.41 do16457.57 have16457.73 the16457.97 best16458.13 team16458.37 in16458.61 our16458.77 state16458.85 and16459.17 really16459.33 starting16459.57 with16459.81 all16460.05 of16460.21 you.16460.29 So16460.45 thank16460.61 you16460.77 so16460.93 much16461.09 for16461.33 all16461.41 the16461.57 incredible16461.73 work16462.29 you16462.45 do16462.67 for16463 your16463.15 districts16463.4 and16463.8 also16463.96 for16464.67 our16464.92 whole16465 state.16465.24 And16466.04 a16466.2 special16466.28 thanks16466.6 to16466.92 Vice16467.4 Chair16467.72 Ferrante,16467.72 a16468.35 special16468.44 thanks16468.76 to16469 Senator16469.48 Oliveira.16471 This16471 is16471.24 a16472.28 really16472.44 great16472.76 honor16473 to16473.24 be16473.32 in16473.48 this16473.56 position16473.64 as16473.96 secretary16474.12 of16474.52 economic16474.6 development16475.08 for16475.48 our16475.64 state.16475.8 It's16476.43 my16476.67 third16476.83 budget16477.07 hearing16477.63 and16477.95 third16478.35 time16478.59 in16478.83 Gloucester.16478.99 Thank16479.55 you16479.79 for16479.87 hosting16480.03 us.16480.43 It's16481.07 always16481.31 really16481.55 exciting16481.79 to16482.11 be16482.19 here16482.35 and16482.51 especially16482.75 here16483.07 in16483.23 also.16483.79 Thank16484.75 you16484.99 for16485.15 that.16485.31 And16486.19 I16486.35 also16486.43 just16486.67 wanna16486.83 take16487.07 a16487.23 moment16487.31 to16487.63 acknowledge,16487.79 Chair16489.63 Rodrigues,16490.19 Chair16490.19 Michlewitz,16490.19 and16490.19 all16490.43 of16490.59 the16490.67 members16490.75 of16491.07 the16491.15 committee,16491.31 and16492.47 also16492.55 all16492.86 their16493.03 incredible16493.26 teams.16493.66
16494.55 I16494.55 know16494.62 we16494.86 are16495.03 living16495.1 in16495.42 interesting16495.51 times16495.9 and16496.22 people16496.38 are16496.71 talking16496.78 about16497.1 what16497.51 the16497.66 role16497.74 of16497.99 government16498.07 is.16498.38 I16499.03 think16499.18 we16499.42 in16499.58 our16499.74 state,16499.99 with16500.31 our16500.55 awesome16500.62 team16500.94 Massachusetts,16501.18 we've16501.74 proven16501.99 that16502.31 we16502.47 know16502.62 how16502.78 to16502.86 work16502.94 together,16503.1 and16503.42 we16503.58 know16503.74 how16503.9 to16504.07 get16504.14 things16504.31 done.16504.55 So16504.94 I16505.16 just16505.16 wanna16505.24 just,16505.48 call16505.96 out16506.12 that16506.36 last16506.6 session,16506.92 the16507.24 193rd16509 General16509.32 Court16509.32 of16509.32 the16509.4 Commonwealth,16509.56 was16510.2 one16510.44 of16510.68 the16510.76 most16510.92 remarkably16511.48 productive16512.12 sessions16512.6 in16512.92 the16513.08 history16513.16 of16513.48 our16513.64 state.16514.36 And16514.52 we16514.52 in16514.76 our16514.92 office16515.08 especially16515.4 appreciate16515.8 all16516.2 the16516.36 support.16516.52 Just16517.24 to16517.4 highlight,16517.48 we16517.8 developed16517.96 our16518.36 statewide16518.52 economic16519 development16519.4 plan16519.8 called,16520.58 surprisingly,16520.9 Team16521.63 Massachusetts,16521.87 leading16522.99 future16523.31 generations.16523.63 And16524.03 many16524.27 of16524.42 you16524.51 who16524.67 are16524.75 here16524.75 were16524.9 involved16525.07 in16525.31 that,16525.39 including16525.63 Vice16526.1 Chair16526.35 Ferrante.16526.35 We16527.31 passed16527.55 the16527.79 most16527.95 significant16528.19 tax16528.67 relief16528.9 package16529.23 in16529.63 decades16529.79 to16530.35 make16530.42 our16530.58 state16530.9 more16531.23 affordable16531.39 and16531.79 more16531.95 competitive.16532.1 We16532.9 implemented16533.22 several16533.62 operating16533.94 budgets,16534.34 making16534.82 Massachusetts16535.14 more16535.78 equitable16536.02 through16536.98 many16537.14 initiatives16537.46 such16537.86 as16538.1 free16538.18 school16538.42 meals16538.66 and16538.9 free16539.06 community16539.22 college16539.62 for16540.18 all16540.42 residents.16540.58
16541.46 And16541.46 finally,16541.62 and16542.34 very16542.58 important16542.9 for16543.3 our16543.54 conversation16544.02 today,16544.5 we16544.82 passed16545.08 the,16545.47 Mass16546.12 Lease16546.43 Act,16546.67 which16546.99 was16547.24 a16547.32 very16547.47 large,16547.72 very16548.03 important16548.28 economic16548.67 development16549.08 bill.16549.56 And16550.28 I16550.51 think16550.6 given16550.91 the16551.24 national16551.47 context,16551.96 that16552.43 bill16552.6 is16552.83 more16553.08 important16553.24 than16553.56 ever.16553.8 So16554.12 thank16554.35 you16554.51 so16554.76 much16554.91 for16555.15 working16555.47 together16555.8 on16556.19 that.16556.28 So16557.17 today16557.41 we're16557.73 gonna16557.89 turn16558.05 to16558.37 looking16558.93 at16559.25 H16559.57 1,16559.81 our16560.45 budget16560.61 recommendation.16561.01 So16562.29 our16562.53 proposal16562.61 has16563.09 $14616563.73 million16564.77 for16564.77 economic16564.93 development.16565.33 This16566.13 is16566.29 an16566.37 increase16566.53 of16567.01 $5.816568.61 million16569.25 over16569.25 our16569.25 last16569.41 proposal.16569.89 It's16570.45 a16570.69 4%16570.93 increase.16571.73 And16572.74 just16572.9 to16573.03 remind16573.14 everybody,16573.55 this16575.47 is16575.62 a16575.87 very16576.18 small16576.42 part16576.74 of16576.99 overall16577.14 state16577.55 budget.16577.71 So16578.1 this16578.35 makes16578.58 up16578.83 0.25%16580.03 of16581.38 state16581.62 budget.16581.87 So16582.26 it's16582.42 a16582.66 very16582.74 small16583.07 number.16583.31 And,16584.03 however,16584.35 we,16585.14 I'm16586.82 a16586.98 business16587.14 person,16587.46 so16587.7 I16587.94 always16588.02 think16588.26 about16588.42 things16588.66 in16588.98 terms16589.06 of16589.3 some16589.54 things16589.7 are16590.02 expenses.16590.18 You16591.06 have16591.3 to16591.38 spend16591.54 it.16591.78 It16591.94 goes16592.02 away.16592.26 I16592.9 would16593.06 think16593.22 about16593.38 all16593.62 of16593.86 the16594.02 investment16594.1 in16594.5 economic16594.74 development16595.14 as16595.78 really16595.94 something16596.42 that16596.74 will16596.9 pay16597.06 back.16597.3
16597.54 So16597.54 I16597.78 think16597.86 a16598.02 lot16598.18 about16598.34 these16598.58 as16598.74 planting16598.9 the16599.3 seeds16599.46 that16599.86 are16600.02 gonna16600.1 return16600.42 multiple16601.37 fold.16601.85 So16602.4 if16602.65 you16602.81 just16602.89 think16603.05 about16603.21 it16603.45 here,16603.53 we're16604.08 talking16604.33 about16604.57 $14616605.13 million16606.01 proposal.16606.01 We16606.49 expect16606.65 to16606.97 generate16607.13 from16607.53 that,16607.69 at16608.49 least16608.65 $25416608.89 million16610.4 in16610.4 nontax16610.57 revenue16611.05 from16611.53 assessments,16611.76 fines,16612.33 fees,16612.65 and16612.89 penalties.16613.05 And16613.87 also16614.11 on16614.43 top16614.59 of16614.71 that,16614.83 all16615.07 the16615.31 tax16615.39 revenue16615.71 from16616.11 new16616.27 jobs,16616.51 new16616.83 companies,16616.99 all16617.39 of16617.63 the16617.71 growth16617.79 that16618.03 we16618.11 expect16618.27 to16618.59 see.16618.67 So16619.55 what16620.03 I16620.19 think16620.27 about16620.43 when16620.75 I16620.91 think16620.99 about16621.15 our16621.47 office16621.63 is,16621.95 we16622.11 are16622.27 really,16622.43 like,16622.67 investing16622.91 in16623.31 r16623.39 and16623.55 d16623.71 and16623.87 sales16624.03 for16624.35 the16624.51 state.16624.67 We16625.15 make16625.31 these16625.47 investments16625.85 now,16627.05 and16627.6 this16627.69 will16628.33 pay16628.4 for16628.97 many,16629.03 many16629.1 years16629.17 of16629.24 success16629.31 in16629.38 the16629.45 future16629.63 for16629.82 us.16630.01 So,16630.08 let's16631.37 get16631.6 into16631.76 the16632.01 details.16632.17 And16632.81 what16632.97 we16633.13 decided16633.21 to16633.6 do16633.69 was16633.85 to16634.01 maybe16634.17 talk16634.49 about16634.72 how16635.28 our16635.53 H16635.76 116636.01 budget16636.24 proposal16636.49 lines16637.05 up16637.28 with16637.53 our16637.69 economic16637.85 development16638.33 plan.16638.72
16639.14 That16639.14 plan16639.46 was16639.74 very16640.02 well16640.26 thought16640.42 out.16640.58 It16641.22 had16641.46 a16642.1 an16642.26 overall16642.42 North16642.74 Star.16643.06 The16643.86 plan16643.94 really16644.1 was16645.38 aimed16645.62 at16645.86 making16646.26 sure16646.58 our16646.82 state16647.06 remains16647.46 the16647.94 best16648.1 place16648.34 for16649.14 every16649.3 person16649.62 to16649.94 live16650.1 their16650.34 best16650.5 lives,16650.82 to16651.14 have16651.22 great16651.38 careers,16651.62 to16652.02 raise16652.1 their16652.34 families,16652.5 and16653.06 to16653.22 be16653.38 the16653.62 best16653.78 place16654.02 for16654.26 any16654.42 company16654.85 or16655.16 organization16655.16 to16655.57 start,16655.89 scale,16656.44 grow,16656.92 and16657.24 be16657.4 wildly16657.57 successful16657.97 from16658.28 here16658.44 in16658.6 our16658.68 state.16658.85 So16659.01 that16659.16 was16659.24 the16659.49 goal16659.57 of16659.81 the16659.85 plan,16659.89 and16660.44 there16660.6 were16660.76 three16661.01 big16661.24 pillars16661.57 to16661.97 that16662.05 plan.16662.28 In16663.33 case16663.49 anyone16663.72 forgot,16664.05 the16664.53 three16664.6 pillars16664.85 are16665.16 fundamentals,16665.49 talent,16666.53 and16666.92 sectors.16667.08 So16667.57 we're16667.72 gonna16667.89 talk16668.21 about16668.37 our16668.53 budget16668.68 in16668.92 those16669.01 three16669.24 buckets.16669.4 So16670.23 the16670.39 first16670.47 pillar16670.79 is16671.11 around16671.27 fundamentals.16671.67 And16672.47 so16672.95 we16673.27 did16673.43 something16673.59 unusual16673.91 on16674.31 the16674.39 plan16674.47 and16674.71 we16674.79 said,16675.03 we16675.75 can,16675.91 you16676.31 know,16676.47 spend16676.79 a16676.95 lot16677.03 of16677.19 time16677.27 on16677.51 all16677.67 these16677.83 fancy16677.99 ideas.16678.31 But16678.63 to16678.87 do16678.95 economic16679.19 development,16679.59 we16680.07 have16680.23 to16680.39 have16680.47 the16680.63 fundamentals16680.79 in16681.27 place.16681.43 And16681.99 many16682.23 of16682.47 those16682.63 fundamentals16682.79 are16683.43 actually16683.51 in16683.83 my16683.99 colleague's16684.07 areas.16684.55
16684.87 So16684.87 you16684.95 just16685.11 heard16685.27 from16685.67 Secretary16685.76 Augustus16685.99 in16686.24 housing,16686.72 that's16686.96 a16686.96 big16687.03 fundamental.16687.28 You'll16688.39 probably16688.64 hear16688.88 from16689.03 Secretary16689.19 Tibbets16689.6 Nutt16689.91 in16690.08 transportation,16690.15 also16690.8 a16691.03 big16691.12 fundamental.16691.35 And16691.99 then16692.15 we16692.39 invest16692.56 a16692.88 lot16692.96 in16693.12 fundamentals16693.28 from16693.83 our16693.99 office16694.15 around16694.56 the16694.88 community16694.96 116695.35 stop16695.6 and16695.83 MassWorks,16696.96 which16697.43 Undersecretary16697.43 Stobla16697.43 runs.16697.83 A16698.15 lot16698.39 of16698.55 that16698.71 is16698.79 actually16698.95 in16699.19 the16699.27 capital16699.35 budget16699.59 so16699.91 I16700.07 won't16700.15 go16700.31 into16700.47 that16700.63 today.16700.87 But16701.27 the16701.43 fundamentals16701.59 are16702.15 across16702.39 many16702.63 different16702.87 areas.16703.19 For16704.07 the16704.31 fundamentals16704.47 that16705.03 is16705.19 part16705.35 of16705.51 the16705.59 budget16705.75 proposal,16706.07 we16706.39 have16706.55 a16706.63 few16706.71 areas16706.87 to16707.19 highlight16707.35 today.16707.67 So16709.11 one16709.35 is16709.59 that,16709.75 we16710.47 are16710.63 proposing16710.95 again16711.51 level16711.83 funding16712.15 for16712.47 the16712.72 Mass16713.6 Downtown16714 Initiative16714 at16714 $600,000.16714.24 This16715.67 is16715.83 a16716 very16716.15 popular,16716.56 very16717.12 high16717.35 impact16717.51 program.16717.92 I16718.32 think16718.4 many16718.64 of16718.8 your16718.96 towns16719.12 and16719.35 cities16719.51 have16719.83 benefited16720 from16720.4 this.16720.56
16721.28 It16721.28 really16721.44 works16721.67 as16721.92 part16722.15 of16722.24 the16722.32 community16722.48 116722.88 stop,16723.12 ande16723.92 that's16724.4 the16724.64 single16724.8 application16725.12 portal16725.52 that16725.76 has16725.92 all16726 these16726.16 different16726.32 programs16726.56 as16726.88 part16727.04 of16727.2 it,16727.28 and16727.6 it16727.76 goes16727.84 to16728.08 revitalizing16728.16 downtowns.16728.8 Another16730.32 part16730.72 of16730.96 the16731.68 fundamentals16731.92 that16732.56 is16732.72 in16733.04 this16733.44 year's16733.6 budget16734 is16734.48 really16734.64 around16734.88 the16735.2 rural16735.36 area.16736 So16736.48 we16736.88 are16737.04 so16737.36 thrilled16737.52 to16738 have16738.08 former16738.24 Senator16739.12 Ann16739.44 Gobi16739.44 on16739.44 our16739.52 team16739.68 now,16739.92 first16740.48 time16740.72 ever16740.96 that16741.57 we've16741.73 had16741.81 a16741.89 full16742.05 time16742.28 person16742.45 dedicated16742.69 to16743.17 rural16743.25 economic16743.65 development.16744.05 I16744.53 know16744.69 very16744.92 near16745.08 and16745.33 dear16745.4 to16745.57 Senator16745.97 Comerford's16746.45 heart16746.45 as16746.6 many16746.85 as16747.01 well16747.17 as16747.33 many16747.4 of16747.57 you.16747.73 And16748.05 we16748.21 were16748.28 just16748.45 in16748.6 Covington16749.49 with16749.89 Rep16750.37 Sabadosa16751.01 on16751.01 Friday,16751.17 a16751.81 town16751.97 of16752.21 80016752.37 people16752.77 and16753.66 doing16753.82 amazing16754.22 great16754.62 things.16754.86 So,16755.66 former16756.46 senator16756.7 Ann16757.02 Gobi16757.26 is16757.5 now16757.58 our16757.82 full16757.9 time16758.14 rural16758.38 affairs16758.62 director.16758.94 And16759.42 in16759.58 this16759.74 budget,16759.9 we16760.22 propose16760.46 really16761.74 defining,16762.06 what16762.94 the16763.18 rural16763.34 development16763.66 fund16764.14 is16764.38 and16764.54 making16764.7 sure16765.02 that16765.18 that16765.34 is16765.5 supported16765.66 as16766.06 part16766.14 of16766.3 this16766.46 H16766.7 1.16766.86
16767.26 So16767.26 that's16767.42 section16767.66 116767.98 around16768.22 fundamentals.16768.46 Section16769.6 216769.85 is16770.08 around16770.33 talent,16770.57 and16770.89 we16771.05 actually16771.21 have16771.45 a16771.6 lot16771.69 in16772.01 this16772.17 H16772.4 116772.57 proposal16772.89 around16773.37 talent.16773.6 As16774.24 we16774.49 all16774.73 know,16774.89 the16775.45 success16775.53 in16775.92 our16776.01 state16776.17 is16776.49 really16776.65 because16776.89 we16777.21 have16777.28 wicked16777.53 smart16777.92 people16778.17 here.16778.4 And16779.05 so,16779.28 keeping16780.01 our16780.4 talent,16780.49 making16780.89 sure16781.13 our16781.28 talent16781.66 is16781.95 well16782.23 trained,16782.52 this16782.8 is16783.09 a16783.37 huge16783.66 part16783.94 of16784.23 our16784.51 economic16784.8 success.16785.08 So,16785.37 a16785.93 couple16786.22 of16786.5 different16786.79 areas16787.07 I16787.36 wanna16787.64 highlight.16787.93 We16788.5 know16789.07 that16789.35 the16789.64 broad16789.92 context16790.2 right16790.49 now16790.77 for16791.06 our16791.34 state16791.63 is16791.91 that16792.2 we16792.48 are16792.77 living16793.05 in16793.34 a16793.62 tight16793.99 budget16794.31 year.16794.55 So16794.87 as16795.03 we16795.19 thought16795.42 about16795.58 talent,16795.9 we've16796.39 tried16796.63 to16796.78 be16796.95 creative16797.1 and16797.58 tried16797.75 to16797.9 be16798.07 finding16798.95 ways16799.35 to16799.58 be16799.67 more16799.83 flexible16799.99 to16800.19 fund16800.39 some16800.63 of16800.78 these16800.87 things.16801.03 So16801.75 one16801.99 of16802.15 the16802.31 real16802.87 changes16803.1 that16803.42 we've16803.58 made16803.83 is,16804.07 as16804.23 part16804.39 of16804.55 the16804.63 Mass16804.78 Lease16805.03 Act,16805.27 we16805.58 were16805.75 able16805.9 to16806.15 get16806.39 a16806.55 change16806.71 to16807.03 the16807.1 workforce16807.27 investment16807.75 trust16808.31 fund.16808.55
16809.52 This16809.52 trust16809.68 fund16810 is16810.32 off16810.56 budget.16810.88 It's16811.2 a16811.44 funding16811.6 source,16811.92 which16812.56 comes16812.88 from16813.2 sports16813.44 wagering.16813.76 And16814.72 because16814.96 of16815.28 this16815.36 change16815.6 we16815.84 made16815.92 in16816.08 the16816.24 Mass16816.32 Leads16816.56 Act,16816.8 it16816.96 means16817.12 that16817.28 we16817.44 can16817.52 access16817.76 these16818.08 funds16818.32 for16818.72 a16818.88 much16819.04 more16819.36 broad16820.32 range16820.56 of16820.96 different16821.38 programs,16822.33 and16822.74 that16822.97 is16823.22 very,16823.38 very16823.62 helpful16823.85 to16824.1 us.16824.26 Let16824.49 me16824.74 just16824.82 highlight16824.97 a16825.17 couple16825.38 of16825.62 the16825.69 things16825.78 that16826.01 the16826.17 workforce16826.33 trust16826.82 fund16827.06 will16827.22 be,16827.38 aimed16827.78 at.16828.01 One16829.14 is16829.3 $1516829.62 million16830.74 for16830.74 the16830.9 community16831.06 empowerment16831.46 and16831.93 reinvestment16832.1 program.16832.65 This16833.43 is,16833.59 again,16833.91 a16834.15 very16834.39 popular16834.63 program16835.03 that16835.43 goes16835.99 across16836.23 many,16836.55 many16836.87 communities16837.11 and16837.67 really16837.83 looks16838.07 at16838.31 folks16838.55 who16839.83 have16840.23 had16840.39 difficult16840.63 backgrounds16841.03 and16841.51 really16841.67 we16841.99 need16842.15 to16842.31 invest16842.47 in16842.71 them16842.79 to16842.95 help16843.11 them16843.27 get16843.51 back16843.67 on16843.83 track.16843.99 Another16845.03 program16845.51 here16845.83 is16845.99 $2.516846.47 million16846.63 for16847.19 the16847.35 community16847.51 workforce16847.91 partnership16848.31 grants.16848.79 Grants.16849.47
16849.56 This16849.56 was16849.64 formerly16849.8 known16850.2 as16850.44 urban16850.6 agenda,16850.92 also16851.64 a16851.88 very16852.03 popular16852.28 program16852.67 and16853.96 has16854.12 a16854.28 very16854.44 big16854.6 impact16854.83 on16855.15 urban16855.4 neighborhoods.16855.8 And16857.15 then16857.4 also16858.35 related16858.67 to16859.08 that16859.15 is16859.47 the,16859.72 an16861.24 entrepreneur16861.4 residence16863.21 program.16863.61 Actually,16864.09 that16864.33 is16864.49 not16864.65 part16864.81 of16864.97 that.16865.05 Okay.16866.73 In16867.53 any16867.69 case,16867.85 so16868.17 we're16868.41 gonna16868.49 use16868.73 the16868.81 workforce16868.89 investment16869.29 trust16869.69 for16869.93 a16870.09 bunch16870.17 of16870.33 these.16870.49 Separate16870.89 in16871.21 addition16871.37 to16871.69 the16872.01 workforce16872.17 investment16872.57 trust,16872.97 we16873.21 do16873.37 have16873.45 other16873.61 aspects16873.85 of16874.25 talent.16874.41 So16875.44 for16876.64 H16876.96 1,16876.96 we16877.35 are16877.6 going16877.83 to16878.08 be16878.15 expanding16879.03 the16879.51 entrepreneur16879.67 residence16880.32 program.16880.64 This16881.35 is16881.51 a16881.67 really16881.83 important16882.15 program.16882.48 It's16882.8 run16882.96 by16883.12 our16883.28 quasi16883.44 mass16883.83 ventures.16883.99 We've16885.92 renamed16886.15 it16886.56 to16886.8 called16887.12 Thrive.16887.44 Very16888.2 catchy16888.36 name.16888.8 It's16889.24 called16889.48 Talent16889.8 H1B16890.92 retention16891.24 visas16891.8 for16892.12 entrepreneurs.16892.28 If16892.92 anyone16893 remembers16893.32 that16893.64 later,16893.8 that16894.2 will16894.28 be16894.44 impressive.16894.6 But16895.56 the16895.8 goal16895.88 here16896.12 of16896.44 Thrive16896.6 is16897.32 to16897.64 make16898.12 sure16898.28 that16898.6 we16899 support16899.32 the16900.04 most16900.2 talented16900.52 entrepreneurs16901.24 from16901.8 around16901.96 the16902.2 world16902.36 to16902.81 help16902.89 them16903.13 stay16903.28 here16903.53 and16903.85 start16904.01 their16904.33 businesses16904.49 here16904.89 in16905.13 our16905.21 state.16905.37 If16906.24 you16906.33 think16906.49 about16906.65 the16906.81 examples16906.97 of16907.28 this,16907.37 people16907.68 think16908.01 about16908.17 people16908.33 like16908.49 Nubar,16908.72 who16909.21 was16909.37 the,16909.6 founder16910.01 of16910.33 Moderna16910.4 and16911.13 flagship16911.44 pioneering.16911.92 He16912.72 stayed16912.89 in16913.13 our16913.21 state16913.37 after16913.53 coming16913.68 here16914.01 to16914.08 study.16914.24
16914.49 So16914.49 the16914.72 focus16915.13 of16915.44 Thrive16915.6 is16915.92 to16916.17 make16916.24 sure16916.33 we16916.57 provide16916.72 funds16917.05 to16917.37 help16917.53 these16917.68 folks16917.85 stay16918.08 in16918.24 our16918.33 country16918.79 and16918.87 then16919.11 grow16919.51 their16919.75 businesses16919.99 here.16920.39 So,16920.55 we16921.51 propose16921.75 in16922.15 H16922.47 116924.07 $750,00016924.07 for16924.07 Thrive.16924.23 It'll16924.79 support16925.11 at16925.43 least16925.51 3016925.75 entrepreneurs.16926.07 We're16926.71 gonna16926.79 be16927.11 partnering16927.19 very16927.59 closely16927.83 with16928.15 universities16928.39 to16928.95 identify16929.11 these16929.51 folks16929.67 and16930.15 to16930.31 work16930.47 with16930.63 them.16930.79 Okay.16932.21 So16932.76 then16933.01 we16933.33 also,16933.4 in16933.81 addition16934.12 to16934.44 that,16934.53 have16934.85 1.3516935.08 million16936.36 for16936.36 internships16936.53 and16937.08 mentorship16937.24 programs16937.64 through16938.05 MassTech.16938.28 This16939.01 is,16939.24 again,16939.4 very16939.64 important.16939.88 This16940.28 goes16940.53 out16940.76 to16940.85 all16941.01 different16941.16 parts16941.49 of16941.64 our16941.81 tech16941.88 community16942.12 to16942.53 find16943.57 our16944.28 talented16944.36 folks16944.85 here.16945.08 And16945.79 then16945.87 we16946.03 also16946.11 wanna16946.59 continue16946.83 the16947.15 work16947.31 with16947.47 the16947.63 advanced16947.79 manufacturing16948.19 training16948.83 program,16949.07 which16949.63 is16949.79 really16949.95 looking16950.27 at16952.35 investing16952.51 $2.516952.51 million16952.51 through16953.39 the16953.55 workforce16953.71 investment16954.11 trust16954.59 fund16954.83 in16955.31 helping16955.47 to16955.87 find16956.99 folks16957.23 who16957.55 can16957.71 get16957.87 back16958.03 on16958.27 track16958.43 and16958.75 get16958.91 highly16959.39 skilled,16959.79 very16961 advanced16961.64 manufacturing16962.04 jobs.16962.6 So,16962.92 that16963.48 is16963.64 another16963.8 piece16964.04 of16964.2 this.16964.28
16964.76 And16964.76 then16964.92 lastly,16965.08 a16965.56 really16965.72 exciting16965.96 program16966.35 that's16966.67 part16966.92 of16967.08 Mass16967.24 Life16967.48 Sciences16967.72 is16968.44 our16968.6 Pathmaker16969 program.16969.32 So16970.04 we16970.2 first16970.35 launched16970.6 this16970.83 program16971 a16971.32 couple16971.4 years16971.72 ago,16971.88 and16972.28 we16972.67 are16972.83 now16973 gonna16973.15 be,16973.4 again,16973.48 funding16973.8 it16974.04 through16974.2 the16974.28 workforce16974.44 investment16974.83 fund16975.24 trust16975.64 fund.16975.96 It's16976.44 gonna16976.69 be16976.85 funded16976.93 at16977.25 $1016977.41 million.16978.21 This16978.21 is,16978.37 again,16978.61 helping16979.01 folks16979.33 who,16979.65 you16980.77 know,16981.01 have16981.81 lots16982.21 of16982.45 skills16982.61 and16982.85 talents16982.93 but16983.25 may16983.41 not16983.57 wanna16983.65 go16983.97 to16984.05 college16984.13 and16984.53 that16984.85 we16985.01 train16985.17 them16985.41 through16985.81 Pathmaker,16986.13 partnering16986.77 with,16987.09 colleges,16987.73 with16988.37 vocational16988.85 schools,16989.25 with16989.57 nonprofits,16989.73 and16990.45 then16990.53 partner16990.69 with16991.09 companies.16992.05 And16992.21 then16992.21 get16992.44 them16992.68 amazing16993.01 jobs16993.4 doing16993.72 biomanufacturing16993.97 at16994.84 the16994.92 end16995.01 of16995.16 that.16995.24 I16995.97 have16996.05 gone16996.21 to16996.32 the16996.44 graduation16996.6 ceremonies.16997.16 There's16997.72 always16998.05 tears.16998.36 These16998.76 are16999.01 people16999.08 who16999.4 were,16999.57 you17000.12 know,17000.28 working17000.53 at17000.84 fast17001.08 food17001.33 or17001.64 working17001.88 in,17002.21 grocery17002.84 stores17003.24 and17003.72 then17003.88 go17004.15 through17004.31 this17004.47 training17004.63 program17004.95 funded17005.35 by17005.67 the17005.83 state.17005.91 And17006.39 then17006.55 they17006.71 leave17006.87 there17007.11 with17007.27 jobs17007.59 making17007.91 50,17008.23 60,17008.87 $70,00017008.87 a17009.67 year17009.83 in17010.39 life17010.63 sciences17010.87 with17011.35 career17011.59 paths.17011.83 So17012.15 this17012.31 is17012.47 a17012.63 really,17012.71 really17012.95 important17013.19 program,17013.51 and17013.99 it's17014.15 very17014.39 important17014.63 to17014.95 the17015.11 life17015.19 sciences17015.35 companies.17015.75 They17016.23 love17016.47 this17016.71 pool17016.87 of17017.11 talent.17017.19 Okay.17018.15 So17018.4 that17018.48 is17018.64 all17018.88 section17019.2 2,17019.52 the17019.76 talent17019.92 section,17020.24 and17020.56 there's17020.72 a17020.96 lot17021.12 here17021.28 again17021.44 in17021.67 H17022.08 117022.32 around17022.64 talent.17022.88
17023.67 And17023.67 the17023.83 third17024 and17024.32 last17024.48 section17024.96 of17025.28 the17025.44 economic17025.52 development17025.92 plan17026.24 is17026.48 around17026.64 sectors.17026.88 So17027.52 let17027.67 me17027.83 just17027.92 talk17028.08 about17028.24 some17028.48 of17028.64 the17028.72 H17029.2 ,17029.67 programs17029.67 in17030.15 the17030.32 sectors17030.48 piece.17030.96 So17032.18 couple17032.42 things17032.82 here.17033.14 We17033.78 are17034.02 very17034.26 lucky17034.5 in17034.82 our17034.98 state17035.14 that17035.38 we17035.62 already17035.78 are17036.18 the17036.42 world17036.58 leaders17036.82 in17037.22 a17037.38 bunch17037.46 of17037.7 key17037.78 sectors.17038.02 However,17039.06 we17039.46 all17039.54 know17039.7 we're17039.86 living17040.1 in17040.34 very17040.5 competitive17040.66 times,17041.3 so17041.78 we17041.94 don't17042.1 wanna17042.26 rest17042.74 on17042.9 our17043.06 laurels17043.22 and17043.54 let17043.7 others17043.86 surpass17044.33 us.17044.49 We17044.65 wanna17044.74 lengthen17045.22 our17045.53 lead17045.78 in17045.93 these17046.1 areas.17046.33 And17046.89 top17047.13 of17047.3 that17047.38 list17047.53 are17047.85 places17048.01 like17048.33 life17048.58 sciences,17048.74 healthcare,17049.93 advanced17050.17 manufacturing,17050.65 robotics,17051.3 and17051.78 also17051.93 AI.17052.26 We17053.46 also17053.62 have17053.93 new17054.26 areas17054.41 that17054.82 we17054.97 think17055.06 we17055.3 should17055.38 be17055.53 leaders17055.69 in17056.01 and17056.17 we17056.26 wanna17056.41 make17056.74 those17056.89 key17057.06 investments17057.22 as17057.69 well.17057.85 For17058.1 example,17058.26 climate17059.02 tech17059.42 is17059.58 a17059.82 new17059.9 big17060.14 focus17060.3 for17060.54 us17060.62 in17060.78 the17060.94 economic17061.02 development17061.34 plan17061.74 and17061.98 also17062.14 on17062.38 our17062.46 H17062.62 1,17062.86 and17063.58 also17063.74 tourism17064.06 and17064.54 the17064.62 creative17064.7 economy.17065.1 And,17065.5 we17065.82 are,17066.38 Undersecretary17066.94 Stanton17066.94 is17067.34 working17067.42 a17067.58 lot17067.74 on17068.06 the17068.14 250th,17068.46 which17068.94 is17069.1 right17069.26 now17069.42 this17069.58 year17069.82 and17069.98 next17070.14 year.17070.38
17071.1 And17071.1 the17071.26 other17071.42 thing17071.66 is17071.82 that17071.98 we17072.22 wanna17072.3 make17072.62 business17073.92 easy17074.32 for17074.72 every17074.96 kind17075.12 of17075.35 company17075.44 in17075.76 our17075.92 state.17076.08 So17076.47 really17076.72 finding17076.96 ways17077.2 to17077.51 support17077.67 all17077.99 of17078.08 our17078.24 businesses,17078.32 including17078.72 all17079.12 of17079.28 the17079.35 ones17079.51 that17079.92 are17080.08 under17080.8 Undersecretary17081.03 Leila17081.51 D'Amelio17081.83 that17082.56 we17082.72 license17082.96 and17083.35 that17083.51 we17083.76 work17083.83 within17084.08 all17084.32 of17084.47 our17084.56 different17084.64 commissions17084.96 and17085.35 things.17085.51 So17087.51 let's17087.76 go17087.99 through17088.15 these17089.03 different17089.2 areas.17089.44 So17089.89 first17090.21 of17090.29 all,17090.53 we17090.85 are17091.01 a17092.45 78017092.53 billion17093.97 GDP17093.97 now,17094.53 which17094.77 is17095.01 pretty17095.25 incredible.17095.49 Again,17096.05 we're17096.29 bigger17096.77 than17097.01 many17097.33 countries,17097.57 bigger17097.97 than17098.13 the17098.25 country17098.37 of17098.61 Ireland.17098.77 We're17099.17 a17099.57 third17099.65 the17099.89 size17099.97 of17100.21 Canada.17100.37 And17101.65 we17101.89 are17102.13 the17103.01 leaders17103.17 in17103.57 so17103.73 many17103.89 of17104.13 these17104.21 areas.17104.45 However,17105.49 as17106.46 we17106.7 all17106.85 know,17107.1 this17107.82 last17108.06 month17108.78 and17109.01 a17109.1 half17109.17 has17109.49 been17109.65 very17109.82 interesting17111.26 with17111.74 what's17111.97 happening17112.22 in17112.62 the17112.78 federal17113.58 arena.17114.94 And17115.17 we17115.17 are17115.49 seeing17115.82 real17116.62 threats17116.85 of17117.33 funding17117.65 being17118.38 cut17118.62 from17118.78 the17119.01 NIH17119.17 and17119.58 many17119.74 other17119.97 federal17120.22 programs.17120.53 This17121.31 is17121.47 why17121.71 it's17121.79 more17122.11 important17122.35 than17122.83 ever17122.99 for17123.39 our17123.55 state17123.79 to17124.03 invest17124.19 in17124.59 these17125.31 key17126.03 sectors.17126.27
17127.15 So17127.15 our17127.39 House17127.79 117128.03 budget,17128.27 proposes17128.91 a17129.39 $1217129.47 million17130.43 transfer17130.43 to17130.83 the17130.91 Mass17131.07 Life17131.31 Sciences17131.55 Center.17131.95 This17133.07 is17133.31 the17133.47 time17133.63 for17133.87 us17134.03 to17134.19 make17134.27 sure17134.51 that17134.67 we17134.75 stand17135.19 up17135.42 for17135.58 our17135.67 leaders17136.07 and17136.39 that17136.55 we17136.71 continue17136.87 to17137.19 invest17137.27 in17137.58 science17137.75 and17138.15 research.17138.39 We17139.03 continue17139.19 to17139.51 invest17139.67 in17139.99 taking17140.15 care17140.39 of17140.55 patients.17140.71 We17141.27 continue17141.51 to17141.83 invest17141.9 in17142.23 helping17142.39 to17142.71 cure17142.79 the17143.19 hardest17143.35 diseases17143.75 and17144.39 doing17144.55 the17144.79 right17144.87 things17145.1 for17145.35 everybody17145.51 in17145.9 our17145.99 state,17146.15 the17146.55 country,17146.71 and17147.03 the17147.19 world.17147.27 So17148.13 this17148.29 investment17148.53 is17148.85 very,17149.09 very17149.25 important.17149.49 And17149.97 we've17150.93 tried17151.25 to17151.49 do17151.57 this17151.73 year,17151.89 to17152.77 make17153.01 sure17153.09 that17153.33 we17153.49 can17153.57 be17153.81 fully,17153.89 transparent17154.93 is17155.81 we've17156.05 tried17156.29 to,17156.53 propose17157.25 the17157.65 funding17157.81 in17158.21 two17158.37 chunks.17158.61 So17159.33 it's17159.49 a17159.73 $1217159.81 million17160.61 in17160.61 total17160.69 split17161.09 out17161.41 into17161.49 different17161.94 areas,17162.17 717162.82 million17163.38 and17163.38 517163.53 million17164.17 so17164.17 that17164.42 the17164.58 legislature17164.74 can17165.14 have17165.3 full17165.46 transparency17165.7 into17166.17 what17166.49 these17166.65 funds17166.82 are17167.06 going17167.14 to.17167.3
17167.94 We17167.94 also17168.1 are17168.33 really17168.42 thrilled17168.65 that17168.98 we17169.06 have17169.22 a17169.38 new17169.46 CEO17169.62 of17169.94 Mass17170.1 Life17170.33 Sciences,17170.49 Doctor17170.9 Kirk17171.22 Taylor,17171.38 who17171.78 is17171.94 here17172.1 somewhere.17172.26 Where's17172.98 Kirk?17173.3 Here17173.62 we17173.85 go.17174.01 And17174.33 he17174.49 and17174.65 his17174.82 team17175.06 are17175.3 working17175.46 very,17175.78 very,17176.81 hard17178.09 on17178.41 making17178.57 sure17178.89 that17179.13 as17179.61 we17179.77 hear17179.93 from17180.25 the17180.49 different17180.57 changes17180.89 in17181.21 DC17181.37 that17181.69 we17181.85 are17182.01 reacting17182.17 in17182.57 our17182.65 state17182.89 to17183.29 try17183.45 to17183.61 fill17183.77 as17183.93 much17184.01 of17184.17 that17184.25 gap17184.41 as17184.65 we17184.81 can.17184.97 Okay.17185.93 So17187.45 then17188.01 in17188.67 addition17188.83 to17188.94 that,17189.07 we17189.47 also17189.71 wanna17189.95 propose17190.26 funding17191.31 for17191.71 MassTech.17192.03 Again,17192.99 these17193.31 are17193.55 very17193.95 important17194.35 areas17194.74 for17195.15 our17195.39 state17195.47 and17195.78 for17195.95 the17196.1 country.17196.19 So17197.22 in17197.47 MassTech,17197.71 and17198.03 we17198.1 actually17198.26 have17198.51 Carolyn17198.67 Kirk's17198.99 picture17199.39 up17199.63 there.17199.78 And17200.51 her17200.67 person17200.83 is17201.15 right17201.39 here.17201.55 I17201.78 think17201.87 she's17202.1 no17202.35 stranger17202.51 to17202.83 Gloucester.17202.99 She17203.81 is17203.97 our17204.05 CEO17204.29 of17204.61 MassTech.17205.65 And17205.81 we're17205.81 proposing17206.05 $2.517206.85 million17207.01 for17207.65 programming17207.89 and17208.29 operating17208.45 support17208.93 across17209.57 all17209.97 of17210.13 the17210.29 key17210.69 divisions.17210.85
17211.25 These17211.25 are17211.41 areas17211.57 like17211.89 fintech,17212.05 which17212.77 is17212.93 very17213.09 important17213.33 for17213.65 cybersecurity,17213.89 areas17215.25 like17215.49 artificial17215.73 intelligence,17216.13 again,17216.93 a17217.25 place17217.51 that17217.66 we17217.83 wanna17217.9 lead,17218.22 and17218.47 this17218.63 is17218.78 early17218.87 days17219.18 in17219.42 AI,17220.31 quantum17220.47 computing,17220.87 robotics,17221.58 and17222.14 blockchain,17222.38 and17222.94 many17223.18 other17223.42 important17224.87 key17225.58 tech17225.83 areas.17226.07 We17226.94 also17227.18 are17227.42 proposing17227.58 another17227.99 $1.217228.31 million17229.42 for17229.42 the17229.51 Center17229.58 for17229.83 Advanced17229.99 Manufacturing,17230.38 also17230.94 under17231.18 Carolyn17231.51 and17231.9 MassTech.17231.99 This17232.85 is17233.01 really17233.17 to17233.25 encourage17233.49 all17233.97 of17234.13 our17234.37 local17234.61 manufacturers17235.09 to17235.65 invest17235.81 in17236.05 automation,17236.29 invest17236.77 in17237.01 upskilling,17237.25 invest17237.89 in17238.13 all17238.21 the17238.37 latest17238.53 technologies17238.77 so17239.25 they17239.33 can17239.49 stay17239.65 competitive.17239.89 And17240.69 then17240.85 finally,17241.09 we're17241.41 funding17241.65 another17242.13 $950,00017242.53 for17243.81 the17244.05 Mass17244.29 Cyber17244.53 Center.17244.85 And,17245.44 again,17245.68 this17246.01 is17246.49 a17246.65 very17246.81 important17247.05 area17247.37 as17247.6 we17247.85 have17247.92 more17248.08 and17248.24 more17248.33 technology,17248.49 making17248.97 sure17249.21 that17249.37 we17249.53 are17249.68 the17249.85 leading17250.01 front17250.4 edge17250.65 of17250.89 protecting17251.05 data.17251.44 So17253.6 that17253.92 is17254.08 all17254.24 that17254.49 we're17254.57 doing17254.81 on17255.05 life17255.13 sciences17255.37 and17255.76 MassTech17256.08 on17256.33 lengthening17256.49 our17256.97 lead.17257.13
17257.69 Let's17257.69 switch17258.09 gears17258.25 a17258.57 little17258.65 bit17258.81 and17258.97 talk17259.05 about17259.21 the17259.53 sector17259.61 that17259.85 we17260.01 should17260.17 be17260.33 winning17260.49 in17260.73 and17261.21 investing17261.37 more17261.77 in,17261.93 which17262.01 is17262.17 tourism17262.33 and17262.73 the17262.81 creative17262.97 economy.17263.29 We17263.93 have17264.09 so17264.33 much17264.57 to17264.81 offer17264.97 in17265.21 our17265.29 state17265.45 in17265.69 terms17265.85 of17266.17 history,17266.25 culture,17266.97 food,17267.61 arts,17268.09 sports,17268.49 mountains,17268.97 oceans.17269.45 We17269.93 have17270.01 everything17270.17 in17270.49 our17270.65 state.17270.81 We17271.44 have17271.6 historically,17271.84 you17272.97 know,17273.21 not17273.44 invested17274.08 as17274.57 much.17274.72 But17275.12 right17275.44 now,17275.53 with17275.76 the17276.08 250th17276.81 anniversary17277.21 of17277.53 the17277.68 founding17277.76 of17278.01 the17278.08 country,17278.16 which17278.49 started17278.72 here,17279.12 we17279.53 have17279.68 a17279.84 really17279.92 unique17280.16 opportunity.17280.49 And17283.05 we17283.21 have17283.36 MOTT,17283.53 the17283.92 Massachusetts17284.08 Office17285.05 of17285.53 Tourism17285.53 and17285.53 Travel.17285.68 They've17286.34 already17286.66 distributed17286.98 1.517288.26 million17288.42 in17288.82 grants,17288.9 and17289.78 they're17290.42 offering17290.66 additional17290.98 217291.38 million,17292.26 support17292.26 all17292.66 kinds17292.82 of17292.98 programming17293.14 marketing17293.62 for17293.94 the17294.18 250th.17295.38 And17296.02 we17296.02 would17296.18 like17296.34 to17296.5 ensure17296.74 that17297.06 we17297.14 continue17297.3 to17297.7 invest17297.78 in17298.1 these17298.18 areas.17298.42 So17298.98 we17299.38 have17299.54 all17299.78 the17300.82 assets17301.65 and17302.05 all17302.6 of17302.85 the17303.01 revolutionary17303.08 history17303.57 here.17303.89 We17304.05 wanna17304.13 make17304.37 sure17304.44 we17304.6 invest17304.76 in17305.01 these17305.08 areas17305.24 to17305.72 get17305.81 the17306.05 most17306.13 out17306.37 of17306.44 the17306.6 250th17306.85 and17307.17 to17307.33 bring17307.4 all17307.65 kinds17307.72 of17307.97 people17308.13 to17308.37 our17308.44 state17308.6 to17308.92 celebrate17309.08 this.17309.4
17310.44 In17310.44 addition17310.53 to17310.85 that,17310.92 we17311.17 have17311.33 all17311.49 of17311.65 the17311.72 rest17311.81 of17312.05 our17312.13 sectors,17312.28 including17312.69 all17313.01 of17313.17 our17313.33 small17313.49 businesses.17313.72 So17314.28 let's17314.44 talk17314.69 about17314.85 what17315.08 we're17315.17 doing17315.33 for17315.57 small17315.72 businesses.17315.89 So17316.94 H17317.18 117317.34 continues17317.58 our17318.06 commitment17318.3 to17318.94 the17319.02 small17319.18 business17319.5 arena.17319.9 This17320.3 is17320.46 the17320.54 majority17320.7 of17321.02 businesses17321.18 in17321.5 our17321.66 state.17321.82 It's17322.38 the17322.54 majority17322.7 of17323.1 the17323.18 employees17323.26 in17323.66 our17323.74 state.17323.9 It's17324.22 also17324.46 the17324.78 best17324.94 place17325.18 for17325.5 immigrants,17326.22 for17326.78 minorities,17326.94 for17327.58 women17327.74 to17328.22 get17329.26 a17329.34 foothold17329.5 into17329.98 the17330.22 door17330.3 and17330.62 to17330.78 grow17330.94 their17331.18 businesses.17331.34 So17332.14 we17332.38 are17332.53 again17332.62 committing17333.1 $7.517333.58 million17334.94 for17334.94 the17335.1 small17335.17 business17335.42 technical17335.74 assistance17336.14 program.17336.53 This17337.26 is17337.5 the17337.65 highest17337.74 level17338.06 of17338.3 funding17338.38 consistent17339.01 with17339.42 the17339.58 last17339.65 couple17339.82 of17340.06 years.17340.22 And17340.62 I17341.1 travel17341.33 around17341.74 and17342.06 do17342.22 small17342.38 business17342.53 tours17342.85 all17343.17 the17343.33 time,17343.42 including17343.65 with17343.98 many17344.14 of17344.38 you17344.46 in17344.62 your17344.78 districts.17345.5 And,17346.52 again,17347.08 there17347.56 are17347.8 tears17347.96 when17348.28 I17348.44 meet17348.52 with17348.76 small17348.84 businesses17349 and17349.32 they17349.4 talk17349.56 about17349.72 the17350.12 fact17350.2 that17350.44 they17350.52 would17350.76 not17351 be17351.16 able17351.32 to17351.56 survive17351.72 had17352.2 it17352.36 not17352.44 been17352.68 for17352.84 that17353 SBTA17353.16 grant.17353.72
17354.52 Again,17354.52 we17354.84 are17355 seeing17355.16 interesting17355.48 challenges17355.8 with17356.52 the17356.68 federal17357 small17357.64 business17357.96 administration,17358.28 so17358.84 these17359.08 grants17359.32 are17359.72 more17359.8 important17359.96 than17360.28 ever17360.44 that17360.52 we17360.68 continue17360.76 to17361.16 do17361.24 the17361.32 right17361.4 thing17361.63 from17361.71 our17361.78 state.17362.03 We17363.31 also17363.47 wanna17363.71 continue17363.95 to17364.1 provide17364.26 a17364.58 million17364.67 dollars17364.9 for17365.23 the17365.31 innovation17365.39 voucher17365.78 program.17366.19 This17366.58 is17366.83 to17366.9 help17367.07 early17367.55 stage17367.87 small17368.19 businesses17368.42 out17368.9 of17369.07 UMass17369.31 Amherst.17369.71 This17370.26 is17370.42 a17370.51 really17370.58 important17370.83 program17371.31 and,17371.71 again,17371.87 works17372.35 with17372.67 all17372.83 of17372.9 our17373.07 different17373.15 university17373.55 talents17374.42 to17374.9 help17375.07 small17375.31 businesses.17375.55 And17376.84 then17377 the17377.16 last17377.24 thing17377.48 that17377.64 we're17377.8 very17378.12 excited17378.36 to17378.6 launch17378.76 is17379.16 what17379.8 we17380.04 call17380.2 the17380.36 business17380.52 front17380.84 door.17381.16 I17381.48 think17381.56 many17381.72 of17381.88 you17382.04 have17382.12 heard17382.28 about17382.6 this17382.84 already.17383 Undersecretary17383.48 Stobel17383.8 and17384.12 her17384.28 team17384.36 have17384.6 been17384.68 working17384.84 very17385.08 hard17385.24 on17385.48 this.17385.56 We've17386.76 traveled17387 around17387.32 the17387.56 state.17387.88 And17388.04 as17388.04 part17388.2 of17388.36 our17388.44 economic17388.6 development17388.92 plan17389.32 as17389.48 well,17389.64 we17389.88 heard17389.96 everyone17390.2 say,17390.6 we17391.83 keep17391.99 hearing17392.14 about17392.47 all17392.71 these17392.94 different17393.1 grants,17393.83 and17394.31 workforce17394.55 training,17395.03 and17395.42 all17395.58 the17395.74 support17395.9 you17396.14 do.17396.31 How17396.62 do17396.87 we17396.94 access17397.18 it?17397.42 It's17397.58 so17397.74 confusing.17398.07 We17398.47 don't17398.62 understand17398.78 the17399.18 forms.17399.26 We17399.74 don't17399.83 understand17399.99 the17400.31 websites.17400.47 It's17400.94 so17401.03 hard17401.18 to17401.42 figure17401.58 out17401.9 who17402.07 we17402.22 have17402.38 to17402.47 talk17402.55 to.17402.71
17402.87 And17402.87 so17403.03 the17403.26 idea17403.35 here17403.58 with17403.83 business17403.9 front17404.22 door,17404.38 similar17404.95 to17405.11 what17405.27 we've17405.31 done17405.35 for17405.75 community17405.91 117406.23 stop,17406.47 is17406.87 to17407.11 bring17407.19 it17407.43 all17407.51 together17407.83 in17408.23 one17408.47 single17408.63 portal17408.95 and17409.35 to17409.51 have17409.67 a17409.83 concierge17409.91 service17410.47 so17410.87 that17411.03 any17411.19 business17411.59 can17412.31 come17412.47 to17412.63 this17412.71 portal17414.07 and17414.39 just17414.55 ask17414.71 very17414.95 simple17415.19 questions.17415.51 What17416.31 do17416.47 you17416.55 need17416.63 help17416.79 in?17416.95 What17417.19 regulation17417.35 are17417.75 you17417.83 struggling17417.99 with?17418.31 Do17418.47 you17418.55 need17418.71 help17418.79 finding17419.03 people?17419.35 Do17419.59 you17419.67 need17419.83 help17420.13 with17420.37 another17421.08 state's17421.33 trying17421.65 to17421.89 steal17421.97 you17422.21 away?17422.37 And17422.69 then17422.85 we17423.08 will17423.25 work17423.65 to17423.89 find17423.97 the17424.21 right17424.28 resources17424.53 and17424.92 get17425.01 you17425.17 the17425.33 right17425.4 help17425.57 that17425.81 you17425.89 need.17426.05 So17427.65 that17427.81 is17427.97 all17428.28 the17428.45 work17428.53 that17428.69 we're17428.85 doing17429.01 for17429.17 small17429.33 businesses17429.49 as17429.89 part17430.05 of17430.21 H17430.37 1.17430.53 And17430.85 then17431.01 last17431.97 let17432.21 me17432.37 just17432.53 turn17432.69 to17433.01 the17433.17 office17433.33 of17433.57 consumer17433.65 affairs17434.05 and17434.37 business17434.45 regulation,17434.76 which17435.17 is17435.33 a17435.53 very17435.61 important17435.77 part17436.01 of17436.33 our17436.45 office.17436.57 And,17437.45 OCABRA,17438.81 which17439.37 Undersecretary17439.37 D'Amelio17439.37 leads,17439.93 covers17440.33 many17440.89 different17441.21 areas.17441.61 And17442.25 these17442.49 are17442.65 very17442.81 important17443.05 areas17443.37 for17443.69 the17444.41 kind17444.49 of17444.65 smooth17444.89 operations17445.29 of17445.85 our17446.65 state17446.81 economy.17447.21
17448.01 So17448.01 we're17448.17 proposing17448.41 here17448.81 in17448.97 H17449.13 1,17449.29 $317449.77 million17450.65 for17450.65 OCABRA17450.89 for17451.45 all17451.66 kinds17451.83 of17451.99 important17452.14 regulatory17452.55 programs17453.03 under17453.42 consumer17453.74 protection.17454.14 Examples17455.18 of17455.58 this17455.66 are17455.9 the17456.07 consumer17456.22 outreach17456.63 efforts,17457.03 data17457.35 breach17457.66 repository,17457.99 the17458.71 lemon17458.78 law17459.1 arbitrations,17459.26 and17460.14 the17460.31 do17460.47 not17460.71 call17460.87 registry.17461.1 I17462.38 also17462.55 wanted17462.78 to17463.03 make17463.1 sure17463.26 we17463.42 all17463.58 highlight17463.83 that17464.14 OCABRA17464.38 has17464.87 done17465.03 a17465.18 lot17465.26 of17465.42 work17465.51 to17465.66 transform17465.99 the17466.31 home17466.55 improvement17466.87 contractor17467.35 program17467.75 to17468.47 ease17468.63 the17468.87 claims17469.03 processes17469.35 for17469.67 homeowners17469.83 and17470.31 to17470.47 make17470.55 it17470.71 so17470.79 much17470.95 easier17471.11 for17471.35 contractors.17471.59 That17471.99 is17472.23 a17472.39 big,17472.55 big,17473.11 amount17473.67 of17473.91 work,17474.07 and17474.31 it's17474.47 gonna17474.63 make17474.87 that17475.03 program17475.19 so17475.51 much17475.67 better17475.91 for17476.15 everybody.17476.31 We17477.19 also17477.35 have17477.67 another17477.83 important17478.15 sector17478.47 of17478.79 our17478.87 economy,17479.03 which17479.43 is17479.67 the17480.23 banking17480.39 sector.17480.79 So17481.27 we17481.44 have17481.78 the17482.12 division17482.45 of17482.79 banks17483.12 led17483.46 by17483.79 Commissioner17484.13 Mary17484.46 Gallagher,17484.8 who's17485.13 also17485.47 here.17485.81 Yay.17486.14 And17486.81 so17487.15 she17487.48 oversees17487.82 14017488.49 banks17489.49 and17489.83 credit17490.17 unions17490.5 and17490.84 1,63017491.17 nondepository17492.51 licensees,17492.85 and17493.18 they17493.6 have17493.76 to17493.84 conduct17493.92 examinations17494.4 of17495.12 all17495.2 of17495.44 the17495.52 state17495.6 chartered17495.84 banks,17496.16 credit17496.48 unions,17496.8 and17497.2 DOB17497.52 licensed17497.92 nonbank17498.32 entities17498.72 to17499.44 make17499.6 sure17499.68 that17499.92 we17500.08 have17500.16 a17500.32 sound17500.4 financial17500.72 system17501.12 in17501.44 our17501.6 state.17501.76 So17502.24 we're17502.4 proposing17502.64 a17503.04 $29.217503.28 million17505.28 budget17505.28 for17505.68 this17506.24 Division17506.48 of17506.8 Banks.17506.96
17507.91 We17507.91 also17508.08 have17508.24 the17508.39 Division17508.56 of17508.8 Occupational17509.51 Licensure17510.08 led17510.08 by17510.32 Commissioner17510.47 Cheryl17510.88 Wilkinson,17511.12 also17511.6 here.17511.91 Yay.17512.56 So17514.08 we17514.24 have17514.47 under17514.88 the17515.35 DOL,17515.6 under17516.08 Commissioner17516.39 Wilkinson,17516.88 we17517.35 have17517.43 2617517.67 boards17518.24 of17518.47 registration,17518.63 the17519.51 Office17519.6 of17519.91 Public17520.08 Safety17520.32 and17520.8 Inspections,17521.03 and17521.6 the17521.76 Office17521.91 of17522.31 private17522.47 occupational17522.87 school17523.51 education.17523.75 So17524.55 we17524.79 issue17524.95 500,00017525.51 licenses17526.31 a17526.79 year,17526.95 with17527.75 over17528.71 25017529.03 license17529.67 types17530.07 and17530.47 a17530.71 broad17530.87 range17531.11 of17531.35 trades17531.51 and17531.75 occupations.17531.91 This17532.47 is17532.63 plumbers,17532.79 hairdressers,17533.27 massage17533.99 therapists,17534.39 electricians,17535.66 the17536.47 whole17536.55 range17536.87 of,17537.18 you17537.51 know,17537.66 of17537.99 different17538.14 occupations,17538.47 realtors,17539.03 all17539.42 of17539.58 that.17539.66 So17540.22 H17540.55 117540.71 is17540.94 proposing17541.1 $34.917541.51 million17543.03 to17543.03 support17543.26 all17543.58 this17543.74 ongoing17543.9 work,17544.39 including17544.71 a17545.18 modernization17545.35 effort.17546.07 This17547.03 is17547.26 really17547.35 important17547.58 to17548.07 take17548.22 a17548.39 pause17548.47 on.17548.78 It's17549.26 not17549.51 very17549.74 sexy,17549.99 but17550.39 it's17550.55 very17550.71 important.17550.87 So17551.31 for17551.55 those17551.63 500,00017551.79 people17552.43 who17552.67 are17552.75 getting17552.83 licensed,17553.07 if17553.95 you're17554.11 up17554.35 for17555.23 getting17555.31 relicensed17555.63 or17556.11 if17556.27 you're17556.35 trying17556.51 to17556.67 get17556.75 licensed,17556.91 today,17557.31 we17557.63 have17557.79 four17558.03 or17558.27 five17558.35 different17558.59 IT17558.91 systems.17559.23 None17559.87 of17560.03 them17560.19 talk17560.43 to17560.51 each17560.67 other.17560.83 None17561.15 of17561.39 them17561.47 will17561.71 work17561.79 very17562.03 well.17562.43 And17562.59 you17562.59 have17562.75 to17562.99 call17563.15 by17564 phone17564.32 and17564.96 wait,17565.2 or17565.6 go17565.83 in17566 person17566.15 to17566.48 an17566.64 office,17566.8 or17567.12 fill17567.35 out17567.52 a17567.6 paper17567.76 form17568.08 to17568.4 get17568.56 licensed.17568.72
17569.44 We're17569.44 in17569.6 2025.17569.83 So17570.56 we17570.72 have17570.8 an17570.96 IT17571.04 project17571.28 underway17571.6 to17572 get17572.15 all17572.32 of17572.4 us17572.48 pulled17572.72 under17572.88 one17573.2 IT17573.6 system17573.92 where17574.48 you17574.64 can17574.8 check17575.28 and17575.44 see17575.6 where's17575.83 your17576.08 license,17576.24 fill17576.64 out17576.88 forms17577.04 online,17577.35 you17577.83 know,17577.92 get17578.15 status17578.4 updates.17578.8 You17579.67 know,17579.75 the17580.07 very17580.23 basics,17580.47 but17580.87 this17581.03 is17581.19 gonna17581.35 be,17581.51 a17582.31 huge17582.55 improvement17582.87 in17583.35 service17583.91 levels17584.31 and17584.63 also17584.71 efficiency17585.03 and17585.43 also.17585.59 So17586.23 that17586.47 project17586.71 is17587.03 underway17587.11 and17587.59 is17587.83 very17587.99 important.17588.15 We17589.03 also17589.19 have17589.43 the17589.51 Division17589.67 of17589.99 Insurance17590.15 headed17590.47 up17590.79 by17590.95 our17591.03 new17591.19 commissioner,17591.35 Michael17591.75 Caljouw.17592.07 Yay.17592.95 We17593.26 stole17593.35 him17593.74 from17593.83 Blue17594.07 Cross17594.15 Blue17594.39 Shield.17594.71 But17595.83 the17596.71 insurance17596.87 market17597.26 is17597.58 very17597.67 important17597.83 in17598.03 our17598.23 state17598.39 as17598.63 well.17598.71 Michael17599.35 and17599.67 his17599.83 team17600.07 regulate17602.23 all17602.63 of17602.78 our17603.03 insurance17603.19 industry.17604.23 We17604.78 are17604.95 the17605.1 number17605.35 13,17605.74 market17607.07 for17607.12 insurance17607.18 in17607.23 the17607.79 country,17607.95 believe17608.35 that17608.59 or17608.75 not.17608.91 And17609.39 we17609.63 also17609.79 are17610.19 the17611.47 26th17611.95 largest17612.27 insurance17612.67 market17613.07 in17613.39 the17613.55 world.17613.63 So,17614.43 our17614.99 budget17615.15 proposes17615.55 $1817616.11 million17616.99 to17616.99 support17617.15 the17617.47 regulation17617.55 of17618.03 this17618.11 industry,17618.35 and17619.47 this17619.63 industry17619.79 again17620.11 writes17620.35 over17620.67 $7017620.91 billion17621.79 in17621.79 terms17622.06 of17622.22 premiums.17622.38 And17622.93 we17623.01 all17623.17 know17623.33 the17623.74 insurance17623.82 industry17624.14 is17624.46 changing17624.69 a17625.01 lot17625.1 with17625.33 climate17625.49 change17625.82 and17626.3 with17626.46 healthcare17626.93 pressures17627.1 and17627.42 all17627.58 of17627.74 that.17627.82 So,17628.14 thrilled17628.69 to17629.01 have17629.1 Commissioner17629.82 Caljouw17630.14 here.17630.14
17631.33 Another17631.33 important17631.74 part17632.06 of17632.22 OCABRA17632.38 and17632.78 another17632.93 important17633.26 sector17633.58 of17633.9 our17633.97 economy17634.14 is17634.46 telecommunications17634.53 and17635.33 cable17635.49 led17635.9 by17636.14 Commissioner17636.3 Karen17636.69 Charles.17637.01 Yay.17637.97 Okay.17638.21 Great.17638.53 She17639.41 regulates17639.65 21317640.05 telecommunications17641.01 carriers17641.73 and17642.13 eight17642.29 cable17642.53 providers.17642.77 And17643.57 last17643.81 year,17643.97 they17644.21 investigated17644.37 over17645.01 1,80017645.17 complaints17645.73 and17646.37 secured17646.61 more17646.93 than17647.09 $280,00017647.25 in17648.45 consumer17648.61 refunds.17649.01 So17649.49 this17649.65 is17649.81 a17649.97 great17650.37 return17651.01 for17651.41 our17651.57 consumers.17651.81 So17652.65 we're17652.82 proposing17653.06 $3.517653.78 million17653.94 to17654.5 support17654.58 their17654.9 ongoing17655.06 work.17655.46 And17656.33 finally,17656.58 in17656.9 OCABRA,17657.06 we17657.46 have17657.54 the17657.7 Division17657.78 of17658.1 Standards.17658.26 And17659.62 he's17659.94 our17660.26 commissioner17660.42 not17660.82 here.17660.9 That's17661.14 okay.17661.38 He's17661.78 busy17662.02 testing17662.33 and17662.65 then17662.82 making17662.98 sure17663.22 we17663.38 inspect17663.46 everything.17663.85 So17664.17 this17664.33 is17664.5 a17664.65 make17664.82 sure17664.98 that17665.22 all17665.38 of17665.62 our,17665.78 kind17666.58 of17666.82 weights17666.98 and17667.22 measures17667.38 and17667.7 everything17667.85 is17668.17 consistent17668.47 across17668.79 the17668.95 state.17669.11 Again,17669.67 this17669.99 is17670.23 changing17670.39 as17670.79 we17671.03 have17671.11 new17671.35 protocols17671.51 with17671.99 things17672.07 like17672.31 EV17672.55 chargers.17672.87 But,17674.15 Commissioner17674.79 Dave17675.43 Rodriguez17675.67 is,17676.47 doing17676.87 a17677.27 lot17677.43 of17677.59 this17677.67 work.17678.07 And17678.23 we're17678.23 proposing17678.71 $3.417680.07 million17680.07 in17680.07 H17680.23 117680.39 for17680.63 the17680.95 Division17681.11 of17681.43 Standards.17681.59 So17682.44 that17682.67 wraps17682.83 up17683.24 the17683.4 sectors17683.56 piece17683.96 of17684.12 it.17684.2 So,17684.35 again,17684.6 fundamentals,17684.92 talent,17685.72 and17686.03 sector,17686.2 using17686.99 H17687.48 117687.64 to17687.88 invest17687.96 in17688.35 all17688.44 of17688.52 these17688.6 key17688.83 areas.17689.08
17689.8 So17689.8 in17690.03 closing,17690.2 I17690.51 just17690.6 wanna17690.76 say17690.99 we17691.15 appreciate17691.32 your17691.64 time.17691.88 We're17692.12 very17692.35 grateful17692.6 for17692.99 this17693.15 opportunity17693.24 to17693.64 talk17693.72 with17693.88 all17694.03 of17694.2 you.17694.28 We17694.35 wanna17694.44 hear17694.67 what17694.83 questions17694.99 are17695.32 on17695.48 your17695.56 minds.17695.72 We17696.91 are17697.07 living17697.31 in17697.79 very17698.99 interesting17699.31 times,17699.79 and17700.43 this17700.83 is,17700.99 you17702.51 know,17702.59 I17702.67 said17702.91 this17702.99 in17703.15 cabinet17703.31 the17703.51 other17703.71 day.17703.95 It's17704.83 easy17705.07 to17705.39 win17705.55 when17705.95 times17706.43 are17706.75 good.17706.83 When17707.79 times17707.95 are17708.35 hard,17708.51 that17708.75 is17708.91 when17709.07 the17709.31 best17709.47 teams17709.71 step17710.43 up.17710.67 And17711.15 that17711.43 is17711.51 when17711.76 the17712.08 best17712.15 teams17712.32 work17712.64 together17712.88 and17713.19 we're17713.43 creative17713.67 and17713.99 we17714.15 hustle17714.32 and17714.64 we're17714.8 nimble17715.03 and17715.51 we17715.67 do17715.83 the17715.99 work17716.08 to17716.4 make17716.47 sure17716.64 that17716.8 we17716.88 win.17717.03 And17717.35 that's17717.51 the17717.76 job17717.91 that17718.08 we17718.24 have17718.4 right17718.56 now.17718.8 So17718.96 this17719.12 is17719.35 our17719.43 moment17719.51 to17719.83 make17719.99 sure17720.08 we17720.24 lead.17720.47 And17721.19 I17721.67 am17721.83 very17721.99 confident17722.24 that17722.72 by17723.28 working17723.43 together17723.67 with17723.99 all17724.15 of17724.32 you17724.47 and17724.8 by17725.03 making17725.19 the17725.43 investments17725.6 in17726.08 H17726.32 1,17726.32 we17726.56 will17726.79 continue17726.95 to17727.07 make17727.19 sure17727.35 that17727.59 the17727.75 Commonwealth17727.91 is17728.47 the17728.71 best17728.87 place17729.11 for17729.43 every17730.31 talented17730.55 person,17730.95 every17731.27 great17731.51 organization,17731.75 and17732.31 that17732.47 we17732.63 lead17732.87 not17733.03 just17733.19 for17733.35 our17733.51 state,17733.59 but17733.83 for17733.99 the17734.15 country17734.23 and17734.47 the17734.63 world,17734.71 especially17734.95 right17735.51 now.17735.67 So17735.99 with17736.23 that,17736.39 I17736.47 will17736.63 end,17736.79 and17736.95 we're17737.03 happy17737.19 to17737.43 take17737.51 any17737.67 questions.17737.83
17740.89 FERRANTE17740.89 -17740.89 Thank17740.89 you,17741.14 madam17741.53 secretary.17741.93 Before17744.65 I17745.14 ask17745.3 you,17745.53 my17746.82 question,17746.97 I17747.62 just17747.78 wanna17747.93 acknowledge17748.26 that17748.82 former17751.06 mayor17751.46 Sefatia17751.78 Romeo17752.33 Theken17752.74 was17753.67 here17753.91 as17754.07 the17754.47 assistant17754.71 director17755.91 of17756.71 fish17757.27 and17757.51 wildlife.17757.67 Carolyn17758.63 Kirk17759.27 is17759.59 here,17759.83 former17760.39 mayor,17760.79 now17761.59 the17761.91 head17761.99 of17762.23 MTC.17762.55 Gloucester17763.43 has17764.07 a17764.23 tradition17764.31 of17764.87 promoting17765.03 its17765.51 mayors17765.67 to17766.15 great17766.97 public17767.28 service17767.76 in17768.17 the17768.57 state17768.72 arena.17769.68 And17769.92 I17769.92 wanna17770.01 thank17770.24 them17770.57 both17770.81 for17771.13 being17771.53 here17771.76 today.17772.01 My17772.97 question17774.08 is17774.49 actually17774.65 a17774.97 request.17775.21 Your17778.49 testimony,17778.65 thank17778.65 you17778.65 for17778.82 it.17778.98 It17779.06 was17779.22 comprehensive.17780.5 And17780.66 it's17780.66 hard17780.9 to17781.06 believe17781.22 that17781.62 0.26%17782.42 of17784.34 the17784.5 whole17784.66 state17784.98 budget17785.3 goes17785.7 to17786.02 fund17786.18 all17786.58 that17786.74 you17786.98 just17787.14 mentioned17787.46 and17788.26 how17788.42 important17788.66 all17789.14 of17789.3 those17789.46 sectors17789.7 and17790.5 all17790.9 of17791.06 those17793.3 buckets17793.46 are17794.26 to17794.49 making17794.65 our17794.97 economy17795.22 run17795.69 and17795.94 for17796.17 Massachusetts17796.49 having17797.14 one17797.38 of17797.5 the17797.62 strongest17797.78 economies17798.97 within17799.62 the17799.94 whole17800.01 5017800.33 states.17800.65 Yep.17801.14 So17801.62 thank17801.85 you17802.01 for17802.1 the17802.26 job17802.42 that17802.58 you're17802.82 doing17802.97 to17803.22
17803.46 HAO17803.53 -17803.53 We17803.53 have17803.53 an17803.69 awesome17803.85 team.17804.1 I17804.33 should17804.42 say17804.65 that17804.82 I'm17805.22 the17805.46 one,17805.53 you17806.02 know,17806.1 presenting17806.98 but17807.22 really17807.22 it's17807.22 these17807.54 folks17807.78 here17808.1 and17808.34 behind17808.5 me17808.74 who17808.98 have17809.14 done17809.22 all17809.54 of17809.7 the17809.86 work.17809.94 So17810.34 I'm17810.58 very17810.74 grateful.17810.98
17811.54 FERRANTE17811.54 -17811.54 And17811.54 if17811.7 any17811.86 of17812.02 the17812.26 members17812.9 did17813.38 not17813.54 get17813.7 their17813.94 bracelet17814.1 that17814.58 says17814.74 team17814.98 messages17815.22 Yes.17815.7 Please17816.26 make17816.5 sure17816.66 you17816.9 see17817.06 the17817.14 secretary17817.3 on17817.86 the17817.94 way17818.02 out17818.18 today.17818.42 But17819.06 my17819.3 request17819.86 is17820.26 this.17820.5 On17821.42 the17821.58 front17821.67 page17821.9 of17822.15 today's17822.31 globe,17822.63 it17823.99 mentions17824.23 that17824.78 our17825.1 fishermen17825.35 within17825.83 the17826.15 Commonwealth17826.31 do17827.51 not17827.67 know17827.9 when17828.23 and17828.55 if17828.71 they're17828.95 going17829.19 to17829.42 be17829.58 able17829.74 to17830.07 fish17830.15 this17830.71 year.17830.87 That17831.99 is17832.15 100%17832.71 unacceptable.17834.43 And17835.55 it's17835.95 because17836.19 the17836.75 federal17836.91 government17837.31 has17837.79 slashed17838.03 so17838.43 many17839.79 jobs,17840.03 the17840.03 administration17840.11 has17840.59 slashed17840.75 so17841.07 many17841.15 jobs17841.47 that17841.95 the17842.27 people17842.35 who17842.67 are17842.83 responsible17842.99 for17843.71 putting17843.87 the17844.19 framework17844.27 in17844.75 place17844.91 to17845.47 manage17845.63 our17846.03 fisheries17846.19 may17846.75 or17846.91 may17847.15 not17847.31 be17847.55 in17848.28 their17848.51 offices.17848.67 So17849.07 I17849.24 think17849.32 this17849.56 is17849.8 gonna17850.03 be17850.28 one17850.43 where17850.59 they're17850.83 gonna17850.91 have17851.15 to17851.32 do17851.39 a17851.56 do17851.72 over17851.96 and17852.76 see17853.32 what's17853.72 happening17854.03 in17854.35 the17854.51 New17854.67 England17854.83 region17855.15 because17855.47 it17855.72 wouldn't17855.87 even17856.19 just17856.43 be17856.67 the17857.39 Commonwealth17857.63 of17858.11 Massachusetts,17858.99 it17859.15 would17859.15 be17859.24 all17859.47 of17859.63 New17859.8 England17859.87 Fishermen17860.19 that17861.24 wouldn't17861.48 be17861.72 able17861.96 to17862.28 fish.17862.6 And17862.84 as17863.16 the17863.4 daughter17863.64 of17863.96 a17864.2 fisherman,17864.92 I17865.24 can17865.4 tell17865.56 you17865.72 it's17865.96 probably17866.28 one17866.76 of17867 the17867.16 most17867.32 difficult17867.64 professions17868.6 that17869.24 we17869.4 have17869.56 here17869.88 in17870.04 Massachusetts.17870.28 It's17871 weather17871.24 dependent,17872.28 it's17872.52 life17872.52 threatening,17873.72 it's17873.96 overregulated.17873.96 And17875.38 to17875.53 now17875.7 just17875.85 have17876.33 this17876.58 burden17876.82 opposed17877.3 on17877.78 that17878.01 sector17878.26 and17879.14 on17879.38 our17879.62 fishing17879.78 communities17880.17 is17881.22 just17881.38 a17881.62 little17881.7 bit17881.85 too17882.1 much.17882.26
17882.5 And17882.5 the17882.74 sad17883.06 reality17883.3 is17883.78 some17884.5 people17884.65 may17884.9 think17885.06 I'm17885.38 making17885.53 a17885.85 partisan17885.94 statement,17886.5 but17886.9 I'd17887.14 be17887.3 the17887.38 first17887.46 to17887.94 say,17888.53 for17889.49 fishermen17889.81 it17890.21 doesn't17890.37 really17890.61 matter17890.85 if17891.25 there's17891.41 a17891.73 Democrat17891.89 or17892.61 a17892.93 Republican17893.01 that17894.29 heads17894.45 up17894.69 the17894.85 presidency.17895.01 It17895.57 seems17895.81 to17895.97 be17896.13 that17896.29 we17896.45 get17896.53 it17896.77 from17896.93 both17897.09 and17897.33 all17897.49 ends.17897.65 So17898.69 anything17898.93 that17899.33 you17899.49 could17899.65 do17899.81 to17900.05 talk17900.13 to17900.37 your17900.45 counterpart17900.69 in17901.25 Washington,17901.33 the17901.73 secretary17901.81 of17902.31 commerce,17903.35 as17903.58 fisheries17903.58 comes17904.07 under17904.22 a17904.62 lot17904.71 of17904.86 people.17904.94 I17905.26 don't17905.26 think17905.26 it17905.58 comes17905.66 under17907.1 interior,17907.99 or17907.99 environment,17907.99 or17907.99 something17910.62 else.17911.03 It17911.35 doesn't.17911.42 It17911.74 comes17911.83 under17912.07 the17912.31 secretary17912.55 of17912.86 commerce.17912.94 Anything17913.58 that17914.07 you17914.22 could17914.38 do17914.62 to17915.46 advocate17915.62 for17915.86 our17916.18 fishermen17916.34 and17917.14 to17917.3 give17917.46 them17917.7 some17917.86 certainty17918.1 in17918.58 terms17918.66 of17918.98 when17919.06 they17919.3 can17919.46 start17919.7 to17919.94 fish17920.02 and17920.34 how17920.5 they17920.66 can17920.9 would17921.54 be17921.7 greatly17921.94 appreciated17922.66 from17923.3 this17923.46 community.17923.62
17924.66 HAO17924.66 -17924.66 Well,17924.66 Vice17926.58 Chair17927.06 Ferrante,17927.06 you17927.06 know,17927.22 I've17927.38 spent17927.62 a17927.86 lot17927.94 of17928.1 time17928.18 here17928.34 in17928.42 Gloucester17928.5 and17928.98 visited17929.06 with17929.46 many17929.76 of17930.01 our17930.72 amazing,17930.97 fishermen17932.01 and17932.57 and17932.72 fisheries17932.89 here.17933.37 It17933.76 is17933.85 a17934.01 really17934.16 important17934.4 part17934.64 of17934.89 the17934.97 economy17935.05 here17935.68 and17935.92 many17936.16 parts17936.4 of17936.72 our17936.81 state.17936.97 We17938.49 will17938.64 100%17939.05 be17939.85 happy17940.01 to17940.33 follow-up17940.49 and17940.97 help17941.37 advocate.17941.6 I17942.33 just17942.4 wanna17942.57 make17942.81 two17942.97 comments,17943.13 related17943.76 to17944.16 this,17944.24 though.17944.4 One17944.64 is17944.89 that,17945.05 so17946.78 I'm17947.02 a17947.18 business17947.34 person.17947.58 This17947.82 is17947.98 my17948.06 first17948.14 time17948.3 in17948.46 state17948.62 government.17948.86 It's17949.1 a17949.26 tremendous17949.42 honor17949.74 and17949.98 I17950.14 feel17950.46 really17950.86 so17952.3 grateful17952.62 that17953.02 we17953.18 have17953.34 some17953.98 people17954.14 in17954.46 our17954.62 government,17954.78 and17955.26 I've17955.42 learned17955.58 so17955.9 much.17956.06 But17956.94 as17957.18 a17957.34 business17957.42 person,17957.74 people17959.1 have17959.33 often17959.41 said,17959.74 oh,17960.14 well,17960.38 you17960.62 must17960.69 love,17960.93 you17961.17 know,17961.33 all17961.49 this,17961.65 like,17961.89 this17962.14 business17962.3 stuff17962.69 happening17962.85 in17963.17 DC.17963.26 What17965.89 is17966.14 happening17966.3 does17967.26 not17967.41 make17967.65 sense17967.82 for17968.06 business.17968.3
17968.78 If17968.78 you17969.01 have17969.26 amazing17969.74 businesses17970.38 that17971.1 are17971.26 really17971.41 strong17971.65 parts17971.97 of17972.09 your17972.22 economy,17972.38 like17973.17 the17973.89 fisheries,17974.13 you17975.17 do17975.33 not17975.49 cut17975.89 the17976.21 legs17976.37 out17976.61 from17976.77 under17976.93 that.17977.09 You17977.57 wanna17977.81 support17978.05 them17978.37 and17978.61 help17978.77 them17978.93 thrive.17979.09 And17979.57 so17979.81 I17980.21 think17980.29 it's17980.53 really17980.93 important17981.25 to17981.65 remember17981.73 that17982.13 our17983.09 goal17983.33 here17983.57 is17983.89 to17984.05 support17984.21 all17984.61 of17984.85 our17985.01 amazing17985.17 businesses,17985.49 all17985.97 of17986.13 our17986.21 amazing17986.29 talent,17986.61 and17987.65 help17987.89 them17988.13 thrive.17988.37 That17989.28 is17989.44 our17989.68 role17989.76 in17990.01 government.17990.24 And17990.57 what17990.81 we17991.05 are17991.21 doing,17991.6 what's17991.76 happening17992.01 right17992.33 now,17992.49 not17992.81 just17992.97 in17993.13 fisheries17993.28 but17993.6 in17993.68 so17993.85 many17993.92 places,17994.08 is17994.72 the17994.89 opposite17995.05 of17995.44 that.17995.53 So17995.85 this17996.24 is17996.49 not17996.65 good17996.89 business17997.05 in17997.37 my17997.53 view.17997.68 The17998.08 second17998.16 thing17998.49 I17998.57 will17998.72 say17998.89 is17999.05 that,17999.21 I17999.76 think17999.92 this18000.16 is18000.33 a18000.49 very18000.57 important18001.05 tangible18001.44 example.18002.01 Again,18002.67 you18002.99 can18003.07 read18003.23 the18003.47 newspapers18003.55 and18003.87 people18004.03 are18004.19 like,18004.27 oh,18004.43 sure.18004.59 This18004.83 sounds18005.07 great.18005.31 Let's18005.55 do,18005.71 you18005.95 know,18006.03 all18006.19 these18006.35 cuts.18006.59 In18008.43 reality,18008.59 these18009.23 are18009.39 gonna18009.55 affect18009.87 so18010.35 many18010.59 humans18011.15 and18011.71 families,18011.87 and18012.59 their18012.75 kids,18012.99 and18013.47 their18013.63 ability18013.79 to18014.11 make18014.19 a18014.35 living.18014.75 And18014.83 it's18014.83 gonna18014.99 ripple18015.31 through18015.63 in18015.87 very18016.03 real18016.35 ways.18016.59 And18016.91 so18017.26 we18017.42 all18017.49 need18017.58 to18017.65 work18017.82 together18018.06 to18018.53 have18018.62 a18018.74 voice18018.85 and18019.17 to18019.42 advocate18019.65 with18020.62 the18020.78 people18020.94 that18021.26 matter18021.33 in18021.74 DC18021.9 on18022.3 these18022.46 important18022.7 areas,18023.01 especially18023.58 our18024.06 fishermen18024.22 here.18024.62
18025.49 SPEAKER218025.49 -18025.49 Thank18025.49 you.18025.74 Thank18026.22 you.18026.46 Senator18026.62 Olivera?18027.17
18031.54 OLIVEIRA18031.54 -18031.54 Thank18031.54 you,18031.7 Madam18032.26 Chair,18032.5 and18032.5 thank18032.66 you,18032.82 Secretary18033.62 Hao18033.78 and18033.78 your18033.94 entire18034.1 team.18034.5 Just18034.82 to18034.98 add18035.14 to18035.38 the18035.46 point,18035.62 I18035.94 don't18036.02 have18036.34 a18036.98 coastal18037.14 community18037.7 in18038.18 my18038.34 district18038.5 at18039.06 all,18039.22 but18039.7 I18039.86 also18040.02 know18040.34 that18040.58 the18040.9 funding18041.14 cuts18041.7 to18042.1 NOAA,18042.26 which18043.14 puts18043.38 weather18043.71 balloons18044.03 in18044.42 the18044.58 air18044.67 the18045.55 fishing18045.62 community18045.62 is18046.26 relying18046.51 upon18046.99 accurate18047.47 weather.18048.03 And18048.51 when18048.66 you18048.9 cut18049.07 that,18049.31 you18049.71 impact18050.03 the18050.83 fishermen18051.07 and18051.55 the18051.71 people18051.78 who18052.03 are18052.18 going18052.35 out18052.74 on18052.83 the18052.99 ocean18053.14 risking18053.62 their18054.03 lives.18054.18 If18054.42 you18054.58 walk18054.74 up18054.9 the18055.07 stairs,18055.14 you18055.47 see18055.71 the18055.86 names18055.94 of18056.26 people18056.42 who18056.9 lost18057.07 their18057.38 lives18057.55 here18058.26 from18058.42 this18058.66 community18059.04 because18059.68 of18059.92 not18060.16 accurate18060.4 weather.18060.8 And18061.28 that's18061.52 something,18061.76 because18062.4 we're18062.64 all18062.8 team,18062.96 Massachusetts.18063.84 I18064.64 almost18064.8 said18065.04 Western18065.28 Massachusetts.18065.76 I18066.88 had18066.96 a18067.2 w18067.36 on18067.84 here,18068.08 but18068.32 now18068.64 that18069.04 I'm18069.2 promoting18069.44 Gloucester,18069.92 I18070.48 might18070.96 need18071.2 to18071.36 erase18071.6 that18071.92 out.18072.08 My18072.66 question18072.9 does18073.31 have18073.55 to18073.78 do18073.94 with18074.35 Western18074.58 Massachusetts18074.99 and18075.71 looking18075.94 at18076.35 the18076.9 Mass18077.07 Leads18077.38 Act18077.78 that18078.03 was18078.1 signed18078.26 into18078.58 law18078.83 by18079.07 the18079.22 governor18079.38 and18080.03 the18080.18 varying18080.26 different18080.66 sectors18081.07 that18081.55 you18081.71 mentioned18081.87 before.18082.26 There18082.83 are18082.99 a18083.07 couple18083.14 of18083.47 sectors18083.63 that18084.03 are18084.26 very18084.42 near18084.66 and18084.9 dear18085.14 to18085.38 the18085.47 hearts18085.63 of18085.87 the18086.02 Western18086.18 Mass18086.5 Legislators18086.58 that18087.7 were18087.86 included18088.02 within18088.58 that18088.9 bill.18089.14 You18089.54 mentioned18089.78 one18090.18 of18090.34 them,18090.5 quantum18091.3 computing.18091.7
18092.34 You18093.06 know,18093.14 Western18093.38 Massachusetts,18093.78 despite,18094.58 our18096.1 distance18096.26 out18096.74 of18096.9 Boston,18097.06 our18097.78 economy18098.02 is18098.5 tied18098.66 much18099.22 more18099.46 North18099.7 South18100.1 than18100.35 it18100.51 is18100.58 East18100.83 West.18101.07 And18101.87 as18102.1 Connecticut18102.35 and18102.99 the18103.15 Hargreiter18103.23 Hartford18103.78 area18104.19 rises18104.74 and18105.23 falls,18105.39 so18106.1 does18106.26 Western18106.51 Massachusetts.18106.9 So18107.95 looking18108.19 at18108.58 some18108.74 of18108.9 the18108.99 key18109.23 areas18109.47 that18109.87 builds18110.1 upon18110.35 our18110.67 investments18110.9 with18111.63 great18111.87 institutions18112.19 like18112.9 UMass18113.15 and18113.55 Senator18114.1 Comerford's18114.74 district,18114.74 and18115.94 looking18116.18 at18116.58 the18116.9 potential18117.14 for18117.94 Western18118.18 Massachusetts18118.66 as18119.3 an18119.46 economic18119.62 hub.18120.1 You18120.5 know,18120.66 Western18120.74 Mass18121.14 really18121.3 didn't18121.62 benefit18121.86 a18122.42 lot18122.5 from18122.9 biotech18123.22 investment.18123.86 They18124.5 didn't18124.66 benefit18124.98 as18125.38 much18125.62 from18125.78 life18126.02 sciences.18126.34 There18127.22 are18127.38 emerging18127.54 sectors18127.94 right18128.42 now18128.58 that18128.9 could18129.06 be18129.3 a18129.38 great18129.46 benefit18129.7 to18131.22 our18131.62 region.18131.78 118131.85 of18132.46 them18133.06 could18133.13 be,18133.22 quantum,18133.82 but18134.1 the18134.17 other18134.41 that18134.65 you18134.78 didn't18134.89 mention18134.97 in18135.14 the18135.3 sectors18135.38 was18136.01 food18136.33 science.18136.65 That's18137.22 something18137.46 that18137.85 many18138.01 of18138.33 the18138.41 Western18138.49 Mass18138.89 Legislators18139.22 worked18139.78 on.18140.1 We18140.41 have18140.58 an18140.74 amazing18140.97 ability18141.62 to18142.1 connect18142.26 with18143.49 that18143.65 sector18143.97 because18144.45 of18144.93 the18145.09 universities18145.33 that18145.89 we18146.05 have18146.21 in18146.37 our18146.53 region,18146.69 but18147.25 also18147.41 the18147.65 agricultural18147.89 history18148.69 that18149.09 we18149.25 have.18149.41 And18149.81 so18149.97 I'm18150.13 wondering18150.37 as18151.73 we're18151.89 looking18152.13 at18152.53 these18152.69 sectors18152.93 to18153.33 invest18153.57 in,18153.89 what18154.29 is18154.45 the18154.61 administration18154.77 doing18155.49 to18155.97 look18156.21 at18156.45 those18156.69 sectors18156.85 within18157.25 the18157.57 LEADS18157.73 Act18158.21 in18158.45 making18158.61 those18158.99 investments?18159.31
18159.87 HAO18159.87 -18159.87 Well,18159.87 I18159.95 love18160.1 this18160.27 question.18160.42 I18160.75 think18160.83 everybody18161.07 knows.18161.47 I18161.87 love18162.03 all18162.19 of18162.42 our18162.58 state,18162.67 but18162.9 I18163.07 especially18163.23 love18163.55 the18163.71 413.18163.78 That's18164.67 my18164.99 first18165.07 time18165.23 in18165.39 Massachusetts18165.63 was18166.19 was18166.42 going18166.58 to18166.75 college18166.9 in18167.15 Western18167.31 Mass,18167.71 and18168.1 I18168.27 have18168.35 a18168.42 house18168.51 out18168.75 there.18168.9 So18169.07 I18169.23 am18169.31 out18169.47 there18169.63 as18169.87 much18170.03 as18170.19 I18170.35 can18170.42 be.18170.67 But18172.37 for18172.61 all18172.85 of18173.01 our18173.17 state,18173.33 it's18173.65 really18173.89 important.18174.13 So,18174.61 in18175.17 our18175.33 economic18175.65 development18176.05 plan,18176.37 and18176.61 this18176.69 is18176.85 something18176.93 I18177.25 think18177.33 about18177.41 all18177.65 the18177.81 time,18177.97 we18179.25 talked18179.49 about18179.73 how18179.89 we18180.05 are18180.21 the18180.37 wealthiest18180.45 state.18181.01 We're18181.81 the18182.05 highest18182.21 income18182.53 per18182.85 capita18183.09 state.18183.49 We18184.13 should18184.37 all18184.37 be18184.53 very18184.61 proud18184.77 of18185.01 that.18185.09 That's18185.25 a18185.49 big18185.57 deal.18185.73 We18186.98 are18187.14 one18187.38 of18187.62 the18187.7 most18187.85 income18188.26 unequal18188.74 states.18189.22 That18190.26 is18190.42 really18190.58 shameful.18190.9 That's18191.62 not18191.85 what18192.17 Massachusetts18192.5 is18193.06 about.18193.14 And18193.62 when18193.85 you18194.02 look18194.1 at18194.26 the18194.33 income18194.5 inequality,18194.74 some18195.62 of18195.78 it18195.94 is18196.1 by18196.33 education,18197.14 some18197.85 of18198.02 it's18198.17 by,18198.33 you18199.38 know,18199.46 background.18199.7 A18200.33 lot18200.5 of18200.82 it18200.98 is18201.36 really18201.6 correlated18201.92 to18202.48 geography.18202.64
18203.28 So18203.28 if18203.52 you18203.76 live18203.92 in18204.08 Western18204.24 Mass18204.64 or18205.04 some18205.6 of18205.76 the18205.92 other18206 areas18206.16 of18206.48 the18206.56 state,18206.64 your18207.04 family18207.28 income18207.6 on18208 average18208.24 is18208.48 half18208.72 of18209.2 what18209.28 it18209.44 is18209.6 in18209.76 Boston18209.92 Cambridge.18210.24 And18211.04 yet18211.28 we18211.44 know18211.68 we18212 have18212.16 wicked18212.4 awesome18212.8 talent18213.12 in18213.44 every18213.68 part18213.84 of18214 the18214.16 state,18214.24 and18214.4 we18214.56 have18214.64 universities18214.8 and18215.36 colleges18215.52 in18216 every18216.16 part18216.4 of18216.48 our18216.64 state.18216.8 We18217.12 should18217.26 be18217.41 doing18217.58 better.18218.53 When18218.78 we18218.93 were18219.1 putting18219.26 together18219.58 the18219.82 Mass18219.97 Leads18220.22 Act,18220.46 we18220.85 looked18221.26 a18221.58 lot18221.65 at18221.82 the18221.97 past,18222.13 try18222.53 to18222.78 learn18222.85 for18223.17 the18223.33 future.18223.41 And18223.74 one18223.97 of18224.13 the18224.3 reflections18224.38 we18224.78 had18224.93 was18225.17 that18225.33 too18225.65 much18225.89 of18226.13 the18226.22 gains18226.38 from18227.1 the18227.33 past18228.06 economic18228.38 development18228.78 bills,18229.17 were18230.88 really18231.04 for18231.28 Boston18231.68 Cambridge18232 and18232.4 didn't18232.56 spread18232.8 out.18233.04 So18233.6 as18233.84 we18234 think18234.08 about18234.24 the18234.48 Mass18235.04 Leads18235.2 Act18235.2 we're18235.2 being18235.44 very18235.76 intentional18236.08 about,18236.72 helping18237.52 these18237.84 industries18238.16 develop18238.64 in18238.96 every18239.12 region.18239.44 So18239.92 for18240.16 life18240.32 sciences,18240.56 helping,18241.28 you18242.16 know,18242.32 all18242.72 of18242.88 the18243.12 r18243.35 and18243.6 d18243.76 that18244.08 are18244.24 sent18244.48 you18244.8 know,18244.88 in18244.96 Kendall18245.2 Square18245.6 and18245.92 in18246.8 Boston18246.96 and18247.35 Cambridge,18247.44 helping18247.92 them18248.24 build18248.4 life18248.64 sciences,18248.8 you18249.76 know,18249.92 manufacturing18250.15 facilities18250.64 in18251.51 Western18252.15 Mass,18252.56 in18252.88 Central18253.12 Mass,18253.44 in18253.67 North18253.92 Shore18254.08 and18254.32 South18254.56 Shore18254.8 for18255.2 climate18255.44 tech.18255.83 We're18256.27 already18256.43 starting.18256.67
18257.23 Again,18257.23 spinning18258.03 out18258.35 of18258.59 universities,18258.75 having18259.31 the18259.55 r18259.71 and18259.87 d18260.03 center18260.27 in18260.59 Boston18260.75 and18261.07 Cambridge.18261.07 But18261.55 when18261.71 you18261.79 build18261.95 your18262.19 manufacturing18262.51 site18263.31 for18263.71 a18263.95 concrete,18264.11 do18264.51 it18264.67 in18264.75 Holyoke.18264.83 When18265.31 you're18265.47 building18265.55 your18265.87 big,18266.03 you18266.35 know,18266.43 first18267.39 prototype18267.79 manufacturing18268.67 site,18269.23 do18269.47 it18269.63 in18269.71 Devens.18269.87 And18270.19 so18270.43 trying18270.81 to18270.92 get18271.05 climate18271.21 tech18271.53 to18271.68 be18271.76 in18271.92 all18272.01 parts18272.17 of18272.4 our18272.49 state.18272.65 And18272.97 quantum18273.21 is18273.6 a18273.76 big18273.85 piece18274.01 of18274.17 it,18274.24 and18274.33 I18274.49 was18274.72 just18274.97 talking18275.13 to18275.76 Chancellor18276.24 Reyes18276.24 on18276.72 Friday18276.89 in18277.44 Springfield18277.68 about18278.33 climate18278.72 tech18279.13 and18279.28 food18279.44 science18279.68 because18280.08 we18280.33 have18280.49 a18280.65 real18280.81 jewel18281.44 there18281.76 with18281.92 UMass18282.17 Amherst18282.49 and18283.05 how18283.21 do18283.37 we18283.44 invest18283.6 more18283.92 there.18284.08 So18284.24 this18284.4 is18284.49 a18284.65 very18284.72 intentional18284.89 part18285.37 of18285.6 our18286.65 implementation18286.81 of18287.29 Mass18287.61 Leads18287.77 is18287.77 to18287.93 make18288.09 sure18288.17 that18288.33 there's18288.41 we18288.81 take18288.97 advantage18289.21 of18289.53 all18289.69 of18289.85 the18290.01 parts18290.09 of18290.33 our18290.41 state18290.57 and18290.81 all18290.89 of18290.97 our18291.13 talent.18291.29 I18291.69 don't18291.85 know18292.01 if18292.09 you18292.17 wanna18292.25 comment18292.49 more18292.73 on18292.89 quantum18292.97 because18293.29 that's18293.53 an18293.69 area18293.77 that18294.01 you18294.09 work18294.25 on18294.49 closely.18294.65
18295.29 UNIDENTIFIED18295.29 SPEAKER18295.29 -18295.29 EOED18295.29 -18295.29 Thank18295.29 you18295.53 all18295.69 for18295.77 having18296.01 me18296.25 so18296.33 much.18296.65 I'm18296.89 always18297.05 happy18297.29 to18297.61 talk18297.69 about18297.93 to18298.82 talk18298.89 about18299.06 Holyoke.18299.3 So18299.78 the18299.93 Massachusetts18300.01 Green18302.01 High18302.41 Performing18302.41 Compute18302.41 Center18302.41 in18302.41 Holyoke18302.58 is18303.46 really18303.62 gonna18303.78 be18303.93 an18304.1 anchor18304.26 for18304.65 that18304.82 part18304.97 of18305.22 the18305.38 state18305.46 around18305.78 a18306.1 investment,18306.26 workforce18306.82 training.18307.3 It's18308.01 gonna18308.1 be18308.33 job18308.58 pipelines18308.82 and18309.22 emerging18309.38 technology18309.85 that18310.33 other18310.49 states18310.65 just18310.97 won't18311.13 be18311.38 able18311.46 to18311.62 compete18311.69 with.18312.1 It's18312.49 incredible18312.95 partnerships18313.27 with18313.75 our18313.91 local18314.07 nonprofits,18314.47 our18315.11 workforce18315.35 providers,18315.75 as18316.31 well18316.47 as18316.63 our18316.79 educational18316.95 partners.18317.59 So18318.31 I18318.47 know18318.55 we're18318.79 really18318.87 excited,18319.11 and18319.43 Carolyn18319.75 Kirk18320.15 is18320.47 nodding18320.63 happily18321.03 in18321.43 the18321.51 back18321.67 that18322.15 MassTech18322.39 is18322.87 taking18323.03 the18323.35 lead18323.43 on18323.59 this.18323.75 I18324.47 also18324.55 wanted18324.79 to18325.03 add18325.11 around18325.19 the18325.43 alternative18325.51 food18326.08 proteins,18326.4 Massachusetts18326.88 is18327.6 really18327.76 taking18328.08 a18328.48 lead18328.64 here18328.96 around18329.44 partnering18330.15 with18330.56 colleges18330.64 like18331.12 UMass18331.28 Amherst18331.6 and18332.08 Tufts18332.32 to18333.12 become18333.28 a18333.67 biomanufacturing18333.92 hub18335.12 for18335.44 that.18335.67
18336.15 It's18336.15 not18336.4 something18336.56 that18336.88 five18337.12 years18337.28 ago,18337.52 I18337.76 think,18337.83 would18338 have18338.15 had18338.32 such18338.48 a18338.64 footprint,18338.72 but18339.12 now18339.35 between18339.6 the18340.15 city18340.24 of18340.48 Worcester,18340.64 regional18341.61 efforts18342.01 that18342.41 are18342.49 taking18342.57 place18342.81 out18343.05 in18343.29 Holyoke18343.45 and18343.85 Springfield,18344.01 the18344.65 Tufts18344.81 and18345.13 UMass18345.29 Amherst18345.61 programs,18346.09 we're18346.89 partnering18347.21 not18347.69 only18347.85 within18348.09 our18348.41 state,18348.65 but18348.89 also18349.05 with,18349.29 you18349.53 know,18349.61 the18349.85 University18350.01 of18350.41 Connecticut18350.65 around18351.61 being18351.85 a18352.01 leader18352.09 in18352.41 alternative18352.57 food18353.05 proteins.18353.29 So18353.69 it's18353.77 not18353.93 only18354.09 incredible18354.41 for18356.74 our18356.74 research18356.74 institutions18356.74 but18356.74 it's18356.74 job18356.74 pipelines18356.74 for18357.78 new,18358.03 exciting,18358.42 emerging18358.83 technologies18359.31 for18359.78 many18359.94 of18360.03 our18360.1 millennial.18361.62 And18362.03 what's18362.18 the18362.35 one18362.51 below?18362.66 The18364.26 younger18364.26 ones?18364.28 Yeah.18375.08 Spoken18376.6 from18377.08 the18377.24 little18377.4 lady18377.64 over18377.88 here18378.12 that's18378.36 like,18378.52 what18378.68 is18378.84 it?18379 Many18379.96 folks18380.2 in18380.44 the18380.52 Gen18380.6 z18380.84 generation18381.08 are18381.64 finding18381.88 the18382.2 work18382.28 around18382.74 alternative18382.97 food18383.37 proteins18383.61 to18383.93 be18384.01 really18384.17 meaningful.18384.41 It's18384.74 helping18384.89 combat18385.22 climate18385.53 change.18385.85 It's18386.1 working18386.33 towards18386.65 a18387.13 moral18387.37 imperative.18387.69 So18388.41 the18388.65 jobs18388.74 are18389.06 not18389.22 only18389.37 meeting18389.61 the18389.85 market18390.01 for18390.41 something18390.58 new18390.89 and18391.13 emerging,18391.3 but18391.69 it's18392.74 serving18392.97 sort18393.3 of18393.46 a18393.53 moral18393.61 purpose18393.93 for18394.26 folks18394.41 that18394.65 are18394.82 looking18394.89 to18395.13 come18395.22 out18395.37 of18395.53 college18395.61 and18395.93 do18396.17 good18396.33 and18396.49 interesting18396.65 work18397.06 that's18397.3 serving18397.46 our18397.85 country.18398.01
18401.43 SPEAKER218401.43 -18401.43 Thank18401.43 you.18401.67 Next,18401.91 we18402.31 have,18402.63 representative18404.55 Diggs.18405.19
18407.27 DIGGS18407.27 -18407.27 So18407.27 I18407.51 live18407.67 on18407.91 Cape18408.07 Cod.18408.39 So,18408.63 of18408.87 course,18408.95 I'm18409.43 very18409.75 much18409.99 into18410.99 making18411.88 sure18412.28 that18412.51 our18412.99 fisheries18413.24 and18413.96 lobstermen18414.19 are18414.83 all18414.99 set.18415.24 But18415.63 not18415.88 only18415.96 that,18416.19 you18416.43 know,18416.51 with18417.56 what's18417.8 going18418.03 on18418.28 in18418.43 Washington.18418.6 My18419.32 buddy18419.56 wrote18420.03 the18420.28 book,18420.43 finest18420.76 hour,18421.24 and18422.03 we18422.28 need18422.43 to18422.67 be18422.83 ready18422.99 for18423.39 if18424.09 there18424.25 is18424.49 another18424.57 finest18424.97 hour,18425.37 we18425.61 need18425.85 to18426.01 be18426.09 ready18426.25 so18426.57 that18426.73 we18426.89 make18427.05 sure18427.29 that18427.53 no18428.09 one18428.25 is18428.65 hurt18428.97 or18429.45 in18430.25 those18430.57 type18431.05 of18431.29 problems.18432.25 So,18433.77 you18434.65 know,18434.81 I18435.45 really18435.85 love18436.17 living18436.73 in18437.05 Massachusetts18437.29 because18438.01 I18438.8 know18438.96 that18439.11 we're18439.19 so18439.76 blessed18440.08 to18440.8 be18441.03 here.18441.19 We18441.76 have18441.99 so18442.15 many18442.32 things18443.51 that18443.83 are18443.92 number18444.08 1.18444.47 Being18445.19 a18445.92 competitor18445.99 that18446.55 I18446.79 was18446.88 of18447.19 a18447.28 world18447.44 champ18447.67 boxer,18447.99 what's18449.03 important18449.35 is18449.92 our18450.4 athletics,18450.64 our18451.51 schooling,18451.83 our18453.13 sciences,18454.09 all18454.81 of18455.05 that18455.21 means18455.53 something.18455.93 And18456.33 I18456.65 want18456.81 us18457.21 to18457.45 make18457.61 sure18457.77 that,18458.01 you18458.49 know,18458.73 I18459.29 want18459.77 everybody,18459.77 I18459.77 want18459.93 The18460.09 United18460.25 States18460.57 to18460.89 know18461.05 that18461.21 we18461.37 are18461.53 the18461.77 best,18461.85 and18462.09 we18462.33 are18462.49 willing18462.89 to18463.21 do18463.29 whatever18463.53 we18463.93 have18464.01 to18464.25 do18464.33 to18464.49 make18464.65 sure18464.89 that18465.53 everybody18465.85 is18466.41 successful.18466.65 So18467.9 that's18468.22 all18468.29 I18468.53 have18468.62 to18468.85 say,18468.94 but18469.1 thank18469.33 you18470.15 very18470.97 much.18471.79
18472.62 SPEAKER1618472.62 -18472.62 Dave18472.62 Carter.18472.85 Yes.18473.57 I18473.82 agree.18474.69
18483.73 COMEFORD18483.73 -18483.73 Thank18483.73 you,18484.05 Madam18484.61 Chair.18485.09 Secretary18485.09 and18485.57 team,18485.73 thank18485.97 you18486.13 so18486.37 much,18486.53 for18487.49 this.18487.65 I18487.97 actually18488.21 don't18488.45 think18488.69 you18488.85 took18489.09 a18489.25 breath.18489.41 So18489.73 it18489.97 was18490.13 like18490.29 a18490.45 tour18490.61 de18490.93 force.18491.01 Secretary18491.89 Hao,18492.29 I18492.53 don't18492.61 know,18493.01 did18493.17 anybody18493.17 hear18493.65 the18493.89 sec,18493.97 I18494.21 don't18494.29 I18494.61 don't18494.77 think18495.01 so.18495.25 Thank18496.25 you.18496.41 You18496.81 are18497.04 a18497.28 great18497.37 champion.18497.6 And18498.08 just18498.25 listening18498.49 to18498.72 you,18498.89 I18499.04 felt18499.21 energized18499.53 to18500.01 fight,18500.81 right?18501.13 And18501.13 so18501.28 thank18501.53 you.18501.69 I'm18502.08 very,18502.33 very18502.57 grateful.18502.81 I18504.17 have18504.41 a18504.49 question,18504.57 but18504.89 let18505.04 me18505.21 just18505.37 say18505.53 on18505.76 the18505.93 on18506.25 the18506.41 food18506.65 science18506.89 hub18507.21 out18507.44 of18507.53 UMass,18507.69 my18508.49 hope18508.65 just,18509.76 as18509.93 a18510.08 UMass18510.17 perspective,18510.57 is18511.04 that18511.21 we're18511.74 lifting18511.98 farmers,18512.62 as18513.98 well18514.22 as18514.38 the18514.62 alternative18514.86 the18515.26 science18515.34 around18515.66 alternative18515.98 protein.18516.62 I18517.02 think18517.18 there's18517.42 a18517.66 virtuous18517.82 cycle18518.3 there18518.62 for18518.86 us.18519.1 And,18519.98 you18520.14 know,18520.3 I18520.42 think18520.54 we18520.86 need18521.02 to18521.26 bolster18521.5 and18521.9 strengthen18522.14 farmers18522.54 even18523.1 as,18523.42 yeah.18523.74 I18523.9 see18524.06 the18524.22 thumb.18524.38 Even18525.26 as18525.58 we18525.82 look18526.06 at18526.3 the18526.46 new18526.62 science.18526.78
18528.03 But18528.03 I18528.1 wanted18528.26 to18528.58 to18528.83 talk18528.99 a18529.3 little18529.39 bit18529.54 about18529.78 the18530.03 the18530.26 workforce18530.51 skills18530.9 cabinet.18531.22 We18532.19 talked18532.35 to18532.58 Secretary18532.75 Jones18533.3 earlier18533.71 about18534.26 this.18534.51 I18534.9 I18535.15 think18535.3 for18535.47 us18535.63 in18535.78 Western18536.03 Massachusetts18536.42 and18536.99 actually18537.15 probably18537.47 in18538.1 every18538.26 region18538.58 around18539.47 the18539.78 state,18539.94 it18540.58 is18540.83 nothing18541.07 but18541.47 a18541.71 good18541.87 news18542.1 story18542.51 if18543.07 legislators18544 can18545.36 see18545.76 the18546.16 planning18546.4 and18546.88 see18547.12 how18547.44 it18547.6 comes18547.76 down18548.08 into18548.4 these18548.72 regions18549.04 and18549.44 then18549.6 support18550 the18551.04 MassHires18551.52 and18552.4 other18552.64 entities.18553.12 And18553.92 I18554.16 don't18554.48 know,18554.72 and18554.88 we18555.04 don't18555.2 have18555.44 time18555.68 to18557.24 have18557.32 a18557.55 full18557.64 conversation18558.19 around18558.67 this,18558.91 but18559.08 this18559.47 is18559.72 just18559.79 me18560.03 putting18560.28 a18560.6 plug18560.76 in,18560.99 and18562.35 I18562.6 believe18562.67 it's18563.08 shared18563.32 by18563.64 my18563.88 colleagues18564.03 for18564.51 us18564.76 to18564.91 see18565.88 it18566.12 more,18566.35 get18566.99 more18567.32 information,18567.55 see18569.08 the18569.32 plan18569.47 come18569.88 down18570.12 to18570.35 the18570.67 413,18571.47 for18571.72 example,18571.88 Figure18572.74 out18573.06 who's18573.3 moving18573.62 that18574.1 plan,18574.26 where18574.66 the18574.98 money18575.14 is18575.46 coming.18575.7
18576.82 For18576.82 us18577.06 out18577.22 in18577.38 Western18577.54 Mass,18577.86 as18578.1 you18578.18 know,18578.34 we18578.5 talk18578.58 a18578.82 lot18578.9 about18579.06 regional18579.3 equity18579.62 and18579.94 wanting18580.18 to18580.42 make18580.5 sure18580.74 that18580.9 the18581.14 investments18581.38 that18582.5 are18582.74 coming18582.98 into18583.38 our18584.42 different18584.74 regions18585.22 are18585.94 equitable.18586.26 And18587.87 so18588.1 I18588.35 do18588.67 think18588.91 that18589.07 if18589.22 we18589.39 could18589.47 see18589.71 the18589.87 planning,18590.03 see18590.43 how18590.58 it18590.75 hits,18590.91 see18591.39 the18591.63 money18591.78 that's18592.1 coming18592.35 in18592.58 to18593.15 support18593.39 the18593.71 planning,18593.87 see18594.43 the18594.58 outcome,18594.75 the18595.31 impact18595.47 of18595.87 that18596.03 investment,18596.26 that18597.31 kind18597.71 of18597.95 information18598.43 would18599.65 help18599.89 us18600.05 be18600.13 better18600.53 advocates.18600.85 I18601.57 mean,18601.73 we're18601.89 already,18602.53 you18602.85 know,18602.93 supportive18603.17 and18603.57 very18603.81 interested18604.05 in18604.45 your18604.53 work,18604.69 but18605.57 it18605.73 would18605.89 be,18606.13 I18606.37 think,18606.53 really18607.33 exciting18607.73 and18608.29 also18608.61 make18608.93 visible18609.17 the18609.65 state's18609.81 interest18610.45 in18611.49 bolstering,18611.73 the18612.9 economy,18613.14 bolstering18613.62 businesses,18614.17 bolstering18614.58 a18615.05 workforce.18615.22
18616.17 HAO18616.17 -18616.17 Yeah.18616.17 That's18616.41 a18616.58 great18616.74 suggestion.18616.97 We18617.62 should18617.69 definitely18618.26 do18618.58 more18618.65 of18618.74 that.18618.82 There's18618.97 so18619.22 much18619.29 cool18619.53 stuff18619.69 happening.18619.93 I18620.26 just18620.33 came18620.49 this18620.74 morning18620.9 from18621.22 MIT18621.45 where18621.93 a18622.1 professor18622.17 came18622.49 up18622.65 to18622.82 me18622.9 and18623.05 said18623.22 that18623.38 he18624.01 was18624.17 so18624.41 excited18624.65 about18625.14 partnering18625.38 with18625.78 the18625.93 BIC18626.1 on18626.71 doing18626.95 robotics18627.19 workforce18627.83 training18628.23 at18628.55 the18628.71 BIC18628.79 in18629.11 Pittsfield.18629.27 So18629.83 there's18630.07 a18630.31 lot18630.47 of18630.63 good18630.87 examples.18631.11 I18631.43 don't18631.51 know.18631.67 Sarah18631.83 helps18632.63 represent18633.27 us18633.59 on18633.75 the18633.83 workforce18633.91 skills18634.31 cabinet.18634.63
18635.35 STANTON18635.35 -18635.35 Yeah.18635.35 I18635.59 mean,18635.67 I18635.91 think18635.99 it's18636.39 a18636.63 great18636.71 point18636.95 to18637.19 remind18637.27 to18637.59 get18637.67 the18637.83 work18637.99 outside18638.15 of18638.55 the18638.63 room,18638.79 right,18638.95 that18639.11 a18639.23 lot's18639.35 taking18639.59 place18639.83 that18640.07 we're18640.23 investing18640.39 in18640.79 across18640.95 the18641.19 Commonwealth.18641.35 There's18642.12 a18642.35 real18642.43 deliberate18642.6 strategy18643.08 of18643.39 which18643.55 I'm18643.72 sure18643.87 Secretary18644.12 Jones18644.6 spoke18644.91 to18645.08 around18645.32 our18645.55 investment18645.64 in18646.12 ESOL,18646.28 how18647.24 we're18647.32 partnering18647.55 with18647.95 our18648.12 existing18648.28 community18648.6 colleges18648.99 and18649.39 our18649.64 MassHires.18650.03 It's18650.83 often18650.99 the18651.39 first18651.64 front18652.28 door18652.51 that18653.08 many18653.32 employees18654.28 are18654.76 looking18654.91 at18655.24 to18655.39 say,18655.47 okay.18655.64 I18655.87 know18655.95 this18656.12 is18656.28 in18656.5 my18656.66 community.18656.74 How18657.38 do18657.54 I18657.62 get18657.7 access18657.86 to18658.18 these18658.26 jobs?18658.42 How18658.74 do18658.9 I18658.98 get18659.06 training?18659.22 So18659.62 I18659.7 think18659.78 as18660.1 part18660.18 of18660.42 workforce18660.5 skills18660.9 cabinet,18661.22 we've18661.54 taken18661.78 a18662.58 really18662.74 deliberate18662.98 look18663.46 at18663.78 licensure.18664.02 We've18664.66 looked18664.9 at18665.06 streamlining,18665.22 and18665.78 I'm18665.94 sure18666.1 that18666.34 will18666.5 be18666.66 talked18666.74 about18666.9 at18667.14 the18667.22 HHS18667.38 hearing.18668.02 But18669.03 also18669.28 how18669.51 are18669.76 we18669.83 making18670 it18670.32 just18670.4 a18670.64 generally18670.79 more18671.28 invested18672.47 in18673.12 part18673.35 of18673.67 the18673.76 Commonwealth.18673.92 So18674.56 it's18674.88 something18675.12 that's18675.35 coming18675.6 up18675.83 often.18676.15 We18677.03 had18677.12 a18677.28 meeting18677.35 on18677.6 Friday,18677.67 actually,18678.08 just18678.32 talking18678.47 exactly18678.96 about18679.28 that.18679.51 So18679.83 it's18680.24 good18680.47 feedback.18680.72 No.18683.47 It's18683.71 great.18683.95 No.18684.27 No.18684.43 It's18684.59 great18684.83 feedback.18684.99
18686.91 Rep18686.91 Small?18687.15
18688.35 SMOLA18688.35 -18688.35 Secretary,18688.35 thank18688.75 you18688.83 very18688.91 much18689.15 for18689.31 your18689.39 testimony18689.47 here18689.95 today.18690.11 Appreciate18690.35 it.18690.83 Very18691.31 helpful,18691.55 I18691.95 think,18692.03 to18692.27 the18692.35 committee.18692.43 Wanna18693.31 bring18693.63 up18693.79 something18693.95 that18694.19 we18694.51 haven't18694.68 talked18694.92 about,18695.16 mills.18695.79 So18696.83 I'll18697.56 jump18697.72 on18697.88 the18697.96 Western18698.44 Mass18698.6 bandwagon,18698.6 but18699.24 I18699.88 think18699.88 many18699.88 of18700.12 my18700.19 brothers18700.35 and18700.6 sisters18700.76 that18701.16 are18701.32 here18701.47 actually18701.96 today18702.28 on18702.51 Ways18702.68 and18702.92 Means18703.08 are18703.72 from18703.72 primarily18703.96 the18704.35 Western18704.44 part18704.76 of18704.92 the18705 state,18705.08 but18705.24 it's18705.4 not18705.56 unique18705.72 to18705.96 Western18706.12 Massachusetts,18706.44 all18706.92 over18707.08 the18707.32 Commonwealth.18707.47 Is18708.76 so18709.72 many18709.96 of18710.12 our18710.2 mills18710.52 that18710.92 are18711.16 sitting18711.4 particularly18711.72 in18712.04 rural18712.28 territories,18712.68 small18713.56 communities,18713.8 in18715.16 the18715.56 heydays18715.88 of18716.36 these18716.52 communities18716.76 when18717.16 they're18717.32 up18717.56 and18717.72 running,18718.12 you18718.28 know,18718.28 they18718.36 were18718.52 doing18718.68 great.18718.84 They18719.08 provided18719.32 jobs.18719.72 There18720.12 was,18720.36 you18721.24 know,18721.4 a18721.56 population18721.64 that18722.28 was18722.44 able18722.6 to18723.16 fill18723.32 those18723.48 mills.18723.72 And18723.88 as18724.04 time18724.28 went18724.44 on,18724.68 obviously,18724.84 you18725.24 know,18725.4 situations18725.83 sort18726.51 of18727.2 changed.18727.28 But18727.6 now18728.08 many18728.32 of18728.47 these18728.56 mill18729.03 buildings18729.28 are18729.68 vacant.18729.83
18730.4 And18730.72 to18731.6 those18731.76 individuals18732.24 that18732.79 may,18732.96 you18733.2 know,18733.35 try18733.6 and18733.83 keep18733.92 them18734.16 going,18734.4 but18734.79 at18735.12 the18735.2 same18735.28 time,18735.51 don't18735.68 really18735.83 have18736 much18736.16 of18736.32 a18736.4 project18736.56 to18736.96 go18737.03 into18737.2 them18737.44 because18737.6 it's18737.83 cost18737.92 prohibitive.18738.93 So18738.93 I'm18739.09 wondering18739.17 if18739.49 there's18739.65 been18739.81 any18739.97 thought18740.13 put18740.37 into18740.53 perhaps,18740.93 a18742.45 longer18742.53 term18742.93 goal18743.25 of18743.73 trying18744.05 to18744.45 help18744.61 out18744.85 our18745.17 mills18745.57 and,18746.69 you18746.93 know,18747.09 perhaps,18747.33 you18747.65 know,18747.73 incorporating18747.89 even18748.61 some18748.85 housing18749.01 components.18749.41 So18749.81 we've18749.89 done18750.05 some18750.21 conversions18750.37 in18750.77 Massachusetts18750.93 that18751.49 have18751.57 actually18751.65 been,18751.97 like,18752.13 super18752.37 successful.18752.77 And18753.57 I18753.74 can18753.82 think18753.97 of18754.05 some18754.14 in18754.29 Western18754.45 Massachusetts,18754.85 some18755.41 in18755.58 the18755.74 districts18755.82 of18756.22 my18756.62 Senate18756.78 colleagues18757.1 that18757.49 are18757.65 here18757.74 that18758.38 have18758.53 just18758.69 been18759.01 dynamite18759.41 and18760.05 have18760.53 done18760.62 wonderful18760.93 things.18761.41 But,18761.65 when18762.78 you18762.93 come18763.01 into18763.26 really18763.58 small18763.9 communities,18764.22 you18764.62 know,18764.69 4,00018765.01 people,18765.49 5,00018765.82 people,18766.22 8,00018766.53 people,18766.93 Senator18768.1 Oliveira18768.34 and18768.34 I,18768.58 we18768.74 represent18768.82 the18769.14 town18769.22 of18769.38 Warren.18769.54 It's18769.78 got18769.94 a18770.1 beautiful18770.18 mill18770.58 complex.18770.82 It's18771.62 owned,18771.86 and18772.02 it's18772.26 reasonably18772.5 maintained,18773.06 but18773.38 there's18773.54 nothing18773.7 in18774.02 it18774.74 because,18775.78 again,18776.02 it's18776.26 cost18776.42 prohibited.18776.66 So18777.06 I'm18777.14 just18777.22 wondering18777.38 if18777.7 there's18777.86 been18778.02 any18778.18 thought,18778.42 like,18778.58 into18778.9 trying18779.54 to18779.86 see18779.94 if,18781.54 to18781.86 keep18781.94 our18782.18 character18782.42 in18783.21 Western18783.28 Massachusetts18783.85 with18784.4 the,18784.57 you18784.65 know,18784.72 the18784.89 water18784.97 resources18785.28 that18785.76 we18785.92 have18786.08 and18786.33 not18786.49 just18786.72 that18786.89 they18787.04 built18787.21 them18787.44 up18787.53 in18787.6 these18787.76 small18787.85 towns,18788.08 but18788.33 just18788.65 wanted18788.8 to18788.92 get18789.04 your18789.21 thoughts18789.37 about18789.6 it18789.72 really.18789.85
18790.08 HAO18790.08 -18790.08 No.18790.08 This18790.24 is18790.49 something18791.21 that18791.53 we18792.24 actually,18792.4 have18793.28 invested18793.44 a18794.01 lot18794.24 in18794.4 and18794.65 we18794.72 should18794.97 do18795.13 more.18795.28 We18795.92 were18796.01 just18796.24 in18796.49 Lawrence18796.65 two18797.44 Weeks18797.6 ago18797.92 at18798.88 an18799.36 old18799.52 mill18799.76 building,18800 that18800.8 had18800.96 been,18801.2 abandoned18802.08 and18802.48 derelict.18802.56 And18803.44 this18803.76 group18804.48 there18804.8 had18805.04 worked18805.2 for18805.44 many18805.6 years18805.84 in18806.08 partnership18806.24 with18806.72 Mass18807.04 Development18807.52 in18807.52 the18807.68 state18807.76 and18808 with18808.16 some18808.32 a18808.48 little18808.56 bit18808.8 of18808.96 federal18809.04 funding18809.36 and18809.84 some18810.1 philanthropy.18810.33 And18811.06 they've18811.14 converted18811.46 that18811.78 mill18811.94 now18812.26 into18812.5 housing,18813.14 a18814.01 pharmacy,18814.26 a18814.82 grocery18814.97 store,18815.46 a18815.85 doctor's18816.01 office.18817.62 Kind18817.85 of18817.85 the18817.94 whole,18818.1 the18818.97 whole18819.14 community18819.29 now18819.78 is18819.94 gonna18820.1 be18820.33 changed18820.42 because18820.74 of18820.97 this18821.06 converted18821.46 mill.18821.85 So18822.66 there18822.9 are18823.06 definitely18823.22 examples,18823.69 and18824.18 Mass18825.14 Development,18825.38 our18825.38 quasi18825.62 does18825.94 a18826.18 bunch18826.26 of18826.38 that18826.5 work.18826.58 And18826.9 I'll18827.06 let18827.22 Undersecretary18827.38 Stobel18827.86 chime18828.34 in18828.5 because18828.74 this18829.22 falls18829.38 under18829.62 her18829.86 community18829.94 118830.34 stop18830.5 area.18830.74
18831.06 ASHLEY18831.06 STOLBA18831.06 -18831.06 EOED18831.06 -18831.06 Oh,18831.06 sure.18831.22 I18832.02 also18832.1 do18832.34 wanna18832.42 recognize18832.66 that18832.98 Navjeet18833.62 Bal18833.94 is18833.94 here18834.1 representing18834.42 Mass18835.3 Development.18836.42 So18836.42 we18836.58 partnered18836.74 with18837.14 them.18837.38 Yes.18837.54 Our18837.78 new18837.94 CEO.18838.26
18838.66 FERRANTE18838.66 -18838.66 He18838.66 used18838.74 to18838.9 run18838.98 the18839.22 DOR?18839.38
18840.1 STOLBA-18840.1 Yes.18840.1 We18840.26 used18840.35 to18840.42 run18841.15 DOR.18841.47 Yes.18841.78 But18842.67 we18842.9 have18843.07 put18843.39 a18843.63 lot18843.71 of18843.87 thought18843.94 into18844.1 this.18844.35 We18844.51 heard18844.75 from18844.99 folks18845.22 like18845.54 you,18845.71 and18845.87 I18846.03 know18846.1 senator18846.42 Oliveira18847.22 and18847.39 Ludlow18847.54 has18848.03 benefited18848.19 from18848.67 our18848.83 programs18848.99 that18849.39 help18849.78 Mills.18850.03 So18850.35 the18850.51 underutilized18850.67 property18851.63 program,18851.94 MassWorks,18852.75 these18852.99 are18853.15 all18853.22 capital18853.39 programs18853.92 that18854.56 are18854.64 included18854.8 in18855.12 our18855.28 capital18855.44 plan,18855.68 were18855.92 reauthorized18856.08 in18856.72 the18856.8 Mass18856.88 Leads18857.12 Act.18857.44 A18858 lot18858.16 of18858.32 that18858.4 funding18858.64 does18859.2 actually18859.44 go18859.84 to18860.24 mills.18860.4 But18861.68 I18861.92 hear18862 you,18862.48 there's18862.72 so18862.72 much18862.88 work18863.12 to18863.36 do,18863.44 and18863.92 there's18864.08 also18864.32 more18864.64 money18864.88 that18865.28 it18865.76 really18865.84 needs.18866.16 So18866.4 what18866.9 I18867.07 suggest18867.22 as18867.39 a18867.63 next18867.7 step18867.94 is18868.1 probably18868.26 Navjeet18868.58 and18869.07 I18869.22 and18869.47 we18869.54 can18869.63 kind18869.78 of18870.1 brainstorm18870.1 with18870.51 you18870.66 all18870.74 on18870.99 on18871.22 other18871.39 ideas,18871.63 in18872.51 addition18872.66 to18872.99 those18873.07 capital18873.3 investments.18873.7 But18874.1 we18874.58 really18874.74 have18874.99 seen18875.15 the18875.3 transformation18875.47 a18875.94 lot18876.03 of18876.18 these18876.26 mills18876.42 that's18876.66 powerful.18876.83
18878.58 SMOLA18878.58 -18878.58 I18878.58 appreciate18878.74 that.18879.07 Just18879.22 as18879.47 a18879.54 quick18879.63 follow-up,18879.87 you18880.51 know,18880.58 because18880.83 I18881.07 do18881.15 think18881.22 there's18882.28 interest18882.52 in18882.76 a18882.92 lot18883 of18883.24 these18883.4 complexes,18883.72 but18884.36 it18884.68 is18884.84 just18885.08 so18885.4 overwhelming.18885.8
18886.36 STOLBA18886.36 -18886.36 It's18886.36 overwhelming.18886.44 The18886.92 cost18887.08 is18887.24 so18887.64 huge.18887.8
18888 SMOLA18888 -18888 You18888 know,18888.2 it18888.68 always18888.84 amazes18889.08 me,18889.48 especially18889.64 when18890.04 we18890.2 move18890.28 around18890.44 our18890.68 districts18890.84 to18891.24 see18891.4 the18891.48 size18891.64 of18891.88 these18891.96 places18892.12 and18892.44 say18892.52 how18892.68 the18892.8 heck18892.92 did18893.16 they18893.32 do18893.48 this,18893.88 you18894.04 know,18894.12 10018894.88 years18895.12 ago,18895.19 8018895.67 years18895.83 ago,18896.08 but18896.32 they18896.47 did18896.55 it,18896.72 and18896.79 they18896.96 made18897.12 it18897.28 work.18897.6 I18897.92 was18898.08 like,18898.15 boy,18898.32 as18899.51 opposed18899.67 to18899.99 letting18900.08 the18900.32 elements18900.47 destroy18900.96 these18901.28 places18901.51 over18901.83 time18902.08 because18902.32 unlike18903.03 wine,18903.35 they18903.6 don't18903.67 improve18903.92 with18904.15 age.18904.32
18904.79 STOLBA18904.79 -18904.79 They18904.79 certainly18904.96 do18905.44 not.18905.51
18905.76 SMOLA18905.76 -18905.76 Unless18905.76 we're18905.92 doing18906.08 something,18907.03 you18907.44 know,18907.51 with18907.67 them18907.83 and18908.08 we18908.15 have18908.32 some18908.47 sort18908.64 of18908.79 a18908.88 plan18908.96 to18909.19 look18909.28 towards18909.44 the18909.67 future,18909.83 and18909.99 I18910.15 know18910.24 it's18910.4 a18910.47 big18910.69 expense18910.85 Perhaps18911.57 something18911.89 that18912.13 we18912.21 could18912.45 work18912.53 with18912.85 you18913.09 on.18913.25
18913.65 STOLBA18913.65 -18913.65 Yes.18913.65 And18913.89 that's18913.97 something18914.13 also18914.45 Ann18914.69 Gobi18915.09 has18915.09 been18915.25 focusing18915.41 on18915.73 too.18916.13 So18916.29 we18916.29 should18916.37 all18916.53 get18916.61 together18916.85 to18917.25 talk18917.33 about18917.57 that.18917.73 And18917.97 you,18919.17 Senator18921.09 Comerford,18921.09 too.18921.09
18921.09 SPEAKER218921.09 -18921.09 Excellent.18921.09 Representative18921.65 Kazner.18922.45
18930.42 KASSNER18930.42 -18930.42 Thank18930.42 you.18930.58 Thank18930.83 you,18930.99 Secretary18931.87 Hao18932.19 and18932.19 all18932.35 of18932.51 you18932.58 for18932.74 being18932.9 here18933.15 today.18933.39 And18934.26 thank18934.42 you18934.58 for18934.74 the18934.9 business18935.07 front18935.39 door.18935.71 I've18935.87 heard18936.03 it's18936.35 gonna18936.51 be18936.83 super18937.15 awesome,18937.47 and18937.94 the18938.19 One18938.67 Stop18938.99 was18938.99 super18939.35 awesome18939.59 when18939.83 it18940.07 went18940.15 into18940.31 effect.18940.47 My18941.75 question18941.99 is18942.31 really18942.71 kind18943.03 of18943.19 around18943.43 community18943.75 readiness,18944.15 kind18944.63 of18944.79 echoing18944.95 some18945.27 of18945.43 the18945.59 questions18945.75 of18946.15 other18946.39 members.18946.63 But18946.95 it's18949.51 kind18949.59 of18949.83 a18950.07 comment18950.15 and18950.47 a18950.63 question.18950.71 But18951.03 is18952.18 there18952.42 kind18952.97 of18953.14 within18953.38 looking18954.58 in18955.14 terms18955.22 of18955.53 Mass18956.01 Leads18956.33 and18956.33 growing18956.5 emerging18957.06 tech18957.53 and18957.94 life18958.33 science18958.58 across18959.06 the18959.53 Commonwealth18959.7 from18960.18 where18960.42 it's18960.58 kind18960.74 of18960.9 clustered18961.14 a18961.34 little18961.53 closer18962.01 in18962.74 the18962.9 inner18963.06 suburbs18963.29 to18963.78 Boston,18963.94 but18964.33 across18964.5 the18964.82 Commonwealth18964.97 and18965.5 out,18965.74 helping18966.38 communities18966.7 to18967.42 kind18967.66 of18967.98 understand18968.7 and18969.18 identify18969.5 opportunities,18970.06 especially18970.7 as18971.1 we're18971.26 seeing18971.42 kind18971.66 of18971.82 post18971.98 COVID18972.3 office,18972.78 we18973.18 have18973.34 a18973.5 lot18973.58 of18973.74 office18973.82 space,18974.14 but18974.3 for18975.1 many18975.26 other18975.5 reasons,18975.66 we18975.98 have,18976.14 you18976.54 know,18976.7 mill18977.34 buildings18977.5 and18977.9 other?18978.06
18978.7 But18978.7 kind18978.86 of18979.1 working18979.5 to18979.98 help18980.22 communities18980.46 identify18981.58 opportunities,18982.22 but18982.78 also18983.03 be18983.91 ready18984.07 and18984.54 create18984.95 that18985.35 regulatory18985.75 framework18986.54 to18987.19 be18987.35 that18987.58 magnet18987.91 to18988.39 I18988.95 mean,18989.03 potentially18989.51 even18990.07 do18990.31 some18990.47 pre18990.63 permitting18990.87 for,18991.75 you18991.99 know,18992.07 we18992.31 wanna18993.44 bring18993.76 labs18994 out18994.24 here.18994.48 We18994.64 wanna18994.8 bring18995.12 advanced18995.92 manufacturing.18996.4 We18996.88 wanna18996.96 bring18997.2 next18997.44 gen18997.68 green18998 tech18998.24 and18999.36 identify18999.6 potential19000.16 spaces,19000.64 but19001.04 really19001.28 work19001.52 with19001.68 communities19001.84 and19003.2 partnering19003.44 with19003.84 communities19004.08 to19004.72 really19004.96 help19005.2 become19005.71 those19006.03 magnets19006.26 because19006.83 it's19007.15 wonderful19007.39 to19007.87 attract19007.94 businesses19008.75 to19009.15 Massachusetts,19009.31 but19010.03 they19010.1 do19010.26 have19010.42 to19010.67 land19010.75 somewhere.19010.99 And19011.78 working19012.1 with19012.35 our19012.51 communities,19012.75 they19013.31 can19013.47 be19013.63 like,19013.78 hey,19014.58 come19014.83 this19014.83 way.19015.07 You19015.31 know?19015.39 And19015.54 how19015.71 can19015.78 we19015.94 prepare19016.26 our19016.67 communities19016.83 to19017.78 really19018.03 benefit19019.72 from19020.04 those19020.36 opportunities19020.6 that19021.16 are19021.32 coming19021.4 in,19021.72 I19022.68 think19022.76 would19023 be19023.72 fantastic.19025.32 But19025.48 I19025.48 think19025.56 you19026.2 are19026.44 doing19026.6 part19026.76 of19027 that19027.24 bit19027.4 a19027.4 fantastic19027.56 arm19028.36 that19028.6 I19028.76 hope19028.84 we19029.08 as19029.24 legislators19029.4 can19029.96 help19030.12 communicate19030.36 with19030.76 our19030.92 communities19031.08 as19031.56 well.19031.72 So19032.08 thank19032.24 you19032.4 so19032.47 much.19032.72
19033.03 HAO19033.03 -19033.03 This19033.03 is19033.2 really19033.35 important.19033.6 And19033.92 we19034.08 have19034.24 examples,19034.47 and19034.79 we19034.96 know19035.12 that19035.68 this19035.83 works,19036.08 and19036.4 we19036.64 know19036.79 we19036.96 can19037.03 do19037.2 it.19037.35 So,19037.6 you19038.4 know,19038.64 Cambridge19038.79 and19039.12 Boston19039.28 is19039.6 the19039.76 number19039.83 119040.08 life19040.32 sciences19040.47 hub19040.88 in19040.88 the19041.28 country,19041.35 probably19042.16 the19042.47 world,19042.64 actually.19042.96 And19043.35 then,19043.51 actually,19044.16 Worcester19044.47 is19044.88 number19044.96 15,19045.28 punching19046.34 way19046.74 above19046.9 its19047.22 weight.19047.38 And,19047.7 Deven's19048.26 under,19048.74 Navjeet19051.06 in19051.38 MassDev,19051.38 Deven's19051.38 has19051.38 become19051.54 the19052.26 destination19052.5 for19053.06 climate19053.22 tech19053.46 companies19053.7 to19054.02 expand19054.26 in.19054.5 So19054.66 we19054.9 know19055.06 we19055.14 can19055.3 do19055.46 this.19055.54 And19056.02 one19056.18 of19056.34 the19056.42 programs19056.5 that19058.26 is19058.42 aimed19058.58 at19058.9 this19058.98 is19059.14 the19059.22 regional19059.38 tech19059.7 hub19059.94 program.19060.1
19060.78 STANTON19060.78 -19060.78 Yes.19060.78 There's19061.01 a19061.17 couple19061.26 different19061.58 things19061.74 taking19062.06 place,19062.22 Rob,19062.46 that19062.62 I19062.78 think19062.85 are19063.01 helpful.19063.1 And19063.33 you19063.5 know19063.58 that19063.65 municipal19063.9 permitting19064.38 is19064.78 my19064.94 love19065.1 language.19065.33 Like,19065.74 I19066.29 love19066.38 it19066.53 so19066.69 much,19066.85 and19067.01 it19067.1 gets19067.17 so19067.42 helpful.19067.58 You19067.9 know,19068.06 it19068.22 speaks19068.38 to19068.62 me.19068.69 Sad19070.22 love19070.53 language,19070.69 but19071.1 also19071.26 joyful19071.5 love19071.97 language.19072.22 I19073.52 think19073.68 there's19073.84 a19074 few19074.08 things.19074.24 We're19074.56 doing19074.72 work19074.96 around19075.36 existing19076.16 permitting19076.64 reform,19077.04 looking19077.44 at19077.6 our19077.76 office19077.92 around19078.16 how19078.4 can19078.56 we19078.64 have19078.72 more19078.88 of19079.04 an19079.12 ombudsman19079.36 process.19079.84 We're19080.48 looking19080.72 at19080.96 the19081.12 Center19081.2 for19081.52 Advanced19081.68 Manufacturing19082.08 around-site19082.72 readiness19083.12 relative19083.68 to19084 advanced19084.16 manufacturing.19084.56 What19085.12 do19085.28 you19085.36 need19085.52 for19085.76 utilities?19086.4 We're19087.04 working19087.2 with19087.52 the19087.6 Mass19087.68 Office19087.92 of19088.08 Business19088.9 Development19089.29 under19089.29 Undersecretary19089.46 Stolba19089.85 to19090.26 help19090.33 communities19090.58 get19091.06 ready.19091.29 And19091.53 then19091.69 the19092.17 Mass19092.33 Life19092.58 Sciences19092.74 Center19093.14 under19093.46 Life19094.42 Sciences19095.06 3.019095.06 is19095.06 looking19095.22 to19095.46 do19095.62 a19095.69 more19095.85 concierge19096.1 effort19096.74 to19097.38 help19097.53 cities19097.78 and19098.1 towns19098.26 outside19098.58 of19098.9 Greater19099.06 Boston19099.38 get19099.78 through19099.94 the19100.17 permitting19100.26 process19100.65 with19101.06 greater19101.22 ease.19101.53 So19102.37 there's19102.53 a19102.61 lot19102.69 of19102.93 different19103.09 lanes19103.41 that19103.73 this19104.05 work19105.01 is19105.33 taking19105.49 place.19105.73 And19106.05 I19106.13 think19106.21 overall,19106.45 it'll19106.85 help19107.09 cities19107.33 and19107.65 towns19107.81 benefit19108.77 from19109.17 these19109.33 opportunities19109.65 outside19110.21 of19110.61 MetroWest.19110.77
19111.97 KASSNER19111.97 -19111.97 Just19111.97 a19112.21 quick19112.29 follow-up19112.53 comment.19112.93 In19113.49 terms19113.65 of19113.89 the19114.05 buyer19114.13 ready19114.45 communities19114.69 process19115.17 that19115.65 has19115.89 been19116.05 in19116.21 place19116.29 for19116.53 quite19116.69 some19117.01 time,19117.17 I19117.33 think19117.49 that19118.24 process19118.4 was19118.79 really19119.03 successful19119.28 and19119.67 actually19119.83 kind19120.08 of19120.24 had19120.4 communities19120.47 kind19120.88 of19121.12 compete19121.12 against19121.43 each19121.67 other19121.83 of19122.08 who's,19122.72 you19123.28 know,19123.35 bronze,19123.67 silver,19124.15 gold,19124.64 platinum.19124.95 So19126.08 it19126.32 just19126.4 things19126.95 like19127.28 that19127.43 to19127.67 kind19127.83 of19127.91 help19128.08 communities.19128.88 Just19129.67 really19129.91 help19130.15 with19130.95 education,19131.19 but19131.76 also19131.99 help19132.32 communities19132.55 kind19133.03 of19133.19 working19134.06 with19134.3 each19134.38 other.19134.46 So19134.86 thank19135.02 you.19135.18
19135.54 STANTON19135.54 -19135.54 Just19135.54 a19135.9 small19136.06 plug19136.3 for19136.54 our19136.7 quasi19136.78 because19137.1 I19137.26 think19137.34 it's19137.5 important19137.66 to19137.98 highlight.19138.14 There19138.7 is19138.94 a19139.1 real19139.18 drive19139.5 around19139.9 regional19140.14 equity19140.62 from19140.94 all19141.18 of19141.34 our19141.42 major19141.5 quasi19141.82 around19142.3 where19142.54 that19142.78 investment19142.94 is19143.42 going.19143.58 So19144.22 even19144.54 if19144.78 a19144.86 company19144.94 is19145.34 saying,19145.42 I19145.66 might19145.74 wanna19145.9 have19146.22 r19146.46 and19146.62 d19146.7 in19146.86 Cambridge,19147.02 there's19147.82 an19147.97 active19148.14 push19148.62 to19148.94 say,19149.1 look19149.42 outside.19149.74 There's19150.38 more19150.69 opportunity.19150.94 There's19151.42 greater19151.74 land.19151.97 There's19152.29 public19152.53 transportation.19152.85 So19153.58 in19154.05 addition19154.22 to19154.53 trying19154.69 to19154.94 streamline19155.1 the19155.49 permitting,19155.65 there19156.05 is19156.22 an19156.38 active19156.53 effort19156.94 to19157.49 make19157.65 sure19157.82 that19157.97 we're19158.14 spreading19158.29 the19158.62 wealth.19158.78
19163.19 FERRANTE19163.19 -19163.19 Thank19163.19 you,19163.43 madam19163.67 secretary.19163.99 I19164.55 wanna19164.63 thank19165.03 you19165.51 and19165.91 your19166.15 team,19166.55 Undersecretary19167.27 D'Amelia,19168.15 Stanton,19169.03 and19169.51 Stolba.19169.75 You19170.23 have19170.39 such19170.63 a19170.87 talented19170.95 team.19171.43 Thank19172.01 you19172.17 for19172.25 bringing19172.49 them19172.89 all19173.04 out19173.28 today19173.45 and19173.69 for19174.01 answering19174.25 our19174.72 questions.19174.89 To19176.41 the19176.57 members,19176.65 it19177.04 is19177.21 now,19177.45 just19178.33 I'm19179.6 gonna19179.76 say19180.01 five19180.25 o'clock19180.81 because19180.81 that19181.04 was19181.13 our19181.37 aim.19181.53 We19181.85 are19182.08 so19182.49 so19182.97 close.19183.53 I19184.41 wanna19184.57 thank19185.04 you19185.2 all19185.44 for19185.52 being19185.84 judicious19186.08 in19186.64 your19186.88 questions.19187.12 You19188 got19188.16 a19188.4 chance19188.48 today19188.88 to19189.68 be19189.84 in19190 historic19190.24 Gloucester,19190.8 and19191.2 I19191.36 thank19191.52 you19191.68 for19191.84 taking19192 that19192.24 opportunity.19192.56 To19193.6 the19193.76 boards19193.92 and19194.16 commissions19194.4 that19194.88 appeared19195.12 before19195.52 us19195.92 today,19196.08 I19197.35 thank19197.6 them19197.6 for19198.15 answering19198.47 their19198.95 questions.19199.12 And19199.6 to19200.32 all19200.55 of19200.79 the19200.95 secretaries,19201.12 I19201.91 wanna19201.99 thank19202.32 them.19202.64 Not19202.87 once19203.19 did19203.83 we19204.08 hear19204.32 from19204.64 our19204.87 secretaries19205.03 that19206.08 they19206.24 wouldn't19206.47 answer19206.79 a19207.12 question.19207.19 They19207.67 answered19207.83 all19208.47 of19208.72 them.19208.95 And19209.91 I19210.64 think19210.79 the19211.19 public19211.35 can19212.37 be19212.69 proud19214.13 of19214.37 the19214.53 fact19214.69 that19214.93 today19215.17 Democrats19215.73 and19216.21 Republicans19216.37 came19217.09 together19217.25 not19218.29 to19218.45 fight,19218.69 not19219.49 to19219.73 argue,19219.97 not19220.45 to19220.69 protest,19220.85 but19221.33 to19221.57 work19221.65 to19221.97 declare19222.13 to19222.77 make19223.01 sure19223.17 that19223.41 their19223.65 tax19223.89 dollars19224.13 are19224.53 being19224.69 spent19224.93 wisely,19228.08 and19228.24 did19228.24 it19228.56 in19228.72 front19228.96 of19229.19 the19229.35 public19229.51 sphere.19229.92 So19231.03 thank19231.35 you19231.6 to19231.76 everybody19231.92 on19232.24 this19232.4 committee.19232.56 Thank19232.88 you19233.03 to19233.19 the19233.35 administration.19233.51 And,19234.72 it's19235.51 five19235.83 o'clock,19237.6 and19237.6 we19237.83 wanna19237.92 adjourn.19238.32