2022-01-04 00:00:00 - Joint Committee on Education
2022-01-04 00:00:00 - Joint Committee on Education
(Part 2 of 3)
[PART 2]
SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
Yeah,
yes. Hello. Hi, please go ahead. Um, thank you for having me.
[HOPE GUARDENIER (CONCERNED CITIZEN):] [HB686][SB349] My name is Hope Guardenier, and I am the mother of two sons; the 4th and 8th graders in Belcher town. We are proud to be in Senator Lessor's district. Um, I also am a small business owner; I run two mission-driven organizations, school sprouts educational gardens and the farm education collaborative and both of the organizations run garden and farm based educational programs. I have been doing this work for the46 past 20 years and I am pleased to testify in support of H 686 and S 349, an act establishing a farm-to-school grant.
I teach in seven different schools around the Pioneer Valley and each of60 them over the time that I've been, has been funded through different mechanisms; anywhere from school budget funding to small local foundations to the PTO raising money through fundraisers. What I have noticed in those different programs is that there is an inherent inequity between those different schools based on the type of funding in terms of the robustness of whatever type of educational program that they are trying to offer, whether it's in the schools through school garden program or through farm-based field trips.
And, I am strongly in support of this bill because I feel that it will bring a level of equity to the state to have other schools including my own in Belcher town, have a chance of actually having a robust level of funding to support their school garden program.111 Um, I have seen students and a number of other folks have testified to this, just be transformed by their experience in the school garden, eating vegetables and fruits that they might never have tried before, feeling empowered as they watched seeds that they have planted, grow and working together with their peers and fostering cooperation, having an opportunity for hands-on learning and these days, an opportunity for outdoor learning, which we were all kind of struggling to find as142 the pandemic came on.
Um, but here in my own district of Belcher town, we have a strong group of dedicated volunteers who have built a huge garden in our elementary schools and for the high school, but the people who are really maintaining that space are volunteers. They are mostly teachers who have164 a lot on their plates and it is required of teachers to sign up for, and, plants and maintain and harvest their garden if they would actually like to use the space. That is happening, but again, there's a level of inequity because teachers who are really jazzed about doing the school garden program will spend that extra time outside of the classroom maintaining it while other classrooms, maybe even in the same grade, do not get the opportunity to use that educational resource that is available at the school.
I feel that the farm-to-school grant program is one way to level that playing field and to allow more schools around the commonwealth to have the opportunity to fund their209 school garden or their farm-to-school program in a robust way and bring more students into these hands-on learning spaces and I will leave it there. Thank you. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
All right, great thank you very much for your testimony. Um and that wraps it up in terms of testimony For House 686 and Senate 349. So we're going to close the hearing on those two bills. Um just looking at the time, we are past one o'clock already and we do still have many, many, many people signed up to testify on the remaining bills. So I I hate to do this but we are going to have to switch to a maximum of two minutes per person for the remainder of the hearing. So I apologize in advance to folks, but we will have to switch at this point to two minutes again. You know, I'm I'm confident you all can make your your case succinctly in two minutes or275 less. And remember we welcome submission of written testimony if you haven't done that already. That's a great way to communicate with all members of the Education Committee. We are, we will be sure to read all the testimony that is received. That's completely unfair. So at this point in time I'm going to hand over chairing the hearing to Representative Peisch for a short while and we will take up House Bill 714 and Senate bill 314 next and act relative to universal305 school meals. Representative over to you.
Thank you Senator Lewis. Um I'd just like to underscore Senator Lewis his comments about the number of people left to testify and the limited time that we have, which is why we're moving to the two minute limit limit. I would also like to remind people that it is not necessary to be repetitive.
There are many people waiting and the degree to which we hear repetitive testimony, it uh increases the likelihood that we might not get to everyone. So if someone has already made your point when you testify, if you could just indicate your agreement with that point rather than reiterating reiterating it, it really will make it much easier for us to get to everyone who has signed up and is present uh this afternoon. So without further ado we will now move to the testimony on H. 714 in S 315. And the first person I have signed up is Rebecca would miss361 would
[REBECCA WOOD (CONCERNED CITIZEN):] [HB714] [SB314] Good afternoon, my name is Rebecca Wood and I live in371 Acton. I lived in Revere for just over two years and only recently moved to Acton. Prior to the pandemic, I struggled with lunch debt. Each pay period I dumped a portion of my paycheck into my daughter's school meal account. In doing so, I paid off her debt and added a few more dollars for future meals. Within a few days, the account balance was in the negative again, my daughter came home from school on those days and said, "Mom, you need to give more money to the cafeteria." I felt like we were drowning.
Despite being a single mother, my income was relatively decent, therefore, my daughter didn't qualify for free or reduced school meals, yet high housing and health care costs consume the majority of my income. There was little left over for necessities. I lived in persistent fear and kept a running budget in my head at all times. If there was an unexpected medical need or other expense, I subtracted it426 from my food budget. I squeaked by each month. I had no idea that we were food insecure until we weren't and I no longer thought about food constantly. After the pandemic began, my daughter started to receive free school lunches, I noticed the positive impact it had on our lives almost immediately.
For example, it provided breathing room in my budget and freed up money for medicines, clothing, or utility bills. In addition, it allowed my daughter to eat kid-friendly foods rather than being limited to grocery choices that I knew we'd both eat. Finally, I no longer lived with the nagging worry that she wouldn't have enough to eat. While I'm no longer food insecure, the trauma sticks with me, I can't stop hoarding canned goods and currently, I have six cans of refried, black beans, and seven cans of lentil vegetable soup, both staples from when we were on our own in my cabinet. Logically, I know it's excessive, however, I sleep easier at night knowing they are there.
While we are in a better place now, thanks in part to free school meals, I ask the committee to please pass this bill so other parents don't have to experience the fear and stress that continues to haunt me. Thank you. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
Thank you miss would for your compelling testimony. Patricia baker,
Pat baker will submit written testimony. Chair Pease512 Thank you. Thank you, jennifer Andrea Silbert.
Hi everybody. Um it's great to see some old friends around school meals.
[ANDREA SILBERT (ALLIANCE FOR BUSINESS LEADERSHIP):] [HB714] [SB314] Thank you so much, Chairman Lewis and Chairwoman Peisch for your leadership around these issues. I'm here to testify in support of the school meals for all legislation. My name is Andrea Silbert, and I'm here in two capacities, both as vice-chair of the Alliance for Business leadership and president of the US advocacy group. I've been asked to speak to you about school meals from the business community's perspective and I'll just say three things; first of all, investing in our workforce by nursing Children is foundational to our business success because kids can't learn when they're hungry.
Free school meals will level the playing field for our future workforce. Second, this bill will free up family budgets to purchase other essential goods stimulating the economy and local business. Third, it's also a major win for working moms like me who spend an average of triple the amount of time preparing breakfast and lunch for their children as men do. We will come to work less frazzled and with less condiments on our suits. It might sound like a small thing, but it's really not when you have to do that every day, first thing and it takes 30 to 45 minutes. It's a big deal for moving gender equity in the workplace forward.
And finally, you might be asking and it was somewhat addressed by the prior speaker, why do we need this for middle and higher-income kids? I live on Cape Cod and on the Cape, we have just thousands of families who are just above qualifying for reintroduced and many above that and still struggling to make decisions between food and rent and it's critical that this is universal so that there's no stigma attached to participating. So, honestly, I can't imagine a better bill to help643 working families and to um speed the growth of our workforce and economy and I appreciate you letting me take the opportunity to testify. Thank you so very much. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
Thank you Miss Silver, The next person we have signed up is Peter Sullivan gi maybe mispronouncing that and I apologize is mr Levangie with us. Yes I am and you pronounced it great chair louis chair Peisch and members of the committee,
[PETER LEVANGIE (BAY STATE MILLING):][HB714][SB314] Thank you for the opportunity to testify today in support of an act relative to universal school meals. My name is Peter Levangie, I'm the parent of three college-aged kids. I grew up in Dedham and I am a product of the Oakdale Elementary school there and now live in Newton. I am the Ceo of Bay State Milling, a 123-year-old plant-based food ingredient company committed to supporting nutrient, dense, sustainable, and accessible foods. We are headquartered in Quincy, have 10 manufacturing plants across the continent. We serve most of the leading food and baking consumer and foodservice brands in North America.
I'm also the chair of project bread, a722 position that I hold because I believe that hunger in Massachusetts and the rest of the country is a problem we can and must solve. Project Bread's commitment to eradicating the structural issue and eliminating this challenge for all people in the state is aligned with my personal values and my company's core purpose. As you've heard already, there is no path to ending childhood hunger in Massachusetts, that does not include providing a healthy, accessible, no-cost meal, provided to every single student while they're in school.
This is certainly important to me in my role of project bread as well as a parent, but I want to talk to this distinguished committee today about why it's important to me as a business leader, school meals for all, not only will improve the health and lives of all Massachusetts Children, but it will also help foster future leaders of our commonwealth by leveling the playing field and giving kids an equal opportunity to a bright future, a foundational and at times elusive element of this great and promising country. Research has demonstrated what we already know; a hungry kid cannot learn,790 participation in school meals, improves academic performance, test scores, and readiness to learn. In Massachusetts, a study led by Dr. Ron Kleinman, chair of pediatrics at Massachusetts General Hospital found universal school breakfast in Boston leads to a significant increase in test scores, particularly in math.
SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
Mr mr Lavanchy.811 I'm sorry to interrupt, but your time is up. If you could. Just
[LEVANGIE:][HB714][SB314] As Massachusetts stares down the end of federal waivers that have been a lifeline to families and schools across the state, I ask that the state legislator ensure that kids won't be left behind next school year and beyond by passing this legislation, let's get this done and eliminate a critical barrier to unlocking the potential of all of our youth. Thank you SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
for your time. Thank you. Um Ali Cataldo.
[ALLIE CATALDO (MHA)][HB714][SB314] Good afternoon Chairwoman, Peisch and Chairman, Lewis and members of the committee. Um, my name is Ali Cataldo and I am the manager of state government affairs with the M. MHA serves as the united voice for Massachusetts hospitals and856 health systems representing over 100858 hospitals, health systems, physician organizations, and allied health care providers. On behalf of our members, I thank you for the opportunity to speak in support of House Bill 714 and Senate Bill 314 an act relative to universal school meals.
Over the last several years, the healthcare881 sector has taken a closer look at population health management and an effort to improve patient outcomes by addressing the various social determinants of individuals and their families. Food insecurity is the social determinant that has this particularly extensive impact on the overall health of an individual. Universal school meals have the capacity to address a major905 underlining issue within food security,907 which is nutrition security. Patients who are food911 and nutrition insecure are at high risk for chronic diseases, which can be heightened by racial inequities in health care delivery.
Studies have shown black Latino and Native American people as well as residents of rural and lower-income areas suffer greater disparities in food and nutrition as opposed to their white counterparts. Food insecurity is associated with low birth rates, impaired brain development, malnutrition, hospitalization, mental health issues, diabetes, and heart problems. Universal school meals address the fact that health inequities begin in early childhood years and extend across an entire lifespan. These951 meals are early in life intervention tool that supports healthy nutrition, education to957 maintain a lifetime of wellness. As you all are aware, the health care industry resources have been stretched thin over the last two years.
SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
Building an equitable recalled. Oh,968 I'm sorry to interrupt the two minutes is up. Sure. Building sure.
Building an equitable response to food and nutrition insecurity requires stakeholder collaboration. We are proud um to work with project bread to ensure all students have access to school meals. Thank you for the987 opportunity to testify and we urge the committee to grant this bill favorably. Thank you. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
Thank you. I'm gonna maybe mispronounce this name. So I apologize. Uh the low for human
from new horizon medical are you here?
Hello for you may on she had to step out here Pease We apologize.
Okay, thank thank you. Rabbi joseph Meslin uh
[RABBI TOM ALPERT][HB714][SB314] Good afternoon Chair Peisch and Chair lewis, uh this is Rabbi Tom Alpert, I am pitching in for Rabbi Metzler, Rabbi Metzler had a funeral, he wasn't sure he'd be able to attend. Thank you for hearing me about this bill. People are going to talk about the practical problems of stigmatization, but I'd like to talk about another problem with stigmatization which is the moral one. That's why I have been working on this bill for months and that's why my synagogue has endorsed it. I'm the Rabbi at the temple, its1056 high end at Franklin. Jewish teaching makes clear that one of the worst things you can do to a person is to embarrass them. The town that is leading law code goes so far as to say that embarrassing someone is equivalent to murdering them.
That's hyperbole to be sure, but like all hyperbole, it makes a point. No one should be made to feel that they don't matter, that takes their humanity away. As a jew, I come from a people that is known for centuries what it's like to be singled out as different. One of the glories of the United States is that it has officially rejected stigmatization. Thank God, I've never had to regard myself as anything less than a full1092 American. This bill eliminates the stigma of being the person who has to qualify for a free or reduced-price meal. I come to you from Franklin, the home of Horace Mann who founded free public education in this commonwealth and in the United States.
We don't mean to test Children for school or for textbooks or for the use of the library, we don't do any of these things because we would regard it as immoral to segregate our students. There's a statement in Genesis that says every human being was created in the image of God. Our job on this earth is to find that image in every person we encounter. When we see each other in the cafeteria, we don't need to see free-meal Children and reduced-price meal Children and full-price meal Children. We need to see the image of God on the face of all our Children. This bill will help us do just that.
I hope that this committee will report it favorably to the house and the Senate and I thank you for allowing me to testify. Thank you. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
abe CC with us
from the Life Science Center. Look, I'm sorry Life Science cares
abe also had to step out. Okay, Thank you. Um, jennifer Amendola.
[JENNIFER AMENDOLA (CONCERNED CITIZEN):] [HB714] [SB314] Thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak today. My name is Jennifer Amendola and I'm a great teacher in the Boston public schools. I'm here today in support of school meals for all. As a classroom teacher for1187 more years than I care to imagine, I didn't need a pandemic or remote learning to realize the safety net that our schools are for our children. I've seen it. I know how important it is for our students to receive breakfast and lunch at school. As a BPS teacher, I've had the advantage of knowing the before and after Universal school meals. As students are focused on being hungry or worried about when they're going to eat again, they can't focus on their academics.
They are not available to learn which puts them at a disadvantage academically. As adults, when we're hungry during a meeting such as this, we can rationalize that we can grab something after, we might even text Uber Eats order. Now imagine that you're a little kid, you've got no money, you've got no means, nothing at home, school is your only option, school is your safety net. Food is a basic necessity, and if we're worried about when we're going to eat next, we're certainly not going to worry about what's on our math test. School meals for all1245 will ensure that students have their basic needs met so that they have the opportunity to learn and to achieve excellence so that they are open to learning.
Hunger also leads to behavior problems in the classrooms as well, kids often don't understand why their bodies feel so out of control, sometimes they're just hungry. Students may act out, they may shut down, it may take a while before they even realize that they're hungry and that's what's making them feel so angry. Lots of times teachers don't have the time to dig to find out what's wrong and what's making their children behave like that, they get labeled as behavior problems, or worse, cycles begin. By providing students with breakfast and lunch, it may be the children's only two meals they get that day.
I have had to teach my first graders to eat the perishable foods first and then save the other1300 food for snack and if there happens to be food leftover, they should bring it home in case they're hungry later. I've learned that hungry kids don't waste food, hungry kids only eat all the food that's provided. So honestly, there's no way that I could explain to you in two minutes how important your favorable vote for school meals for all is, but I can tell you in two minutes that every school and every classroom in Massachusetts has hungry kids. Thank you for your time, thank you for your consideration in voting for school meals for all. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
Thank you Murray Gonzalez
miss Gonzalez
Hello everyone, you hear me? All right, hello,
[MARI GONZALEZ (EL BUEN SAMARITANO):] [HB714] [SB314] Thank you, Chairman Lewis and Peisch, members of the committee for this opportunity. My name is Mari Gonzalez and I am the executive director of Sammaritano Food program here in Western Massachusetts serving the community for the past 30 years in foods, snacks, jobs, resources. You know the reason why I'm here is because we need to get this bill passed. Um, you know hunger is a conversation that we need to continue to have, food and security is extremely real and one day that could be you, that could be me, and that could be our community members.
And, you know, in order for us to solve this problem, we just need to start making changes, right? So if we pass this bill, that's one step forward that we know that food insecurity won't be a problem, especially for our kids. You know I have a personal story; I have a 16-year-old daughter, now that is in high school. When she was seven years old in second grade, I remember to this day she went to because it was pizza Friday, and she went to go get a pizza and the school lady said," Mommy and daddy have a balance, you can't get pizza today, so you have to get the P and J, the peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and I just remember when that little girl came home, I was just like what happened?
She was, "Ma you owe money, you owe money." And, it was just like she was so embarrassed and I felt embarrassed because I honestly had no idea, I even had a balance. So, of course, I never let it happen again, the anxiety level went, calling the school making sure I checked out her folders and things like that you know, but I have an eight-year-old now and I thank God that my eight-year-old is in third grade right now and her and her friends don't have to go through that ever again because Wooster is now enrolled in the community eligibility provisions and serves free meals to all. So we need to make this you know for every school in Massachusetts, we need to get this act passed because we can make history in Massachusetts.
So let's go, let's make history together, let's do it for the kids and when Sammaritano is here and support this act and together we can do more. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
and1476 you don't have Moore
I am done, thank you is Alana Mallon Ramelan,
I think you might be on mute.
Am I? Can you hear me now?
[MALLON ALANNA (FOOD FOR FREE):] [HB714] [SB314] Thank you, Chairwoman Peisch and Chairman Lewis, and the members1515 of the committee for this opportunity to testify in support of an act relative to universal school meals. My name is Alanna Mallon and I'm the Vice Mayor of Cambridge as well as a Representative from the nonprofit organization Food for Free, which provides a weekend backpack program for students and monthly in-school food pantries for families. I am in full support of this bill. There's an old saying that1535 hungry kids can't learn, it's why in 2013, I started a weekend backpack program that now serves over 1000 students here in Cambridge.
When that program was implemented, we immediately saw lower rates of absenteeism, higher levels of classroom engagement, and less frequent trips to the nurse and Principles office. It's why four years ago Cambridge instituted free breakfast for all students and an elimination of the reduced meals category. When all students can access free breakfast, we saw the barriers of cost and stigma attached to school meals effectively removed overnight. With these investments in our students, our school district began having students in their classrooms who are well fed and ready to learn. In Massachusetts, we have the best schools, the best teachers, the best curriculum, but none of that matters if our students can't access it because1579 they're hungry.
Hungry kids can't learn and eradicating childhood hunger starts with making school meals free. During the pandemic, we as a society realized that schools were more than learning environments. I organized hundreds of volunteers to distribute school meals that were available without needing any documentation, and I saw what a lifeline those meals were for1598 students and their families each and every day. The universal access to meals was a game-changer for so many Cambridge families who had not previously accessed them. I spoke to families who never signed their children up due to fears around a public charge rule or had unpaid balances sometimes from years ago, these fears or balances precluded their children from accessing two healthy meals a day, five days a week.
Think about that. We need to prioritize what worked during the pandemic, free meals for all, and make them permanent. In Cambridge, every time, we have1629 prioritized getting food to children, it has been a solid investment into our children, not only in their education and their futures but our collective future.1638 As Rep Vargas said earlier, it's not only a sound investment but a moral imperative. We know the stigma attached to meals.
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two minutes have expired. Thank you.
We don't ask our students to pay for textbooks, Chromebooks, or any other items we provide to supplement the amazing curriculum and instruction here in Massachusetts, public schools and we need to treat school meals the same way and make them free for all. I hope you report this favorably out of the committee today. Thank you so much for the opportunity. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
Thank you. Vanessa Weisbrod
me. Can you hear me okay?
[VANESSA WEISBROD (BOSTONS CHILDRENS HOSPITAL):] [HB714] [SB314] Good afternoon Chairs, Peisch and Lewis, and members of the committee and thank you for the opportunity to speak today. I'm Vanessa Weisbrod, the director of the celiac program at Boston Children's Hospital. In this role, I worked with thousands of children every year in helping them manage a gluten-free diet and supporting them as they attend school. I want to talk today about a specific population that would greatly benefit from the continuance of the universal school meals program; children with Celiac. Celiac is a chronic autoimmune disease that affects 1% of children.
For our patients, eating gluten, even in small amounts can lead to many severe complications, including malnutrition, diarrhea, vomiting, mouth ulcers, delayed puberty, infertility, and neurological issues. Lifelong adherence to the gluten-free diet is the only treatment, one that can be challenging to obtain for families due to1721 its extremely high cost. Studies have consistently found that gluten-free foods are far more expensive, actually 1,000% more expensive than their gluten-containing counterparts. Our data shows that over the past year, 25% of families with a child with Celiac were overall food insecure and 28% were considered gluten-free food insecure. Perhaps the most striking finding was that 1 in 10 households reported that their child intentionally ate gluten because no gluten-free food was available.
Yes, 10% of families fed their child gluten food that cause them harm because they did not have the resources1754 to access gluten-free food. Thanks to the increased funding during the pandemic, this year, our patients can eat safe gluten-free meals at school free of charge. If this program is discontinued, we worry that our families with Celiac disease will need to make a terrible choice, face severe financial hardship to feed their child gluten-free food, or make the excruciating decision to feed their child food that they know will make them sick.
I know that Celiac only occurs in a small percentage of Massachusetts students but recognizing how universal school meals could positively impact this population speaks to the overall mission of the bill to ensure an equitable school meal system in which all children can access healthy and safe meals without financial, social or in this case, health repercussions. Thank you for the opportunity to testify in support of this1798 important issue and I'm happy to take any questions. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
Uh thank you very much and thank you for complying with the two minute limit Aaron McLear,
[ERIN MCALEER (PROJECT BREAD):] [HB714] [SB314] Thank you Chairwoman Peisch and thank you members of the committee. I want to echo earlier comments from Vargas and just say that we are so grateful to this committee for the work they have done to address food and security. Project1821 bread was created over 50 years ago when citizens came together to raise awareness about hunger here in Massachusetts and advocate for solutions to end it. Unfortunately, as you know, that vision has never been realized. However, what we have learned in the past 50 years is that the only way to systemically end hunger is through policy change.
Today, I'm not going to speak to you as the head of project bread, actually, I want to share my personal story with you. In 1985, I was five years old, living in West Peabody with my parents and two older brothers.1849 It was a typical middle-class life to the outside1852 world, but inside, we were facing domestic violence. My mom made the very difficult1856 decision to seek a divorce and become a single parent knowing she could not pay the bills. She was consumed by stress and pancakes became a very common dinner. No one1865 knew about the violence we faced or her financial difficulties and that was intentional.
She did not want anyone questioning her decision. She could have walked into my school and asked for an application for free lunch, but she didn't because an application meant that questions would be asked. So, instead, on Sunday night, she made 15 peanut butter and Jelly Sandwiches and I ate that for lunch every single day. Free school meals would have been a lifeline. We would have been1888 fed breakfast and lunch while at school and she could have put money towards other expenses. That was 1985, 37 years ago1897 and the system is still broken. So as you consider whether to make universal free school meals available to all students in Massachusetts, you may think about targeting only some kids, but how do we know?
Our best estimates that are at least 26% of kids are being left behind. I'm urging you to adopt a new system and a new perspective. Let's acknowledge that all kids deserve free meals at schools. We've learned so many hard lessons during1921 this pandemic and trying to tweak the old system is not going to cut it, feeding kids is a smart investment. That elementary school where I went in 1985 is providing free school meals right now because of the waivers but it's going to go away and it's going to go away for hundreds of schools across the state and families who rely on these meals are not going to1940 understand why.
So I urge you, let's not go back1943 to that broken system, please give strong consideration to passing this legislation in its entirety. Thank you. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
Thank you Miss McLear and thank you for complying with the two minute limit. Um I am now going to turn the committee back over to uh Chairman Lewis Senator Lewis, thank you. Representative appreciate you stepping in. Their um next up to testify is Amy smith Amy smith.
[AMY SMITH (CAMBRIDGE HEALTH ALLIANCE):] [HB714] [SB314] Chair Lewis, Chair Peisch, and the members of the committee, thank you for the opportunity to testify in strong support of school meals for all legislation. My name is Dr. Amy Smith, I'm a primary care, family medicine doctor at Cambridge Health Alliance, a major public and safety net hospital system that cares for vulnerable and diverse populations in the metro north region of Boston. Food security has long been a top need for our patient population, which only has been exacerbated by COVID-19. About 20-40% of our patients who are screened here, experienced food insecurity and the need for food assistance which we have tried to facilitate through referrals and other programs we offer.
Having a nutritious school breakfast and lunch is essential for families who struggle to find food. One of the many families I'm privileged to care for in my medical practice consists of a single parent and three young children. The parent has diabetes and other chronic diet-related medical issues and the three children struggle with their own medical problems related to insufficient nutrition that interferes with their education and well being. I see this everyday in my practice. If unaddressed, this leads to lifelong medical problems. Every aspect of food insecurity takes a toll on parents and children because food is inextricably linked to health.
The universal school meals program sets the stage for lifelong, healthier lives as already mentioned by many others. Studies show that school meals improve short and long term health outcomes. School meals promote healthy dietary intake with higher nutritional benefits. Youth learning to make better dietary choices, better health. Um, National research that the school lunch program reduces poor health by at least 29% and reduces obesity by 17%, improved mental health, including reduced hyperactivity, anxiety, and depression as has already been mentioned.
Passing legislation this session to adopt school meals for all will help in2119 child hunger in Massachusetts and will promote our communities long term well-being. Thank you again for the opportunity to testify. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
Thank you very much. Um, next we're gonna hear from Polar Andrews.
[POLA ANDREWS (SAUGUS PUBLIC SCHOOLS):] [HB714] [SB314] Thank you, Chairman Lewis, Chairman Peisch, and members of the committee for the opportunity to testify in support of an act relative to universal school meals. I'm Pola Andrews, and I'm the executive director of finance and administration for the Saugus public schools. Saugus is an average median income community approximately eight miles north of Boston. Not enough of our students qualify for direct verification free meals, which would make us a community eligibility2166 provisions school district. Yet many families like elsewhere in the commonwealth struggle with food insecurity when money becomes tight due to unforeseen expenses.
You cannot see hunger, but you can see its effects. The 10:00 AM belly ache that lands students in the nurse's office for attention span and poor behavior, all of which comes at additional cost to the district, but more importantly, impedes to students academic success. The students who don't qualify for free meals often come to school without funds to pay for the meals. Before the pandemic, we incurred a yearly average of approximately $20,000, an unpaid meal debt by hundreds of students. Principles were tasked with trying to collect this debt from the very families who needed support, not admonition.
The debt had to be covered by the non-program funds, which for us meant the operating budget. And to put it into perspective, that amount of money could fund a paraprofessional, a software series, or about 80 Chromebooks. Furthermore, many students who are eligible for free2237 meals did not participate even though great care was taken to not identify their status. The shame still lingered. Since the pandemic, our daily participation rates have skyrocketed from approximately 18% before the pandemic to as high as 73% at our middle school and equal increases in our other grades. Students feel much more comfortable taking meals as the meals are available to all.
Please, it is time to end the inequity for the students' most basic needs, it is time to alleviate the stigma of shame associated with free lunch. I respectfully urge the committee to report out and act relative to universal school meals favorably. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
Thank you for your time. Thank you very much for your testimony. Uh Next is addario Miranda addario Miranda
[ADDARIO MIRANDA (PROJECT 51):][HB714][SB314] I'd like to thank Chairman, Lewis, Chairman Peisch, and members of the committee for giving me this opportunity to testify in support of an act relative to universal school meals. My name is Addario Miranda and I'm an ambassador for Project 51 and have just completed my first full year of service. My most recent service project was a food drive in which I collected 742 shelf-stable items of food for families experiencing food insecurity. As someone who experienced food insecurity as a child, this food drive meant a lot to me. While in2331 elementary school, I was ineligible for free lunch because my single mom didn't meet the eligibility requirements.
We did, however, meet the requirements for reduced lunch. My mom made just enough for rent and utilities but she couldn't keep up with the schools, reduced lunch fees, and the school would often send me home with bright yellow past due notices for unpaid dues. Unable2353 to keep up, she started sending me to school with a brown paper bag that contained a single PB and J. On a good day instead of peanut butter and jelly sandwich, she was sending me to school with an off-brand from the dollar store instead and for dinner, I remember going to the Mcdonald's drive-through and being told by my mom that I could only pick two items and that they had to be from the dollar menu.
At the time, the lunchables and trips to Mcdonalds would seem like a treat to me, but now that I am older and in a much better situation, I realized that it was just my single mom trying to stretch out the very little money that we had. Every household had its own financial burdens that are unique to them. It's not black and white, there's a grey area in which families are just out of reach for being eligible for the assistance they need. Implementing free school lunches will ensure that every child has the same access to healthy food, no matter what their family's financial situation is. After completing my food drive, I felt a great sense of pride knowing that I was able to feed at least one family a healthy meal.
As a state, imagine the impact that you would make, knowing that parents don't have to worry whether or not the child can eat at school that day. I really hope that my personal experience has shined the light on why you should vote for an act relative to universal school meals out favorably. Thank you again, Chairman Lewis chairman and members of the committee for allowing me to speak on the subject. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
Thank you so much. Mr Miranda thank you for your powerful testimony and your terrific uh um sharing with us your personal story and your your leadership among your fellow students. Thank you. Next up is Ashley water berg. Ashley water berg Hi, thank you so much.
Go ahead, please
[ASHLEY WATERBERG (NASW):] [HB714] [SB314] Thank you, Chairman Lewis, Chairwoman Peisch, and members of the committee for the opportunity to testify in support of an act relative to universal school meals. My name is Ashley Waterberg and I am a school social worker in an urban district, just outside of Boston. I'm here representing the National Association of Social Workers, Massachusetts chapter. I first want to say just how humbled I am to be here in the presence of so many people who dedicate their lives to public service and to improving the well-being of others.
I strongly agree with making school meals free and accessible to all Massachusetts students. I feel this way because I observe on a daily basis the consequences of not doing so. I have seen the breakdown in family-school relationships that can occur when school personnel must question caregivers about their income in order to complete the application process for free or reduced lunch eligibility. As a staff member who assists with lunch duty, I have witnessed the look on students' faces after cafeteria workers scribble the amount of lunch debt that the students own on a piece of paper, that the students are told to bring home and show to their caregivers.
So, many2527 of these students already know the financial stresses that2530 their families face and now must carry this additional burden of knowledge. Some may internalize the stress2537 by choosing not to eat. Our district is offering universal free breakfast and lunch2541 this year. This means no application process, no questions asked by families about why they don't qualify, no stigma as students stand in line and choose what food to eat, but2551 what will happen next year? As a school social worker, I see the many barriers that my students face that I have no control over changing, but we have the opportunity at this moment in Massachusetts to minimize the barrier of hunger, stigma, and stress by making access to a meal available and accessible to all of our students.
Our students not only deserve this, they need this, it is not a handout, as some may call it, but2574 an investment in our own future. For all of these reasons, I support and act relative to universal school meals and I'm asking the committee to vote it out favorably. Thank you so much for your time. Thank you all so much for your service. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
Thank you very much, Miss Water Berg. Next up is jean Louise Sherlock. Good afternoon everybody.
[JEANNE SHERLOCK (METRO WEST YMCA):] [HB714] [SB314] Thank you, Chair Lewis and Chairwoman Peisch, and members of the committee for the opportunity to testify in support of 714, an act relative to universal school meals. My name is Jeanne Sherlock and I am the chief operating officer from the Metro West Y. M. C. A, anchored in the city of Framingham. Here today to add my voice to that of all the school children in the commonwealth that will benefit, the Y. M. C. A has for many years, been working in the area of food security specifically in offering third meal and at risk after school sites, summer meals, and school breaks.
But as we entered a global pandemic, the Y. M. C. A in typical fashion with school closures, expanded meal service opportunities, and with the addition of USDA waivers, Y M. C. A and the commonwealth served well over 15 million meals. We've seen firsthand the difference this has made to hundreds of families. The Y.M.C.A is well versed in serving the underserved and being there when families need us most, certainly no different in the midst of our current situation, emergency childcare, remote learning, meal services. In the area of food security, we really uncovered a need that was hidden even from us and we have been actively seeking out community needs for as long as we have existed.
You all know the facts, science is there, the data is there, the personal stories are there, so many of them right here on this screen and that includes me but2677 today is about now, not 50 years ago. When we know better, we do better and our families need and deserve better. As a care provider at the Y as well as a meal meals provider, we've been feeding everybody; all kids and I can't begin to share the number of parents that went out of their way to share how important that was to have something they could count on in a time when there was very little that they could count on with so many things up in the air.
But maybe most importantly I want to share this from, from me, from Jeanne, the Mom;2709 my kids don't need universal2711 lunch at least not from2712 a financial perspective, but they do need it from a human perspective, they have grown up in a home that preaches access and equity but still, stigma has crept in. When I encourage my fifth grader to access lunch at school, he said," Mom, those lunches aren't for me, and just like that, I recognized that somehow he discovered there was a difference between him and some of these other kids, these kids are not different, they all deserve healthy and nutritious meals to support their learning and to help all kids reach their potential.
This is not the time to go back to the way it was, we've been feeding universally now for almost two years and it will be a little bit over two years by the time these waivers come to an end. When we2754 know better, we do better, it's time to do better. Thank you so much for allowing me this opportunity2759 today and I urge you to vote an act relative to universal school meals out favorably. Thank you. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
thank you Miss Sherlock and thank you very much for the good work that that the metro West wai does and all of our wise across the commonwealth have been really stepped up stepping up during the pandemic, especially for our for our Children. Um molly Kempner is next molly Kempner. Hi, good afternoon, please go ahead,
[MOLLY KEPNER (GBFB):][HB714][SB314]Thank you, chair Lewis, Chair Peisch and members of the committee. My name is molly Kempner and I'm speaking today on behalf of the greater Boston food bank in support of an act relative to universal school meals. I come before you today in two roles; as a representative GBFB and as someone who grew up relying on free school meals. Now, there's a symbiotic relationship between the food bank system and school meals. We at GBFB operate multiple direct service programs including seven school-based pantries2818 which served over 6000 individuals in FY21.
While school based pantries are critical, we know that bold policy action is needed to address the root causes of nutrition and security, which is why GBFB enthusiastically supports this legislation. Now stigma continues to be a barrier to food access and addressing it starts with our kids, which brings me to the2841 second role that I'm serving here today; as a former free school meals recipient. As a kid, I loved school lunch and looking back, I realized why; it was a guaranteed well-rounded meal for me that reduce the burden on my mom who relied on snap and food pantries for our groceries. When you're a kid more than anything you want to fit in.
So I did everything I could to mask my free school meal status. As long as my mom filled out the paperwork at the beginning of the year on time, I would have no problem fitting in, but those times where there was an issue, are seared into my memory forever. The shame attached with those red letters on the screen and kids staring at you from the lunch line does not go away. Instincts are created when we're young. If you grow up receiving free school meals and hiding that from your friends because of shame, why would you ever feel comfortable accessing snap or food pantries when you become an adult?
The current structure of our system instills in our kids' stigma and the fear of asking for help at a young age. Ending the stigma attached to food insecurity starts with the universal school meals where every kid has access to a healthy breakfast and lunch without judgment. This bill is a critical step forward for our commonwealth and GBFB respectfully requests a favorable2918 vote out of committee. Thanks so much. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
Thank you very much Miss Miss Kempner for your powerful testimony and thank you for the great work that the greater boston food bank does every day. Michael curry is next. Michael curry, Mr curry had to step off but he will submit written testimony. Okay, great, thank you very much Wendy timmons. Wendy timmons.
And we also have susie timmons. I don't know if Wendy and susie are related Susie timmons.
All right, so I think that will do it for everybody who signed up for the universal school meals bills how 714 and Senate 314. So thank you to everyone for your testimony and we're going to close the hearing. Now on those two bills. Next bill is house to 187 and act relative to school service contracts. We2986 don't have anyone signed up, so we'll close the hearing on that bill, House 4138, an act requiring accountability for inequities in suspension and expulsion. We heard from Representative Ultrino earlier. Um, the next person signed up to testify as Matthew Kreager. Matthew Kreager,
[MATTHEW CREGOR (MHLAC):] [HB4138] Thank you, I appreciate the opportunity to speak. Matthew Cregor, mental health legal advisors committee here in support of H 4138, the raise act. This bill makes explicit what we know3024 implicitly that school discipline and academic achievement are inherently and inextricably linked. We know that out-of-school suspension predicts students grade retention and they're dropping out of school. We also know that our schools with the higher suspension rates are also the schools with the lower test scores and lower graduation rates.
We also know that the burden of these discipline rates is distributed quite unevenly and inequitably across the country and across the commonwealth. For example, Representative Ultrino highlighted the disparities with which black and latino students are disciplined. We also know that students with disabilities are disciplined at a rate three times that of their non disabled peers and it's in our at least concerning and most subjective catch all category of discipline that we see these greatest disparities arise, not for fights, bullies, guns, drugs, any of that, but for what the state itself categorizes as nonviolent, non criminal, non drug related behaviours.
If we have any hope of ridding ourselves of the "achievement gap", we will have to address the disproportionate use and misuse of our discipline policies and the raise act does just that. The raise act does three key things that I'd like to highlight for this committee as it considers reporting out this bill. It incorporates school discipline and school disciplinary disparities into our state's educational accountability model. It updates some of our 30 year old3119 school discipline statutes to avoid some of the unintended consequences that have flown from them since.
My colleague Marley Spanjaard will highlight, and it requires our schools to actually use alternatives to suspension when it is disciplining our students and addressing their behavior. We have done great things as the commonwealth thanks to the State House to improve our policies on discipline. The impact and success of Chapter 222 now, 10 years old is waning and our progress has plateaued. If we are to eliminate the racial and disability3158 related disparities we see in discipline and make sure all of our students are receiving a proper education, now is the time for us to pass this act and we urge its favorable report from this committee. Thank you. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
Thank you Mr Kreager Marlies Spaniard.
[MARLIES SPANJAARD (CPCS):][HB4138] Good afternoon, esteemed members of the Joint Committee on Education. My name is Marlies Spanjaard. I am the director of education, advocacy at the Committee for Public counsel services and I run the Ad-block project where we provide education advocacy for children involved in the juvenile and child welfare systems in Massachusetts. I'm going to shave off some of my testimony for time's sake by echoing what Matt just told you about the concerns about the disparity impact of school discipline on black and latino students, students with disabilities, English language learners as well as students in foster care.
These students are far more likely than there appears to be disciplined, especially for minor incidents. This law requires legislative3223 fixes in order to function in a way that supports students and promotes safety. Mass General Law Chapter 71,3231 Section 37H is the most serious of our school discipline law and allows for the principal to permanently expel for three offenses; weapons, drugs, and assault on educational staff. However, currently, those definitions are very vague, a principal can determine what a weapon is, and this has resulted in students being expelled for things like possession of a paperclip, a pencil, and a plastic water bottle.
Um further, the definition of assault needs to be um, fixed as well. We have represented children who have been expelled under this provision for giving a threatening look and for contact made with a teacher by a kindergartener during a tantrum. This bill would clarify that assault needs to be willful with intent and means to harm. The second most series of our school discipline laws involves um, the suspension of students for felony complaints. And when I say felony to the, you know, the average person, people think of very serious things where we have seen this law, I've seen a student um, excluded for assault and battery, dangerous weapon, that sounds scary, dangerous weapon was Doritos.
The child had removed Doritos from a bag and um, and thrown them at a teacher. I've had a student excluded for being in the back of a stolen car. Um, and I'd like to add that both of those students are students of color with documented social-emotional disabilities. Further, we also know that students of color and low-income students are more likely to end up in juvenile court than their white peers for the3330 same behavior. So allowing this law to play out the way it does, we are actually compounding the disparities that already exist. The other issue with these laws that currently is written is that it allows for exclusion prior to the arraignment of a juvenile.
This means that kids are excluded in school prior to the juvenile3349 court, even having a chance to consider whether the case is ripe for diversion or should seek another way, and creates a harmful paper trail for the child in school. Um, and again,3362 just wanted to echo what Matt said as well about the focus of data collection in this act, it is super helpful because it highlights the most vulnerable children in the state, um Children in the custody of the Department of children and families um as well as um disaggregated data by race and income level.
So on behalf of the project and the Committee for Public Counsel Services, we urge you to support H 4138 to end the unnecessary exclusion of children from school for normal childhood behavior. Thank you very much. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
Thank you very much. Mr Daniel and thank you for your good work at the law project and at and and it's cpcs. Thank you. Erin Arzu is next erin Arzu,
I think you're still on mute. Mr Arzu.
There we go.
[AARON ARZU(NEBIP):] [HB4138] Thank you. I'm Aaron Arzu and I'm the director of operations and policy at New England Blacks in philanthropy. We are a philanthropic intermediary and our stakeholders include the donors who give to philanthropy as well as the organizations who serve the philanthropy in the communities who are the beneficiaries of that philanthropy. And one of our primary objectives is to increase equity wherever we see it so that3448 everyone in the community can benefit, not just black people and indigenous people of color. I'm here to speak on behalf of the raise act3456 and I think it's appropriate that it's called the raise act because what we're doing is we're trying to raise our children to be productive members of society so that they can then increase social likely wherever they go.
SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
Um, if you give me one second, sorry about that.
The raise act is important because as has been documented throughout time, schools are inequitable and how they do their discipline and those3484 inequities fall upon black and brown children, black and brown Children who we consider to be the future of the commonwealth because as we all know, the commonwealth is becoming more and more diverse. But we continue to treat these children and their children in ways which are consistently inequitable and that inequity persists throughout their lives. You've all heard of the school-to-prison pipeline?
Well, the raise act is a really important measure to stop that pipeline3511 in its tracks. We want to stop the inequitable treatment of children by keeping them out of school. We all know that having access to education is one of the foundations of this commonwealth and by excluding Children from school at disproportionate rates were condemning them to a much less significant impact on the economic life of the commonwealth. That's very important for all of us, but it is especially important for those of us who have had a history of this kind of inequity. So I'm not going to waste the committee's time, we've all heard a lot of stuff, Matt was very eloquent talking about the numbers, but I just want to reiterate that as we consider the raise act we are raising equity and that we are raising the standards by which we treat everyone in this commonwealth.
Thank you. I hope the committee to raise the act3563 favorably and I hope that the members of the committee will listen to everyone who testifies on this important issue um with the same attention and care that we've heard throughout the day. Thank3573 you very much. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
Thank you very much. Mr Arciero appreciate your testimony. Virginia Benson is next Virginia Benson. Hi, can you hear me? Yes. Hi, good afternoon.
[VIRGINIA BENZAN (MLRI):][HB4138] Thank you so much for having me. I am Virginia Benson. I direct the race Equity and justice project at the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute and lead the race equity Coalition, a coalition of civil legal aid attorneys and community advocates, local stakeholders working to advance racial justice. I testified today with my civil legal aid colleagues um and advocates in support of the raise act, and so I also wanted to familiarize enthusiastic support for universal school meals as the next logical step after the passage of the male shaming bill.
Um, and so on the raise act though there have been countless reports of research and awareness of the issue racial disparities in school discipline continue to persist in Massachusetts. You've already heard how schools are more likely to suspend black Hispanic and Native American children more than their white counterparts and how teachers and school managers are more likely to pull students of color from the classroom than their white pairs. I mean this must stop. It is our duty to educate and treat our Children equally and equitably and let me dispel the myth that these disparities as a result of differences in the type of infractions conducted by students of color and white3662 students and a recent report.
For example, researchers found that Barnstable public schools excluded black students 3.2 times more than white students for the same behavior. The raise act creates the necessary safeguards and3676 accountability to mitigate the implicit biases against students of color that cause these disparities. For decades, we have understood the role of implicit bias in our treatment3685 of black children and other children of color. Yes, we still have not implemented policies to adequately address these biases. We know that our society views black children and other children of color as less innocent, older, and more aggressive than their white peers and that educators view the behavior of black Children as more worthy of harsher school discipline.
SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
trying to cut my testimony to meet the time.
So these raised act bills in tangible ways to counter are explicit implicit biases against children of color. The timing cannot be more perfect to pass this bill as we've all heard about recent spike and discipline this year as students return to3725 in-person learning and struggled to manage the stress and trauma of these unprecedented times of isolation, fear, and loss. Though go Covid has impacted and disrupted school for all of us. We know that Covid has hit communities of color hardness and we are deeply concerned that the schools will meet this3742 disciplinary spike with3744 punitive measures against students of color.
And studies have found that differences in discipline can lead to differences in school performance and academic growth. So we urge you to support the raise act favorably and hold our schools accountable3759 to3764 addressing3764 racial disparities and3765 discipline. Thank you so much. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
Um thank you Mr Benson for your testimony and thank you very much for all the work on racial justice and equity that you and Mlr I are doing. Thank you. Thank you. Alright. That wraps it up on in terms of testimony for house 4138. So we're going to close the hearing on that bill. Um We have three bills remaining in the hearing today. Uh these are three bills that deal with uh immunization in schools and and mask policy. Um We have a lot of people signed up more than 100 people for these three bills. We recognize that there's some strong feelings, very strong feelings that people have on both sides of these um of these topics. And again, I want to remind everybody. The maximum amount of3817 time now is is two minutes for your testimony and is, I can assure you it is not more persuasive for the committee to hear repetitive testimony. So if what you'd like to say has been said before, it's fine3830 to just echo what that person said and also to submit written testimony. I3836 know a number of you have done that already and3838 that's certainly an effective way to communicate with all the education committee members as well. All right, so we're going to dive in now to house bill3846 706 an act relative to the protection of medical exemptions for immunizations for school attendance. And the first person signed up is julie Bouras julie Barrett
miss Bouras are you with us?
Okay, next up is Lindsay3872 Merrill Lindsay Merrill
Nicole sebastian
Nicole sebastian. Um hmm.
Matthew rick Richter, richard, I'm sorry. Matthew. Richard
june zang june zang
Diana Lynn foster, Diana Lynn foster.
Patricia Coquelin,
Patricia Scotland.
Excuse me, could you give us to name so that we can have an on deck person ready to go.
Yes, I can probably accommodate that.
Um So I just called Patricia cochran. The next person is Brittany Cavagnaro
after Britney Cavagnaro is Jenna Howard
martian blake
Stephanie humans.
Yes, I'm here. Stephanie humans. Ok go ahead Miss humans. Thank you. Thank you.
So my um I had written it and because I wanted to speak about how I strongly oppose The proposed bill that um S- 2516 that Senator Rausch3998 spoke about. So I don't know if that is OK. If I speak now or wait until you know you should go ahead and speak now please. Thank you.
[STEPHANIE HEWINS:][SB2516] Um, so I'd4012 like to say I strongly oppose this proposed bill as a parent of two children. My Children are in 2nd and 4th grade in Middleborough public schools in all I see is the extreme negative mental impact that the mass in schools have had on my children. This bill will only further put children in fair school since it is in fact the only place where children need to wear masks. Thank you for your time. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
Great, thank you very much. Mr Kerans Ali Montri and next after Ali's Alyssa Colburn. Ali Montri.
Alyssa Colburn, after Miss Colburn is Beth Hosinski, Alyssa Colburn.
[ALYSSA COLBURN (CONCERNED CITIZEN):] [SB2516] [S330] [H706] Thank you so much members of4071 the committee for hearing my testimony today. I would like to voice my opposition to bill S 2516 an act mitigating Covid-19 transmission among Children and families. It's been so disappointing to see the attack on medical freedom and parental rights in the state of Massachusetts over the past few years, which has primarily been led by Senator Rebecca Rausch. My husband and I both grew up here and we now often have conversations about leaving the state, which is just really hard for both of us to think about how we feel that we're being attacked as a minority group of people who choose a holistic lifestyle that also reliance with our religious beliefs.
We believe that in God's image, we have been created perfectly and do not need to cover our faces in submission to government bureaucrats who are introducing these policies for their own personal and political benefit. This is the second year that my children are learning at home because we will4126 not put masks on our children. We believe it's detrimental to their mental health, their social-emotional development, and their ability to learn. Across our nation, there's been a 30% decrease in academic success in our children and it's largely been attributed to the masking of the children and the teachers.
Children need to see faces to learn properly. I'm an early childhood certified teacher,4150 I also have a Bachelors's degree in Psychology,4153 so I am qualified to make that assessment. Children need to see faces4158 to learn and to interact properly with their peers and4162 with their teachers. We also believe that face masks, it does affect their overall wellbeing, but it also exposes them to a fear-driven society which is against what God has commanded of us as children. We are told many times in the bible, do not fear, we cannot allow our children to be constantly exposed to this fear-driven society. Um, we could also make a healthier community through the farm to education Bill that was spoken about earlier, which I think is really wonderful, proper nutrition and also how about reducing obesity in the school system by encouraging students and teachers to lose weight through proper nutrition and also physical education.
Um, I also would like to voice my support for Bill S 330 and act supporting physician autonomy and clinical judgment and personalized medical care. And also to voice my support of Bill H 706 an Act relative to the protection of medical exemptions for immunizations for school attendance. Um, just quickly my children would not be able to attend school if they take away the immunizations. Um, one of my Children did have a reaction, the pediatrician would not document it but she did have a reaction and also we've been kicked out of medical practices and um, of course, bullied because of vaccinations.
This isn't okay. We need to be able to make our medical decisions without being bullied and coerced and for medical professionals to also feel that they can support people who are coming to their practices. Thank you. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
Thank you very much. Thank you and sorry to cut you off but thank you for your testimony today. Um So beth just Linsky is next and then Jessica Britain, can you hear me? This is Markey and blake you called me a few minutes ago. Um I didn't realize I had to press star six to get a muted. Okay Yes go ahead. Thank thank you so much.
4300 [??? (CONCERNED CITIZEN):][SB330][HB706][SB2516] Thank you for having me here today. I'm an attorney and mother to two children in elementary school. Thank you, Representative Soter and Senator DiZoglio for sponsoring S 330, and H 706, which4310 I am now strongly urging the committee to vote in favor of. That mass department of Public Health currently has the final say on whether a vaccine medical exemption recommended by a child's physician is approved is problematic. Whether a patient's risk of injury or death from a vaccine is significant enough to merit a medical exemption is a clinical decision, not an administrative one.
A physician who has examined the patient and knows their unique set of health circumstances, including health history and genetic predispositions, is the best person to make that decision. Who are a school physician and DPH to question that? Who are they to look at a child's name and a piece of paper with a medical exemption and decide that they know better than that child's own doctor? It's dehumanizing to the child and promotes bureaucratic overreach. Who makes the final decision at DPH? The statute doesn't specify. What is their medical background and expertise? Has that person actually treated any patients?
I worked in government in a legal capacity and grew up with a cardiologist, father and I can tell you that no government branch or agency is equipped to recognize and understand the complex medical issues that experienced physicians must navigate daily. Continuing to allow the administrative usurpation of medical decisions of those best4381 qualified to give them places the health and lives of infants, toddlers, and children at risk and weakens doctor-patient relationships. It prevents doctors from effectively upholding their oath to do no harm. Our laws need to support this crucial medical ethic.
Another important aspect of Senate Bill4398 330 and House Bill 706 is that they provide for doctors to exercise their best medical judgment without fear of disciplinary action. Unfortunately, tyrannical threats of disciplinary action for diverging from CDC protocol are becoming more and more4412 common, forcing doctors4413 to compromise their medical judgment out of fear of losing their licenses. I am so grateful that some of our legislators at least recognize the need for laws that protect doctors' rights to treat their patients to the best of their abilities. We want good medicine. Let doctors do their jobs as healers, not be pawns that satisfy pharmaceutical and political agendas.
Please support S 330 and H 706. Thank you so much for your time and consideration. I also would like to voice my opposition to the bill on masks in schools; I'm not against masks per se, but I don't believe this should be a state decision, that should be up to the individual school districts. Thank you. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
Thank you for your testimony today. Um, next um, was Beth Jasinski with us this afternoon.
Okay, Jessica Britain and then julie Merrigan.
All right, I'm here. Okay,
[JESSICA BRITTON (CONCERNED CITIZEN):] [HB706] My name is Jessica Britain and I'm a mother of three. I have worked in the pharmaceutical industry for the last 14 years. My testimony today is in support of Bill H 706, protection of medical exemptions for immunization, for school attendance. In the fall of 2019, my son experienced a severe anaphylactic reaction to the flu vaccination. Anaphylactic means it's severe, potentially life-threatening, it could be skin reactions, flush, skin pale, um low blood pressure, constriction of airways that would cause that um swelling of the tongue and4504 throat, a rapid pulse, nausea, vomiting and dizziness or fainting.
So a few4509 hours after receiving that vaccination, my son started to feel not well. I observed that he was very pale, his cheeks were rosy, he was weak, lethargic dizzy, he had labored breathing, he had a fever, he was tackled cardio which I verified with the pulse ox monitor. he has a background of asthma and an EpiPen noteworthy allergy, and his tiny arm had swelled up to twice the size of his bicep. And so I became concerned and I wanted to take him to the ER, I decided upon talking with my ex-husband to call the on-call doctor. As soon as I started explaining the symptoms to the on-call doctor, the only thing he cared about was why he had a pulse ox monitor, and my son chalked it up that it was just a topical reaction and I should put my son to bed and monitor and give him Tylenol.
When I got the notes from my son's medical chart, it was just chalked up like I said, to a topical reaction. I was very dismayed and cognitive dissonance had said in because this was an industry I trusted. I have two problems with this incident; first, I'm my child's caretaker; I've spent many sleepless nights caring for my children. I know when they are well, I know when something is terribly wrong. Not the state, not the DPH, and not always the doctor. No one has any business telling me what goes into my body, especially after I trusted the doctor. Doctors aren't always able to act in the best interests of the patients because of financial interests and the corporations are beholden to, whether it's financial kickbacks from insurance payers to promote good health or the organization does not allow them to document true adverse reactions on therapies or right medical exemptions.
I do not co-parent with the state, you don't own my children, our bodily autonomy is not up for sale to the highest bidder, the only difference between me and you guys, the legislator is that when I walk into a doctor's office, they know who's interest I represent. We both represent big pharma except you guys hide it behind the people that you represent. Thank you. Mhm. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
Thank you Miss Miss Britain, thank you for your testimony. Although I can assure you, I don't represent a big farmer and neither neither do my colleagues. Um Ok, julie Merrigan. It's next
Barbara Cannon,
Barbara Cannon,
Michael King,
Michael King,
Martha Herbert. This is Michael King. Okay, Mr King. Please go ahead. All right. Thank you4676 so much. Um
[MICHAEL KING (CONCERNED CITIZEN):] [HB706] [SB330] Thank you the Joint Committee on Education for taking my testimony. I'm speaking today in support of S 330 and H 706 to preserve the medical and religious exemptions. Last summer, I believe in July, there was a hearing to remove the religious exemption, about 400 people showed up to testify and if you were watching closely, about 90% of those that testified were in favor of preserving the religious exemption. That's 90% of 400 people that showed up. Knowing this fact, wouldn't it make sense as legislators to listen to the vast majority of constituents and pass bills like S 330 and H 706 to preserve the medical and religious exemptions.
If you vote against these bills and for bills like that of senator Rebecca Rausch to mask kids as young as two,4732 you are only going to drive more families away from public education and to private schools, and I'm not saying this just to be cute. It's actually happening. It should be noted that about 37,000 kids left public school in the first year of COVID. Private schools are greatly increasing their numbers in Massachusetts. Most4751 of the people leaving the public school are not necessarily religious. Current statistics show that upwards of 75% of those leaving are not necessarily religious people, due to current mask and vaccine mandates many families are moving to New Hampshire for school choice that was just passed in New Hampshire and for more freedom.
The Cato Institute just rated New Hampshire as their number one free state in America. It is worth noting that over 3000 Children have now opted out of explicit sex education in Worcester and many of those parents are leaving the public schools as well. When you start mandating unconstitutional dictates, you unjustly affect people's freedoms and you drive all kinds of people away from public school. Opposing these bills to protect religious and medical exemptions will continue to increase attendance in private schools4804 continue an exodus of students from Massachusetts to New Hampshire and deplete public schools of their populations.
If you oppose these bills, you will actually help families realize the great reward in taking back the education of their children. If you agree with these bills, you support4821 the vast majority of parents that stand for; my body, my choice. It is worth noting that last May, we told the school committee in Worcester to not pass explicit sex education. We told them that irresponsibly passing such curriculum would only spark the largest opt out movement in Massachusetts history. In Worcester in the first two months of the school year that has happened now, parents are so outraged by the curriculum. They're4845 pulling kids out of the school as well.
Whether it is explicit sex it or unconstitutional mandates, passing this kind of legislation will only cause a continued exodus from public schools. People that share this mindset and Worldview win, either way, don't pass these mandates and protect freedom, pass these mandates, and people will naturally chase freedom and leave the public school. Let me just add this last piece; the same people that are telling us to trust science are also telling us to distrust well-respected doctors like Dr. Peter McCullough. Dr. Peter McCullough is an American cardiologist who was vice chief of internal medicine at Baylor University Medical Center and a professor at Texas A&M University.
He went to the top class. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
Yeah, I will wrap it up. Give me 10 seconds.
He has written extensively on covid and been relied upon by the federal judge recently ruling against covid restrictions, but instead of trusting arguably the most well-credentialed doctor on the Covid issue, we're told to listen to Sanjay Gupta who recently went on sesame street to seduce little children to take the vaccine. We ask you to please support freedom and support S 330 and H 706. Thanks so much. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
All right. Thank you. Mr King. Um next up is dr Martha Herbert.
Hi, I'm not dr Martha Herbert but I did text her. She is with the patient and she hopes to be able to speak as soon as she can join if that's possible. Okay, okay. We'll keep keep us posted. We're going to be on these bills for a while. All right. Um, let's see Candice4942 Edwards and then nancy koval Candace Edwards. Can you hear me? Yes, please go ahead. Sorry, hold on a minute. I've got an echo going on there. Let me just pull up my
[CANDICE EDWARDS (CONCERNED CITIZEN):] [HB706] [SB330] [SB2516] Thank you4960 chairs and fellow committee members. I would first like to start off with the bills that I support; I would like to commend and thank Representative Soter and Senator Dizoglio for putting forward a piece of common-sense legislation. I also want to thank Representative Soter for hearing the medical professional community and an4978 overlooked, ignored, and mislabeled vulnerable subpopulations after the public hearing last session where hundreds of families like mine testified against proposed exemption removal legislation.4987
You would think that Children who have suffered life-altering adverse events would4992 be able to obtain an exemption from vaccination for school. That is not the case. You would think that contraindications would mirror the side effects listed on a vaccine insert but that is not the case. You would think5004 a medical professional would be comfortable in their profession to write an exemption for children like my son, but again, that is5011 not the case. Why? They fear the5014 repercussions of going against scientific consensus including being5017 labeled anti-vax or quacks and their careers going down the drain.
They will gladly tell you face to face behind closed doors but will never put pen to paper. My son had a documented adverse event at six months of age, where five medical professionals told me that my child is not a good candidate for further vaccination but yet declined to write a medical exemption because my son's injury is non-CDC contraindicated and the doctors are not even comfortable writing them. The only losers here are the children. All5048 they are trying to do is maintain access to education, schools to learn, to gain skills, to become a successful citizen of the commonwealth. That is it.
Medical exemptions are unicorns. Medical exemptions are impossible to obtain, but you can change this. Medical exemptions must be available to children who need them. I support this proposed legislation and see no reason why the committee would not vote this out favorably. I also see other bills being heard today in regards to healthy eating in schools, farm-to-school initiatives, equity, and access to school meals and I think they are fantastic. We absolutely need to be feeding our children5089 real nutrition, especially in today's climate. Last but not least, I oppose Senator's Rausch bill, I want to say that I do believe that masking should be a choice of the parent for their child or as the individual themselves.
Please know that I am speaking as an immunocompromised cancer patient who takes all infections, viruses, and bacteria seriously, but I also have a special needs son with autism, a significant speech5115 delay, and a language processing disorder. My son has an intensive IEP and masks are hindering his progress. He is unable to read lips, understand facial expressions or hear the proper pronunciation of words. My son does, however, have a mask exemption but he is not allowed less than six ft5134 from his mask peers at all times in the5137 school setting. He struggles to hear what peers and staff are saying and quite simply, he is struggling and is extremely frustrated which causes5145 frequent unwanted behaviors, aggression, sadness, loneliness, and confusion for him.
Interestingly, my son could technically go to a play gym and play with all of his classmates mask-free with no distance from hours on end after school but not in the learning environment. It is a parent's choice to mask or not to mask their children in that setting and it should be the same in school. The mental health impacts of covid are seriously being underestimated here, especially those with disabilities5176 who rely on the services through the school system so that they may have a quality of life. I thank you for your time. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
Thank you very much for your testimony. Mr Edwards.
Um nancy koval then Stephanie McMurtry
and then Deborah Callan calendar rally any of any of you with us. Nancy koval, Stephanie McMurtry Deborah calandria Lee Hi, I'm Stephanie McMurtry I'm here. Yes. Hi,5217 please go ahead. Hello.
Okay high.
[STEPHANIE MCMURTRY (CONCERNED CITIZEN):][HB706] My name is Stephanie and I am a married mother of three children ages 12, 10, and seven. I am also a health care provider in western Massachusetts. I am speaking5235 in support of Bill H 706 an act relative to the protection of medical exemptions for immunizations for school attendance. My husband and I are both voluntarily5247 vaccinated against COVID-19 since March of 2020. This decision has permanently damaged my menstrual cycle and my once mildly epileptic husband who has experienced seizures at the rate of 1-2 per year has suffered them at the rate of 2-3 per month since his covid shot in March.
With a daughter who has a similar seizure disorder, it is personally and medically appropriate for me to one, exercise caution, and two, maintain the right to obtain an appropriate medical exemption for the COVID-19 vaccination for my child and any others. I am also concerned about the clause in the absence of an emergency or epidemic of the disease in this bill with regard to maintaining religious exemption rights, this clause completely denies the rights of those who maintain vaccine exemptions for people with sincerely held religious beliefs. As a practicing serious catholic, this clause offends me is unconstitutional and completely violates the right of all children to attend public school in this state.
Common sense as well as data is also showing me that this vaccine is not doing much to quell the spread or infection rates of COVID-19 among our population. The New England Journal of Medicine recently published a study in early December proving that the viral load among vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals who become infected with COVID-19 is nearly identical. Ms. Rausch mentioned that children5338 under five have no protection if we don't mandate masks. What happened to immune systems preventative care? Are we aware of how strong the immune systems of kids actually are?
We're talking about feeding them good food and all these other bills, how does that account for immunity? The scapegoating of kids in this vaccine and mask agenda in order to protect5361 adults is massive, obvious, and deplorable. Masks should absolutely be optional for anyone and everyone like many around the country and world, are already doing. Omicron as expected is much less deadly and much less virulent than other strains. No doubt COVID-19 is diminishing into a much more manageable disease, just like the common cold, which is a direct descendant of a strain of coronavirus.
Masking children is abusive, it has been two years of not seeing faces, of not being able to breathe, of not being able to eat, while we adults are free to visit huge venues, maskless and rant and rave on and on to our heart's content at bars and restaurants. As long as we have the quintessential fork or drink in hand, this all makes no sense. If what Ms. Rausch is proposing actually made scientific sense, then that would be another discussion, but it is clearly senseless creating yet again a platform for the scapegoating of children who have all complied. Thank you. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
You're muted.
Mr Chairman. Oh sorry about that folks. Um Deborah calandra, Lee and then Tina Graves.
Miss Graves, I think I see you so I know you're here. Hi, can you hear me? Okay,
thank you for letting me speak.
[TEENA GRAVES (CONCERNED CITIZEN):] [HB706] [SB330] [SB2516] My name is Teena Graves. I am supporting this bill H 706 also S 330. Please protect our medical rights and also5465 the rights of our doctors who5467 have been able to continue to write back important medical exemptions with their knowledge and their expertise after their care of the patients, especially for our children or young adults who have experienced a vaccine injury.5485 These doctors should never be threatened to write a medical exemption. I have a child, she is now 21 years old, she's a young adult, she is still nonverbal but she was born so healthy and she used to speak with a lot of eye contact.
She met all her milestones after a year and a half, she was severely injured with multiple vaccines, but the worst one was the Dpt shot. It deteriorated her nervous system and she stopped speaking. She has not recovered yet. Being 21 years old, she cannot speak in sentences or answer questions correctly. She has SIB behaviors, self-injury behaviors, but when not feeling well, sad or upset. Political figures do not work in the medical field. They have they should not use, they should not use vaccines with coercion for a child or young adult to have an education.
You cannot mandate a vaccine in order for education, especially for the ones who have already suffered from vaccine injuries. There should never5557 be any bills to be proposed or overreach a doctor's knowledge or to write a letter, a medical exemption, never take that away, that is for the patient's health in a well being. Do not discriminate or segregate a child, please support this bill H 706, S 330, and also, I oppose S 2516, masks are abusive to children in school, they do not work. Thank you for your time. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
Thank you for your testimony. Miss Graves. Um Next we have Donna Messenger and then Bonnie Manila and then Lindsay stamp5606 stamp Stempniak. Hello, I'm here. Ok, who is this? This is Donna Messenger. Okay. Donahue I please go ahead. I thank you.
[DONNA M (CONCERNED CITIZEN):][HB706][SB330] Thank you for taking my testimony in support of bills H 706 and S 330. I'm a longtime resident living and working in Massachusetts. I'm a parent of a child with complex health needs and permanent disabilities. I also work with many disabled children in the commonwealth, I've seen firsthand the negative impact of adverse reactions to vaccinations with my own child, and I've heard many tragic stories from devastated parents of the children that I work with. Now, there is a significant under-reporting of adverse events related to vaccinations. It is almost impossible to obtain a medical exemption for vaccinations.
This bill would strengthen and protect the integrity of medical care in the commonwealth, allow medical doctors5664 to do what they are trained to do without conflict of interest and will support5669 the sub population of individuals that do in fact have adverse reactions or at higher risk of adverse reactions. Doctors, when considering the need for medical exemption to any vaccination, need to have protection in place to be able to do what they determine in good faith is best for their patients.
This bill affirms that they will have the ability to take into consideration a thorough review of previous adverse reactions, full health and family health history,5697 and the risk of exacerbating a pre-existing medical condition. This bill will protect protect medical doctors when determining the need for a medical exemption and that they will not be at risk of loss of their license or employment status or other professional affiliations for doing so. These risks versus benefits need to be taken on a case by case basis.
This bill will also protect doctors from being put in the inappropriate role of signing off on and tracking5728 religious exemptions that patients declare since this is a legally protected matter of personal moral conscience for their patients. I thank you so much, first on behalf of my daughter and all individuals complex health issues and disabilities and the specialised and dedicated medical professionals who are aiming to do no harm for their patients. I urge you to support these bills. Thank you for your time and attention and consideration in this matter. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
Thank you for your testimony. Um Excuse me. I was called earlier. I didn't know if I could testify after some of the individuals. My name is Beth Kaczynski. I was having technical difficulty. Sorry. Okay go ahead. Mr Kaczynski. Oh thank you so much. I really appreciate it. Um Good Day
[BETH JASINSKI5775 (CONCERNED CITIZEN):] [HB706] [SB330] [SB2516] Thank you for listening to my testimony today. I would like to come on in my support for bills H 706 and S 330, and I would like my opposition recorded for S 2516 as well. My main focus today will be on bills H 706 and S 330. I am the proud parent of a child who will be seven tomorrow. Before my son was born in 2015, it was discovered that he had hydrogen throw cis duplicated renal collection system. He was put on a prophylactic dose of antibiotics for the first six months of his life, this caused terrible GI issues which he still5810 battles with until this day.
The same year, he had two rounds of the pencil vaccine and developed eczema after his second round at 7.5 months old. He had surgery in 2016 to correct the hydra neurosis, which is still being monitored. He was diagnosed with autism in 2017. He had a severe reaction to doxycycline in august of 2020. I was diagnosed with MS in 2016. I am not the only member of my family with an autoimmune. Why I'm telling you this today is to show you that in 2017, my son had two different positions from two different offices and on two different sides of Massachusetts determined he would be medically exempt from further vaccines.
The reason I list listed at the beginning is not the only reason why he has the exemptions, but there are some of the top ones. My son does not fit the5858 determination or the definition of medically fragile, which most people think when you say I have a medical exemption. I know a lot of5865 individuals who need this exemption actually aren't medically fragile but have had a hard time finding physicians who will take into account medical history and families history to make that determination that they need one. I was lucky enough to find two physicians before the current events in the current environment that we're in.
That doesn't mean that they will do it every year and it doesn't mean that they're not scared of losing their license or being fined for supporting my family. My son has had these medical exemptions um and this has allowed him to access education and his special needs services. These physicians have known my son and supported him through the years since birth, so they were able to make the appropriate decision to give him those exemptions. Without these medical exemptions, my son would not be able to access public school freely, I have a high conflict Ex who has dragged me through the family court system and would never allow my religious exemption for him to go to school.5920
I was truly lucky to find these physicians who heard me, took into account my son's full medical history to provide one. Thank you for your time and please support the bills H 706 and S 330, and also oppose 2516, regarding mask mandates for kids. Thank you. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
Thank you. Mrs Hello? Hi, can you hear me? This is Debra Calendar Really? This is Debra Calendar. Ellie you called my name earlier. Yes. Ok please go ahead. Thank you.
[DEBRA CALANDRELLI (CONCERNED CITIZEN):][SB330][HB706] Thank you for bearing with me. I am testifying today in support of bills S 330 and H 706. I can make my testimony based on facts and studies but I really don't think it's needed to support these bills.5975 I bet if each of us were to think hard, we could come up with at least one incident where a medical5980 treatment worked for the majority of the population but not for the remainder. Medicine is the amazing profession of finding treatments to help the majority of people, but still being humble enough to know there are those who do not5994 respond as they should. Any doctor or researcher will tell you that the5999 small percentage of patients who do not respond as expected, these exceptions are the driving force who helped to create new alternative treatments.
6009 I have worked as a histology technician for the past 30 years, assisting pathologists at different hospitals. One thing I can tell you is, it was not the everyday typical cells that got the doctor's attention. It was the rare atypical abnormal cells that got them talking. These patients became case studies because they did not respond as expected. These cases were presented to doctors of different specialties to try to solve this puzzle in hopes of providing better care. I6041 have witnessed this with my own mom, she has doctors baffled. She is going on at least her fifth drug treatment. She does not respond the way the majority does. She is the minority.
My point is we are all unique in our D. N. A, we build a history and medical relationship with our doctors, however many we need. God knows I've seen a ton with my mother. They know us. They should6071 not fear losing their license, their careers for recommending an exception to the normal. They took an oath to provide their patients with the best care they6083 can. Sometimes they get frustrated and disheartened again as they do with my mom, but they still search and try. I think we need to respect the doctor-patient relationship as they try to heal people instead of threatening their careers. And I would like to state also that I am in6103 opposition to bill 2516 and I will submit written testimony for that. Thank you for6109 your time. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
Thank thank you very much. Mr calandra Lee for your testimony. Um Okay so I think we were up to bonny manila
five Hi6121 go ahead please.
[BONNIE MANNILA (CONCERNED CITIZEN):] [SB330] [HB706] I'm here in support of protecting medical exemptions. This is a bipartisan effort to help where many don't even realize there is a need. Without this bill, many people would be denied needed medical exemptions or lose the ones they already have and this is not limited to covid vaccines. Several years ago after the vaccine, I had full body hives with wheezing that lasted for two weeks even with medication, while they treated it the same way they would anaphylaxis, I thankfully did not have the most severe symptoms, and therefore didn't qualify for an exemption.
I have chosen not to get that vaccine again and my career in health care is over. In order to6162 work in my chosen field, I would have to load up on Benadryl and have an EpiPen in my hand in an Er parking lot and pray that it works. That isn't a choice I should ever have to make. Anaphylaxis while terrifying, should not be the only acceptable exemption, exemptions are separated by individual vaccines. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
baby quiet, quiet quiet. Babies often get 6-8 at once at wellness visits and it may be impossible to know which was the culprit. A doctor's clinical judgment may suggest delaying and doing one at a time or even holding off completely.
Once this child is in daycare or school, and subject to mandates this discretion suddenly becomes a one size fits6201 all paperwork issue. Kids could get kicked out of school, parents will lose jobs. There is proposed legislation in our state right now that seeks to further restrict the doctor's ability to use his or her professional judgment in writing exemptions by limiting6214 what they can write them for and having them be subject to DPH approval, which feels like a violation of privacy and makes doctors hesitant to help. This leaves students vulnerable to negative side effects or loss of education, a choice no family should ever have to make.
This legislation also says the same doctors will be allowed to use professional judgment in order to vaccinate a child without parental consent. I do not agree with this of course, but you can see how that might be contradictory. We need to allow our physicians to provide individualized patient-centered care without fear of retaliation or discipline on their medical licenses. Nothing is one size fits all, these bills will not harm anyone, but people will be harmed physically, financially and emotionally if they are not passed. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
Thank you. Yes.
All right, thank you very much. Miss Manila. Um, the folks that we have coming up our Lindsay's Stempniak Then Jessica Lane, then Jane Cornyn Susan Marconi. So let's take them one x 1 Lindsay Stempniak.
Okay, Jessica Lane, Jessica Lane.
Yeah, jane cornyn
Shane cornyn.6296
Just a reminder to everybody to mute please and went until you are called upon to speak. Yes, it is Lindsay Sena Okay, go ahead please
Lindsay you should go ahead.
Can you hear me now? Yes, yes, we can. Perfect. Yes.
[??? (CONCERNED CITIZEN):] [HB706] [SB330] [SB2516] I'm testifying today in support of H 706 and6330 S 330, and I'm speaking in opposition of S 2516 and I agree with everyone who's just given amazing testimonies today. Um, these, these aren't one size fits all. I am a mother of premature babies, and then I had a son who right now has major speech delays and these shots aren't one6356 size fits all. I mean as everybody here knows, you have to respect everybody's bodily autonomy because not one size fits all in that, you know, everybody is different including every child and every mother, their main priority is to take care of their children and they know their children best.
And it's so important that one shot doesn't apply to absolutely everybody. You know, and everyone knows their prior medical history, I mean I have life-threatening blood clots, and not to mention a few other awful reactions to certain shots in my past, and only each person on this call knows their personal medical history better6399 than anybody else. And so it is so important to like including all the autoimmune conditions, you know, everybody knows their personal medical history and that applies to their children too. So if they have any hesitation towards any of these vaccines, it's because they know their prior medical history and their reactions to some of these shots.
So it's so important that you know, if you're just doing one-shot, this covid shot, um,6428 applies to every child, I mean you're just going to end up creating awful reactions, and it's just not fair to these children, not to mention every child should never ever be denied education, I mean that's the most important thing, especially low-income families. I also just have to say that, um, it should be a parent's decision on whether their child wears a mask or the school district, and that shouldn't be the state deciding. Um, thank you for your time, and please just respect our freedoms as Americans, and the number one freedom anybody should have is bodily autonomy, and it's really important to respect this because if we lose this then you lose all the freedoms in the world.
And it's really your duty to maintain that for Americans and especially children because as adults, you have to stand up for your children. I mean that it's their future. You can't deny them education and you know, your number one priority is to know your child, and so its not one size fits all. Thank you.
SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you misstep. Niac, thank you for your testimony. Um All right, we call Jessica Lane. I don't know if Jessica6511 Lane is with us. Now, jane cornyn Susan marconi
dr Silvia fogle. Any of6517 those folks with us,
jane cornyn
Susan marconi
dr Silvia fogle dr fogle. Are you there?
All right. Um the next few Tina Graves was ready and I think you skipped by Tina Graves. No, I believe she testified already. Oh, I'm sorry, I already did. Thank you. Anyways I did. Okay, moving on folks, mary McIntyre
Tierra, March easy,
I'm here. Carey Marchesi is here. Okay, I go ahead, please thank you. So this is a little on the fly and I'm not really sure how to go about this, but
[KIERA MARCHESI (CONCERNED CITIZEN):] [SB2516] [HB706] [SB330] I want to oppose S 2516. I do not have any children, but I have worked in6586 health care long enough to know that we don't need masks on every child for eight hours a day, it's insane that anybody thinks that's a good idea and the fact that I have to say that out loud is pretty insane, and any other time in history that would be considered child abuse. I am in support of 706 again to keep children in school despite vaccination status. The fact that that has to be said out loud is also insane because some of the unvaccinated kids are probably some of the healthiest that we have.
Now moving on to S 330, if I'm correct as the one to uh let physicians do their job, correct, I'm gonna go over my own personal experience. As I get older, the list of things that will kill me gets longer, okay, my allergies adjust despite me being healthy, 36 years old, I don't drink alcohol, I minimize my coffee and I drink water. Against my better judgment, a year and a half ago, I allowed a physician to talk me into getting something stuck into my body, which caused me6643 for two days to be sent to the emergency room because I was going into anaphylaxis, okay?
And, this was with the advice of the practicing physician. Now come May, or March when I had my yearly appointment with my primary care physician who acknowledged the fact that my allergies are severe and dangerous, advised me against the Covid vaccine, and said she would advocate for me to not get the vaccine. Come August with the approval of these vaccines, I think it's safe to say that we've established that the state of Massachusetts is already interfering with our medical care because I was refused that medical exemption that was going to be granted to me, and the proof that I have of that refusal of that medical exemption is right here on voicemail, and if I can be allowed to play it.
6700 "Hi Kiera, D'Emilia from Dr. Wendy's6702 office, I was calling because I got your message,6706 so unfortunately we are not giving out any exemptions for the Covid vaccine. Um, it's statewide so it's something that we can't do for you. So6715 if you have any questions, I mean you can feel free to call 5087386740 and my extension 410 but like I said, unfortunately, we cannot give you that exemption. Thank you." So that was my doctor's office saying that the state was already going to deny medical providers the right to write medical exemptions in this state if that isn't a violation of my rights of privacy and the ability for my practitioner to care and look after my health, I don't know what is.
The state playing Russian roulette with my life is not fair and it's not fair to anybody else who should have been given access to a medical exemption. Never mind that even if you can get a medical exemption in this state, any job will not even take it. So this is a coordinated effort by the state and local officials to whether6769 or not even get a medical exemption, nobody will take that. So thank you for your time, I apologize. This was very emotional and6776 thank you to everybody else who is testifying and thank you to the committee for listening. Thank you. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
That's okay. You don't have to apologize and I'm sorry to have to cut you short but appreciate your testimony. Thank you. Um All right Tiffany Bear Bear be are you are you with us? I'm here. How do you get on? Hello Yes we hear you please go ahead.6813
[TIFFANY BARE (CONCERNED CITIZEN):] [HB706] [SB330] [SB2516] Um I'm here to testify today in support of H 706, S 330,6822 and against bill 2516. Um, I'm a doctor, I'm a resident of Medford. I've studied and researched the topic of SARS Kobe 2 since about February of6831 2020. I have a stack of studies going against masking. Contrary to what Rebecca Rausch was stating, I have a few questions for the supporters on the committee for bill 2516; I want to know how many of you supporters have done your due diligence and research both sides of the mass topic? How many of you have just followed imperative the wishy-washy advice from the C.D.C, and the D.E.S.E in making statements to the public or letting in its queue your opinions I guess on the topic.
How many of you have worn a mask for six-plus hours straight like as recommended in the bill for children? I'm guessing not many of you if any. How many of you while wearing a mask have resisted touching the said mask? I'm betting zero. Once you have touched your mask, it is dirty and you increase your chances of getting any kind of infection from bacteria or viruses. How many of you know that masks warned6888 passed approximately an hour, it loses its efficacy because of the moisture upon exhaling when your breathing, which also increases your risk of getting infections from viruses or bacteria.
Expecting children to do that which you can't is insanity and it is mentally and emotionally damaging to those children.6907 Masks do not stop viruses no matter how many times you repeat to yourself that they do. This is a lie and they do not. So the desire to enforce mask-wearing via this bill is not scientific and not based on health or in concern for safety for our Children. Um, I guess that's all I have to say. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
oh this is kind of crazy.
Okay well thank thank you for your testimony. Dr bear john patten. Then we have Pamela angstrom and Elizabeth healed john patten
Pamela extra
mr Patten. Yes. Please go ahead sir.
Okay. Hello.
[JOHN PATTEN (CONCERNED CITIZEN):] [HB706] [SB330] My name is John Patten. I'm a firefighter paramedic educator and a pediatric critical care paramedic here in Massachusetts. I am a father of6966 two vaccine and good boys. I support H 706 and S 330. I'm not sure that this is our home any longer. Two weeks ago, my boys' pediatrician sent me an email stating the governor's office has instructed him to stop writing medical exemptions. I'm curious what business does the governor's office has instructing licensed board-certified physicians on how to provide patient care. Following my second child neurologic deterioration, post-vaccination, we realized that the allopathic medicine one size fits all approach was not for us.
After my children's prior pediatrician told us they don't do that when we requested a medical exemption and told us the same tired old vaccines don't cause autism why the C.D.C perpetuates despite having no evidence, we set out to find a new physician. After months of sleepless nights worrying when we would either be kicked out of our sub separate preschool or forced to give our children more vaccinations that would further injure their brains, we found a quaint holistic pediatrician's office an hour and a half away from our home. What we found inside was a dedicated caring physician who gave us the time of day.
Someone who for once listen to us and believed what I had to tell them that not only one of my boys was injured, but both of my children. That afternoon he took two hours, cleared his schedule, and just listened to us. He told us we were not alone and that he would support us any way he could, then he medically exempted both of my children from all further vaccinations due to neurological injury7059 and three generations of vaccine reactions in my family dating back to the first generation polio vaccines. I broke down in his office that day and cried right there. A weight had been lifted off of my chest.
I was sure medical exemptions was simply something people just said and held7076 over our heads and in fact, truly didn't exist, but here I was far from home in this office crying because someone had the heart to give my children their freedom back. Fast forward, 11 months and we are right back where we started, the chest pain has set back, the sleepless nights are back and I am unsure if my family has a future here in Massachusetts. Is this fair? Is it fair to shame and ostracized families due to their vaccine injuries? Is it fair to punish physicians who have the heart to care for their patients? I don't think so. Thank you very much. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
Have a nice day.
Thank you. Mr Patten for your testimony and thank you also for your public service. Thank you. Uh Let's see Pamela angstrom. Or by Pamela angstrom or Elizabeth healed Pamela Engstrom is here. Okay go ahead Miss Angstrom. Hi.
[PAM ENGSTROM (CONCERNED CITIZEN):][HB706][SB330][SB2516] Yes, I'm a lifelong resident of Massachusetts. I'm a health coach certified and I'm also an elected member of the board of health in my town of Halifax. In my opinion, supporting bills S 330 and H 706 is a no-brainer. Medical decisions for children should be strictly between the child's physician and parents, full stop. No two individuals are alike and a child's physician would know the patient while the C.D.C has no relationship with the individuals. I find it extremely disturbing that the C.D.C's list of contraindications is basically anaphylaxis. Um, I have a doctor friend who said they found stevens-johnson syndrome on that list as well, but that's it.
Um, a child's full medical history should be considered and the government should have no bearing on one's medical decisions. Additionally, a physician who provides an exemption cannot be subject to any disciplinary action by governing or licensing authority or allow a negative effect to the physician's rating or standing with their employer. Um, I would also like to state that I am against Bill S 2516, I strongly oppose it. I disagree with the comments made at the opening of the session. Every expert is not saying the same thing and children do have protection, their immune system. Um, we even heard on CNN Dr. Leanna Win said cloth masks are useless face decorations at this point. And what about the scores of studies that show the negative impact on mental health?
We know depression, suicides, everything; they're all up. Um, you know, based on the science really kids are already safe, the negative impacts of Covid on them were barely even registering in the statistics. Um, they do not need the net jab. They should never be mandatory and wearing a facemask should be the choice of the parent. Thank you for listening to my testimony. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
Thank you Miss Angstrom. Um, Elizabeth healed.
Okay, so that takes us through everyone who signed up specifically for house bill 706 or for Senate bill 3 30. Excuse me,7293 I just signed up for and and
For H 706 and I my name was not called. What's your name please? My name is lisa Pergola.
Uh, okay, go go ahead. I don't have you on the list but I'll make an exception. Here. Go go ahead please. Okay, thank you appreciate it.
[LISA ??? (CONCERNED CITIZEN):][SB2516][HB706] Thank you for the opportunity to testify here today. I am here today to advocate strongly in opposition to Massachusetts' proposed bill S 2516 and in favor of H706. Proposed bill S 2516 does not allow for religious exemptions in regard to this masking proposal for emergency guidance and regulations. For those of us across Massachusetts who do our best to stand up and follow God's law, which is the constitution and is the law of this land, this bill does not allow for religious exemptions. It is in violation of the Massachusetts constitution as well as the U. S. Constitution and civil rights law.
Under the Massachusetts Constitution, Articles of Amendment, Article 46, Section 1, "No law shall be passed prohibiting the free exercise of religion." Therefore, this bill, S 2516, as it stands presently, is unconstitutional in Massachusetts and therefore cannot be written into Massachusetts law as it stands. I also advocate in support of H 706, however, although this bill allows for religious exemptions, it must also allow for religious exemptions regardless of any deemed or perceived emergency situation. Unalienable birthrights which are bestowed upon us by our creator, cannot ever be taken away by any man or woman even in an emergency situation.
I personally have experienced the loss of my job due to standing up for my spiritual beliefs regarding mask-wearing and for going against the mask mandate within my workplace. No one, including children, should have to make that decision to go against their religious beliefs or be faced with harmful consequences, and taking away parental rights over the health decisions of their children is unconstitutional. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
on a lean, unintentionally nable birthrights which are, I'm sorry, how are you? I went through that.
The constitution must be upheld in regard to any proposed bill, otherwise, if passed, it is a no law and nobody has to follow it. Thank you for your time. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
Okay, thank you Miss Pergola. Um so I think that then wraps it up now for testimony Specifically on how 706 and Senate 3.30. So we'll close the hearing on those two bills. We the final bill on the docket today is Senate bill 2516 and act mitigating covid 19 transmission among Children. Many of you of course have been testifying on this bill already, but we do have dozens more who have signed up to testify specifically on this bill. Um I would note that we understand that some people have very strong feelings about requiring masks in schools and again, please urge you to not try not to be repetitive um keep your testimony as succinct as possible. We have a lot of people still to get through and obviously it's getting later in the afternoon here. So I'm going to um call on the first person signed up is Dr Mark posnanski. Dr posnanski, are you with us
for
dr posnanski?
Okay, I believe um the next person is dr Julia Roffman.
Dr Julia Rathmann. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
Hi, thank you for having me. Yes. Hi, please go ahead. Great, thank you. Hi,
[JULIA RAIFMAN (BU SPH):] [SB2516] I'm Dr. Julia Raifman, I'm an assistant professor at the Boston University School of Public Health where I lead the covid 19 US state policy database. Searches of Covid 19 continue7596 to happen and to harm our Massachusetts kids, families, school teachers and staff, healthcare workers, businesses, and communities. I am sorry to speak to you today as a record number of Massachusetts children and people of parental age are hospitalized knowing it is likely that some of them will die. Policies like S 2516 can help mitigate the harms of the pandemic and keep schools running in a way that is safer for everyone.
We have learned that Covid 19 spreads through the air and crowded indoor settings. People with Covid often transmit7629 the virus to several other people. In one school case study from the C.D.C's, morbidity and mortality weekly report, a teacher without a mask, spread Covid to 12 of 24 Children in a classroom. We know that a mask on the person or people in a room who have Covid reduces the amount of virus that they breathe into the air,7648 masks on the people around. Someone with covid reduced the amount of covid that people inhale, mask policies help ensure everyone with covid and everyone around them is wearing a mask, better masks protect better.
Mask policies are important in all crowded indoor settings including but not limited to schools. We also see that current vaccines alone at any level of coverage from 80% to more than 95% in our local universities with vaccine mandates are unfortunately not enough to control the spread of Covid and its harms. What I see from closely following Covid prevention policy evidence is that masks policies for everyone are the most effective policy for reducing the spread7692 of COVID-19 that still allows people to be around each other. In policy analysis, comparing the rate of Covid 19 spread before and after states implemented masks policies relative to overtime in comparison states, we see that mask policy begin reducing covid spread immediately.
Case growth is reduced more and more over time because each case prevented avert spread to several other people. We are in a pandemic that can cause severe illness and death and forces us to make hard policy choices. We choose not between school masks policies or no mask policies but between masks policies that make schools safe for all students, teachers, and families and schools that increased Covid spreads and harms. We choose between school masks policies to reduce the covid spread and school closures. When too many are sick to run schools, we can choose to come together to protect each other and to teach our children to do the same.
After seeing several Covid 19 surges since vaccines became available, first in July then November, and again in December, we should no longer be surprised that surges can still happen despite high vaccine coverage. We should be prepared. We should implement good policies like S 2516 to mitigate the harms of the7771 virus and to protect all of us in Massachusetts.
SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
Thank you. Dr Rathmann, I believe there's a question from representative piece. Representative please go ahead. Thank you. Mr Chairman. Um
[REP PEASE:] Hi Dr., I appreciate your testimony. I have two questions for you. What are you planning to submit? Written testimony?
[RAIFMAN:] Yes, I have to submit written.
[REP7796 PEASE:] Okay, would you make sure you please include the mortality rate of the children because I have not heard anything about that in the past, so I'd like to7803 see some of that data.
[RAIFMAN:] Yes, I'm happy to include those.
[REP PEASE:] Thank you, I appreciate that. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
All set Representative.
Okay, very good. All right, thank you to both of you. Um All right, next up is Amanda Norton who will be followed by jennifer andrews and then Cara cetera Palace, Sorry about that. Amanda Norton. Yes, I'm here. All right, go ahead please. Um
[AMANDA NORTON (CONCERNED CITIZEN):][SB2516] Good afternoon, my name is Amanda Norton and I'm a mother of three children under five in Saugus, and I would like to register my strenuous objection to bill S 2516, particularly as it regards toddlers and daycares. First, based on my personal experience, children still in diapers cannot wear masks effectively, they chew the inside of the mask and as small children breathe primarily out of their mouths and almost continuously have runny noses, this7864 means their masks are quickly soaking wet. It is not practical nor possible to replace masks every hour.
Second, contrary to Senator Rausch's assertion, the World Health Organization, and the European CDC both reject the masking of small children unequivocally. The United States is7883 one of the only places on earth doing this to preschoolers and it obviously is not helping our covid transmission rates. That's likely because third, this age group is primarily wearing cloth masks, which we know provide essentially no protection for7899 themselves or anyone else from an airborne respiratory virus. Fourth, these masks cause harm in children physically in skin rashes and discomfort emotionally, raising anxiety and fear by harming their connection with others, educationally and making it more difficult to understand others or to be understood or to grasp phonics.
Making this a law will also lead to enforcement actions against daycares that cannot get toddlers to wear the masks given the massive shortage of childcare options already present in this state, endangering the remaining providers by giving them an impossible task is wrongheaded. It is time to put the fear of covid into context. We have nearly two years of data that shows that children are safe and that covid is not a major concern for children's health. In Massachusetts, more children died in 2021 from drowning than from COVID, over the entire course7947 of the pandemic. Despite this fact, this committee does not sit here considering mandating that all children wear life jackets at all times.
Nationally, we've had fewer COVID deaths in the under 18 population in almost two years than died of swine flu in the eight months of 2009 pandemic, during which time we did not mask children, closed schools for months or extracurriculars. Moreover, studies have consistently shown that long covid is also extremely rare in children. The pandemic stocking children right now is not COVID-19 but one of depression, anxiety, isolation, and learning loss, and there are no vaccines for that. Every day they are masked is a day we are telling them; you are not safe and your face, your very breath is a threat.
This is a cruel message to send to our children and worse it's built on a lie. We can start to cure those guilts by giving them their lives back,8000 giving them normal back putting their needs first assuring them of their safety, and taking away this pointless symbol of fear. I urge you to vote no on S 2516. Thank you. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
Thank you Miss Norton. Um Next up jennifer andrews then cara
cetera. Oculus and then Brady hoover. Thank you. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
This is jennifer jennifer. Thank you.
[JENNIFER (CONCERNED CITIZEN):][SB2516] Thank you. I think it's important to remember the history behind the drafting of bill S 2516. If you remember in late July of last year, Marina Jimmy and Becky Rousch threw a fit when D.E.S.I announced they were leaving the final decision of mask mandates up to each individual school district. Because of their extreme arrogance, they think they know what is best for everyone and couldn't possibly fathom the thought of districts or even parents deciding what is best for their schools and for their children. So what was their solution? Filing bill S 2516. Becky should be embarrassed for filing such an illogical and unscientific bill.
Her filing this bill was an emotional reaction, not one rooted in scientific data. There are no randomised control studies or mixed correlation of evidence to show that masks are beneficial. Countless prestigious medical journals such as the New England Journal of Medicine, JAMA, and The Lancet have published countless peer-reviewed studies outlining the ineffectiveness of cloth or surgical masks in slowing or stopping the spread8091 of the virus. In a bizarre twilight zone-like twist, numerous doctors have been flooding the nightly news networks the last few weeks walking back their previous claims about mask efficacy.
After almost two years of these so-called experts gaslighting the public about the efficacy of cloth masks, they are now admitting they are completely inappropriate for COVID-19. This bill includes language that face-covering shall be, "Consistent with guidance issued by the C.D.C." Are we really going to rely on guidance from the same agency who last week announced a covid positive nurse could return to their hospital to care for your grandmother? But then this week announced they may be walking back that policy because people weren't comfortable with it. They admitted this policy and its8137 reversal is political, not scientific, and therefore a blanket reliance upon their guidelines8142 is foolish.
A blanket mask requirement is illogical because all communities are not homogeneous. The risk in Lawrence is not comparable to the risk in Pittsfield. Cities with the strictest mask mandates such as New York City, L. A., and Chicago are having the highest case rates. Our children have8160 been forced to wear masks in schools since 2020. We've had a significant number of mask residents receive three soon-to-be-four covid 19 shots, and where has that gotten us? Excessive mask-wearing and injections have led us to have the highest case rate since the emergence of this virus. We are literally practicing the definition of insanity.
We are doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result. Enough is enough. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
Okay, thank you Miss Andrews. Um we appreciate your testimony but I do want to again remind folks to be respectful and please refer to refer to her as senator Rausch Um that that would be the appropriate way to refer to her as the author of this bill. Thank you. Um next keira cetera record. Velis Hi, I'm here. Thank you.
[KARA (CONCERNED CITIZEN):][HB706][SB330][SB2516] Thank you for allowing me to speak. First, I just want8221 to come out and state that I support H 706 and H 330. I strongly oppose S 2516, that would make it a Massachusetts law to mask children ages two and up through June 2022, no matter what happens with this virus. You're talking about masking a two-year-old. They can't talk, they can't walk, they're still in diapers, this is evil. This bill is being8254 presented at a time when we have not one, not two, but three vaccines that are safe and effective. You know when I think about it, a mask mandate like this would fuel vaccine hesitancy, is that what you're intending to do Senator Rausch?
Because why would you want to put on a mask mandate if the vaccines are safe and effective against the spread of Covid? I don't think we want any vaccine hesitancy. Also, once again, I beg you to focus on what is happening; we have the largest outbreak we've ever had. This is despite a high vaccination rate in the state and mask mandates all over the place. We have outbreaks in schools with masked mandates. Have you considered this? We have overwhelming evidence to support that children only suffer mild symptoms and do not get hospitalized. The death rate is exceedingly low, yet8312 here we are proposing that we mask them to protect them from a virus that won't make them sick and to protect potentially triple vaccinated teachers that by your own statements have no risk of hospitalization because they're vaccinated.
Why are you so intent on abusing our children? I firmly believe that the truth will come out. I believe that good always prevails over evil. God is exposing all of you.8338 Anyone who wrote this bill, who supports this bill, you will be8342 held accountable in this life or the next. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
All right, thank you for your testimony. Um let's see. Next up. We have Brady hoover, uh Eva Nicholas and then kim richards any of you with us,
SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
Okay?
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