2023-10-04 00:00:00 - Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight
2023-10-04 00:00:00 - Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight
SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
SPEAKER1 - Good morning. Sorry for the delay. We are now convening the joint committee on state administration, regulatory oversight for hearing on, Madison serving honorary bills joined, today by members virtually and in person. We joined by Co Chair, Cabral, shortly. We'd like to recognize representative Carmen Gentile, who's, with us here. This morning has met with the committee along with, joining us virtually Senator Liz Miranda and Representative Garcia Reyes. We, typically, reserve the right to bring in members of the legislature out of order. So we'll be following that today. We'd like to begin this morning by, inviting a Senator Julian Sierra. And if you'd like to be joined with this colleague,
of Cape in the islands and also joined by Representative Elliott. Thank you.
SPEAKER2 - Good morning. Chair Collins, and after we're gonna wanna have, representative digs, started us off this morning.
REP DIGGS - HB 3013 - Good morning. Thank you, Chair Collins, and everybody up here in the state. I'm here in support with Senator Julian Cyr on a Bill H 3013. This Bill would place a statue of Mercy Otis Warren in the state house gifted for free from a Cape Cod artist, David Lewis in the state house. Mercy Otis Warren was a leading writer and patriot from Barnstable who contributed greatly in American Revolution through her public and private championing for independence. Having a statue here in the State130 House would raise awareness for the importance of women's contribution in nations, in the state history of many local and international visitors. This Bill has been endorsed by the women's caucus and is also being endorsed by eight members of our Cape Legislature, the delegation. The Bill155 has was passed by committee last session and advanced all the way passage to the House. I ask the committee to again report this out favorably. Thank you.
SEN CYR - HB 3013 - Thank you, Representative. I too170 want to chime in and support House Bill, 3013. I'm just going to talk a176 little bit about Mercy Otis Warren, who is quite the historical figure. So Mercy Otis Warren was a leading voice of184 the anti federalist movement during the founding of our nation. She was revolutionary, she led efforts to include the Bill of rights as a companion to the United States Constitution after after the revolution. Her literary works,198 most notably rallied public support for American independence and American revolution. She also wrote the first history of the American revolution in her book history of the rise, progress, and termination of the American Revolution. Mercy Otis Warren's work was praised by her contemporaries, which was pretty extraordinary for a woman at her time, and it earned her a confident status with Abigail Adams as well as her noted husband, among many other figures. To recognize mercy Otis Warren and educate the public about her important influence on American and Massachusetts history, I think is something long overdue. I often remark when I'm leaving the State House, especially late at night, and I'm walking through the halls on the second floor, the third floor, how many now long deceased, white, old men, presumably straight, probably not all253 of them, that are on our walls, I think it's time we have a few long259 deceased women, and some other261 people represented here in the State House. So we ask for favorable recommendation on the legislation, glad to take any questions you may have. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
SPEAKER1 - Any questions from the committee? Seeing none. Thank you very much for your time. Thank you,
SPEAKER2 - sir Collins. Hit the CEO.
SPEAKER1 - And next, I'd like to welcome our representative, David Lindsey.
REP LINSKY - HB 3080 - Thank you, Senator, Mr. Chair, and members of the committee. I'm here to testify on a very important Bill that has been reported out favorably by this committee on several occasions previously, and I'm going to ask that you do that again. It's Bill H 3080, an act designating the song road runner as the official song of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. This legislation would designate road runner the lead single on the modern lovers, self titled 1976 debut album as the official rock song of the Commonwealth. The original, the Mann Lovers were a Boston based rock band led by Natick Native, Jonathan Richmond, in the 1970s and 1980s, who were influenced heavily by the New York city based rock band, the velvet underground. The band included Jonathan Richmond Lead vocalist, Harvard graduates, Ernie Brooks, the basis, and Jerry Harrison, the keyboardist, and Woburn native David Robinson, who is the drummer. According to Richmond's biographer, Tim Mitchell, the Mann lovers glorified true love, sincerity, passion, faith, and power of the soul to survive everything the world could throw at it. Road runner was ranked the number 274th greatest song of all time by Rolling Stone Magazine, and embodies what it was like for379 my generation growing up in381 Massachusetts in the 1970s and 1980.
The passionate and candid lyrics take the listener on a late night car ride down Massachusetts route 128 passing by several base state landmarks, including Stop and Sharp, Howard Johnson's Route 3 and the Massachusetts Turnpike. Road runner combines the liberation of youth on the open road with the sights and sounds of our beloved Commonwealth. The idea of identifying with the road runner in control412 of the road and one's own destiny inspired my generation to seize the moment, both then and today. I can think of no better song to designate as the official rock song of the Commonwealth. There is much public support for this Bill to formally recognize this introspective musical composition that celebrates the unique simplistic beauty of our Commonwealth. Thank you for your time and consideration on this very important matter, I'm happy to play this song for you now if you want, but in any event, this is something that has actually, it has enormous public support, obviously, from the Natick area where we're quite proud of Jonathan Richmond, but former Boston Mayor Marty Walsh was actually a co presenter of this Bill for many years. It's something that, like I said, this committee has acted on favorably, and I hope to finally get this to the476 floor of the House this session. So thank you very much, and I'm happy to answer any questions. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
SPEAKER1 - Thank you, representative.
SPEAKER5 - I didn't want you to487 play this song, but I'm wondering if you could have a489 few bars.
SPEAKER4 - You would not wanna hear that representative. I cannot, even begin to have the musical500 talent of my former neighbor and native native justice.
SPEAKER5 - Okay. We we won't do that to to to the, to the author of the song. I think it's yeah.
REP ELLIOTT - Is there a state?
LINSKY - There is not a state rock song. So this is it, a little bit of history on this Bill if I can inform the committee. For a while, some of my self shore colleagues, they were dancing around, they felt that it should be something maybe from Arrow Smith, but they've backed on and now fully support the idea of this because this is really538 a Massachusetts based song.
ELLIOTT - Thank you, Mr. Chair, this is my generation.
LINSKY - Yes, you understand the importance of having a song that includes lyrics about549 Stop and Shop, Howard Johnson's Route 3 and Route 128.
ELLIOTT - Regrettably, yes.
REP GENTILE - Alright. I just want to know if we can listen to this on Spotify?
LINSKY - You can, a cheaper way to do that, however, is to just Google it and take it off a YouTube after you get through the commercials. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
SPEAKER6 - Thank you.
SPEAKER4 - Alright. Thank you very much, everybody.
SPEAKER1 - Thank you. I wonder how much different that song would be with the advent of bus lanes and bike guys. Next up, we'd like to have a representative, Kayton, Hugh, and her panel.
SPEAKER7 - Good
SPEAKER8 - morning.
REP DONAGHUE - HB 3096 - SB 2006 - Good morning, Chair Collins, esteem members of the committee. Thank you for taking me and my panel out of turn. I'm here today to testify in support of H 3096, and to introduce a617 family617 from my district, the Pete family, and in particular, Simona Pete. Simona's a 5th grader, and is here today to testify in favor of 3096. I know it's hard to compete with629 a state song but this actually has a purpose other than not to be dismissive of the value of publicizing and I am even older than Rep Elliot but it is still of my generation. It's an act establishing the official amphibian of the Commonwealth, and that would be the blue spotted salamander,658 and it is a threatened status and making this the state amphibian would increase conservation, education, and education efforts around this beautiful creature. I ask that this Bill be favorably supported, and I'll let, Ms. Pete talk about the actual merits of the Bill. Thank you.
SIMONA PETE - CONCERNED CITIZEN - HB 3096 - SB 2006 - Thank you, Chair Khan, Chair Cabral and committee members for allowing me to693 testify in support of H 3096 and S 2006. My name is Simona Pete, I'm in 5th grade and live in Southborough. I've been working to make the Goose ball salamander the state amphibian for over two years. As some of you may remember, I testified to this committee during the last session when I was eight. I really714 love salamanders because since I was little,716 I've been helping my family look for salamanders every spring to help them cross the road so they don't get hit by cars as they try to get to a Vernal pool to lay their eggs. For those of you who don't know, a vernal is a pool not connected to other water bodies732 that fills with water in the spring734 and usually evaporates over the summer.736
There are no fish so it makes the perfect home for amphibian babies and other animals. I love looking for salamanders because they're super adorable and also helping them makes me feel like I have746 the power to do something good in the world. A little over two years ago, my mom and I attended a virtual presentation about salamanders, and afterward, we looked up our state amphibian. We found out Massachusetts doesn't have one, the 27 other states do. We are falling behind, and I decided I wanted to change this. After thinking about different species and getting input from people on the Vernal Pool Associations list serve,772 at772 a side, I decided the blue salamander would make a great stay amphibian because it's a beautiful representative of all these animals that live in a Vernal pool, it is listed as state threatened, and we would be the first state to choose this species as our state amphibian.
Since then, I've been working to build support for the Bill, I joined forces with the Andover animal advocates high school group, I got my Senator and Representative to cosponsor the Bill, I presented to my799 classmates, Sunday school and a number of environmental groups. Through these meetings as well as email exchanges, we are able to get support from Mass Audobourn, the trustees of Reservation, the Vernal Pool Association, the Massachusetts Association of Conservation Commissions, the Orchard Natural River watershed associations, Harvard Conservation Trust, the Southborough Select board, Manchester Essex Conservation trust, opaque and land trust, Wareham land trust, and828 others, as well as many individuals who wrote in to voice their support for H 3096.
My mom told me how Governor Healey recently issued an executive order that was set first in the nation biodiversity targets. I think making the blue spot salamander the state843 amphibian that matches really well with her goal, and would get people excited847 to learn about the animals that live in849 Vernal Pools. I would like to thank Representative Nguyen for introducing this Bill, as well854 as Representative Donahue, Representative Gentile, and Representative Reyes, who are all cosponsors. I'd also like to thank the committee members for your time, and I ask a vote to advance H 3096 and S 2006, and this is a blue spot salamander. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
SPEAKER8 - Perfect, Tommy. We stand ready to answer any questions. Questions, though, I would probably defer them off.
SPEAKER1 - Thank you. Any questions for the committee?
ELLIOTT - Thank you, Mr. Chairman. That was an amazing presentation for someone that's nine years old. I think you know and have understood the process of how to initiate a Bill and get something passed and reach out to stakeholders and communities, probably been better than most of us here. So thank you, I love the blue salamander, I wholeheartedly support this, and I hope we report this out of the committee favorably, and thank you for taking the initiative on this important Bill.
DONAGHUE - Thank you. As I said, it's not simply publicity which is very important, but it has an actionable effect in that the more attention is brought to the species, the more protection there will be. Thank you very much. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
SPEAKER5 - Thank you.
SPEAKER9 - Yes.
SPEAKER1 - Next, Doctor Wilp, Representative Hawkins.
SPEAKER10 - You can see by the panel that everybody's got the same problem I did this morning. I've been an endless staffing at a traffic getting here. And I also had the wrong hearing room number. I assume this is the975 right bill, right room for my door office and bill. Senator Feeney filed the companion Bill983 in the Senate, and he's still in traffic, so I don't know987 how I got here before him. But, we're both sitting on 95 and endless traffic, and he will testify later. But he's also got, I think, 3 bills in this committee. So996 we're trying. And, I
REP HAWKINS - HB 3044 - SB 2003 - I think the favorite part of this Bill is1002 that it was one of my former students who1004 started this, her name is Vicky, and she's at home, she can't come in today, but she'll be testifying online. I'd like to say it's because of me because I was her teacher, but she's become an incredible advocate for little people, she went and got a teaching certificate, she's created this whole advocacy1024 group, and the point of this Bill would be that it would make a day in the end of October that's already a national holiday for this, a state holiday. I can't imagine anybody that's opposed to it, it's just one of those things I followed a couple times, it got engrossed in the House the last time, maybe we can get it through all the way this time. It's a feel good Bill, when you hear her talk, you're going to say, we got to do this, and there's a point of pride for me, she was one of my former students. So thank you for hearing this, and thank you for being here. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
I'd ought to imagine you had an easier, right, than I did this morning. So thank you.
SPEAKER11 - Well,
SPEAKER1 - yeah, no. It's it's tough. As we said, we were talking road runner beforehand and the bus lanes and the bike lane slowing everything down, but Yeah. I it so that
SEN COLLINS - You had mentioned that this bill has a date?
HAWKINS - Yes, it's the end of October. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
Yes. Yeah. Great. Thank you. Yep.
SPEAKER1 - Any questions from the committee? Team Nunn? You very much, Adam.
But, welcome Senator Liz Miranda who we mentioned earlier has joined us to, testify in support of S 2030 and, S 2031.
Gonna hold off on Santa Miranda. Next is Senator Becker Rauch with us virtually. For, s 2059 act establishing election day as a holiday in providing paid voting leave.
Okay. We'd like to welcome, testimony. And, again, people are testifying our order of as as the member's legislature, but, otherwise, as the order of which they, reached out and signed up. Victoria Zeniti, who signed up to be with us virtually
for a 3044s2003
in act making October 25th to office and awareness day in the Commonwealth.
SPEAKER12 - Good morning.
VICTORIA ZINITI - CONCERNED CITIZEN - HB 3044 - SB 2003 - Good morning. An act making October 25th, the Dwarfism Awareness Day in the Commonwealth is directed towards educating the Commonwealth of all 50 cities and 301 towns to facilitate treating people with dwarfism with respect and normalcy. I am testifying on behalf of other people with Dwarfism in the state of Massachusetts. The principle of this act is that our generation, the next generation, and the generations to come with the dwarfism feel certain that they can live in their lives with no discrimination and feel safe. The majority of the population are not educated about people with dwarfism, we deserve not to be forgotten, we want our dwarfism to be spoken about to bring awareness. Let's be honest, there will always be that 10% who will discriminate towards people with the dwarfism. Hopefully, by bringing awareness, we can change even the 10% to be open1274 minded and let us live our lives. Furthermore, we want to bring awareness to how we love to be a big part of our society and build a strong diverse state. These are tangible reasons why this Bill, an act to make to make October 25th dwarfism awareness day in the Commonwealth should be passed in the beautiful lyrics from Diana Ross. Reach out and touch somebody's hand, make this world a better place if you can. Thank you for your time and attention to this matter. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
SPEAKER1 - Thank you very much, Victoria, for your testimony. Questions from the committee seeing none, would like to now invite, Maureen Brown, of Resolve New England, to testify on age 3090s 2030 and act designated September as PCOS Awarenessman.
SPEAKER13 - Good morning.
KATE WELDON LEBLANC - RESOLVE NEW ENGLAND - HB 3090 - SB 2030 - SB 2005 - Good morning, Senate Chair Collins and House Chair Rep Cabral and members of the committee. My name is Kate Weldon LeBlanc, I am a resident of Malden, Massachusetts, and the executive director of Resolve New England, which is a nonprofit organization that provides emotional support, education and advocacy for anyone struggling to achieve their dream of parenthood. Resolve New England strongly supports Senate Bill 2005, which is an act designating October 15th as pregnancy and infant loss awareness day in the Commonwealth. Research shows that one in four pregnancies end in a loss. I have personally been that one and it was a devastating experience for my husband and me. Many people are surprised to hear that pregnancy loss is that common because there is still so much silence and1395 stigma. Many pregnant people blame themselves for their losses, in fact, I personally don't use the word miscarriage as it seems to imply that you did something to carry wrong, and that's not true.
We are so grateful to lead sponsor, Senator Paul Feeney, and his team, I know he'll be here later. Senate 2005 was drafted in an inclusive way to honor many different types of losses that can be experienced when someone is trying to grow their family. Resolve New England also strongly supports an act designating September as PCOS awareness month. That's House Bill 3090 and Senate Bill 2030, which is also on your docket today. That Bill is sponsored by Rep Sam Montano and your colleague on the committee, Senator Liz Miranda. PCOS is polycystic ovary syndrome, it's a serious genetic hormone, metabolic, and reproductive disorder that affects people with ovaries. This condition can lead to lifelong complications, including infertility, mental health disorders, obesity, severe hair and skin issues, endometrial cancer, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and other life threatening conditions. It is a very common condition, one in 10 people have PCOS but it is vastly underdiagnosed and misdiagnosed. It also disproportionately affects women1480 of color, and, unfortunately, we feel that is why it is so misunderstood. An annual awareness month in the Commonwealth would make a big difference in changing this. I am so grateful for the opportunity to testify in support of these Bills, very happy to be joined by Maureen, and Resolve New England will be submitting written testimony as well. Thank you.
MAUREEN BROWN - RESOLVE NEW ENGLAND - SB 2005 - HB 3090 - SB 2030 - Thank you. I'm Maureen Brown, and I'm from Stoneham Massachusetts. I'm going to give my testimony today for S 2005. So a little bit of my story; my partner, Matt and I have struggled with infertility and loss for years. Our first loss was around three years ago, actually October 12th, so we're coming up on that date. Since then, I've undergone multiple fertility treatments, including two rounds of IVF, and have suffered another six losses to1532 make a total of seven. It's devastating to believe your family could be growing, and then you see the positive test, first ultrasound, you see that first flicker of a heart and have it ripped away. Sadly, this world doesn't bring awareness to miscarriage and loss, it is still a taboo. I1550 am still expected to act normal when my body is still covering from multiple surgical procedures from these losses, as well as the mental drain and toll it takes. People ask, do you have children? And when I respond with the story of my losses, I'm looked like at as an outsider, really. I don't blame those who look at me1569 like I have three heads, we don't do a good job as society for educating the public about pregnancy loss. I petitioned for this Bill so that others that suffer these traumatizing events can be recognized by their peers, the public, and not have to pretend they've suffered. I appreciate, and thank you for your time. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
SPEAKER1 - Thank you very much for your testimony. Any questions, comments from the committee? Seeing done. Thank you very much.
SPEAKER15 - Thank you.
SPEAKER1 - We'd like to welcome Jennifer Schneider who's testifying or signed up to testify virtually.
SPEAKER16 - Hi there. Thank you.
JENNIFER SCHNEIDER - CONCERNED CITIZEN - HB 3090 - SB 2030 - My name is Jennifer Schneider, and I'm a resident of Shrewsbury Massachusetts. I am a private practice therapist as well and a polycystic ovarian syndrome, PCOS patient. I'm here today to share my story about why I care about this issue so much. I've been living with PCOS for nearly 49 years now. At the age of 11, I noticed that something was very wrong and that I had very dark body hair beginning to cover my body with a very bare complexion. By the age of 13, I was only having my period every 13 months and having a lot of other associated health issues. At age 15, I was prescribed birth control pills just to regulate my period, which have a number of side effects as well. I also gained a lot of weight for no particular reason and I really suffered from depression and anxiety quite a bit at a young age. I was finally referred to an endocrinologist when I was 20 and then finally diagnosed with PCOS when no doctor, no gynecologist, nobody like that had ever diagnosed before.
I had gotten very used to shaving my entire body actually to get rid of the hair, since then, I've been prescribed a number of different medications with varying effects. I have learned to better manage the insulin resistance that really is one of the root causes of everything that I'm experiencing with PCOS. All kinds of lifestyle changes, supplements, and an increase in exercise, the supplements are not at all covered by insurance nor are the laser hair removal treatments that I got to get rid of my excess body hair. They happen to work me, they do not work on everybody, I was very, very lucky that they worked, and that's why I really want to support this Bill. I think that it would be really important to bring away this of this disease that there is still very, very little known about, and there is actually no FDA approved medication specifically for PCOS, everything is used off label. So thank you for your time. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
SPEAKER1 - Thank you very much for your testimony. Questions from the committee? Seeing out. We'd like to invite up Simona Pete.
Oh, you had already testified. Thank you.
Triniketh Belugapudi.
Testifying on age 3096 and act establishing the official amphibian of the commonwealth.
SPEAKER17 - Yes.
TRINIKETH BELUGAPUDI - DESTINATION IMAGINATION - HB 3096 - SB 2006 - Thank you, honorable Chair Cabral, honorable Chair Colin, and members of this committee for this opportunity to testify in support of the Bill, H 3096 and S 2006 to name the blue spotted salamander as a state amphibian at the Commonwealth.1775 My name is Triniketh Belugapudi, I'm a senior in high school and member of the Destination Imagination Service Learning team Andover animal advocates who've been working with Representative Nguyen and Senator Finegold for four years to get this Bill passed. If you're wondering where my teammates are, they're away at their freshman year of college, so they will be submitting written testimony in support of the Bill. We've chosen to raise awareness about endangered species and habitats, and this Bill is one of the multiple projects we've been working on. I believe that it's necessary to establish state amphibian in order to raise awareness of the crucial role these creatures play in our environment. There are 27 other US states as well as the territory of Puerto Rico with state amphibian, many of which were established through student driven efforts. We knew that naming a state amphibian would be important to raising awareness with these fascinating creatures, but we wanted more people to learn and support us. So we created a statewide poll, listing two frogs, two toads,1828 two salamanders, and two newts, and providing1830 information about each one.
The blue spotted salamander, which is either threatened or of special concern throughout Massachusetts, one with 41% of the votes. The second most popular amphibian was the Eastern Newt with 17% of the votes, and it's already the state amphibian of New Hampshire. But you may be asking, why have a state amphibian? Well, by designating the blue spotted salamander as a state amphibian, we can raise awareness of the tragedy, our wetland, and vernal pool habitats face. Vernal pools are seasonal pools that are crucial to preserving biodiversity and home to many species that are threatened at rare, including the blue spotted salamander, an indicator species of vernal pools. The deterioration of the species flex the poor state our vernal pools and ecosystems are in due to the effects of climate change. Passing this Bill will allow us to raise awareness of the vulnerable habitats and the many at risk species that depend on them. Take the bald eagle, when it was first chosen, it was on the indigenous species list, more people becoming aware of it and dedicating themselves to saving the bird, it is now of least concern for extinction. We were hoping the same thing will happen with the blue spotted salamander. State symbols like the Mayflower and chocolate chip cookie are also an important way to highlight the uniqueness of Massachusetts and we learned about all these symbols in school.
Learning about state symbols is important and by establishing the blue spotted salamander, it would open up a new way to introduce lessons about at risk species and help raise environmental awareness of the youth. I know that there was some concern about whether naming a protected species of the state amphibian might conflict with infrastructure projects, such as the south coast rep, having to use existing wetland habitat, naming the blue spotted salamander as state symbol will not change any existing regulations, and it will not make it easier or harder to get infrastructure Bills passed. Also, any habitat fragmentation and obstruction of migratory patterns that would occur from this project would be according to the environmental impact statement of the South Coast rail accommodated with structures and pathways for the salamanders to pass as well as additional acreage opened up as protected wetland habitat for the species. Saving the environment will require a large collective effort, by passing this Bill, we will be significantly advancing our long term goal of universal environmental awareness. This problem is more urgent today than ever, and I respectfully ask that this vote be favorably reported out of committee. Thank you. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
SPEAKER1 - Thank you very much for1970 your testimony. Questions, comments from the committee. Seeing none, we'd like to welcome, virtually Robert Douglas of the town of Andor over the Harvard Conservation Trust. On the same topic. Thank you.
Robert Douglas 1 more time before we Move on.
Okay. We'd like to welcome Deborah Jefferies.
Was also testifying,
enaccidental to the amphibian of the combo.
DEBORAH JEFFREYS - FITCHBURG PUBLIC SCHOOLS - SB 2006 - HB 3096 - HB 3076 - Thank you. My name is Deborah Jeffreys, I recently retired after teaching for 36 years in the Fitchburg Public Schools. During that time, I had the honor and privilege of teaching hundreds of amazing students. I'm here today to speak in favor of House number 3076 to designate the Spring Peeper as the official amphibian of the Commonwealth. A special project I implemented during my many years as an educator was project Peace, which stands for political education at proper elementary. It was a way to teach elementary students lessons in civics. Each year, we discussed candidates at the local state and national level, voice opinions and a number of questions, including such things as two way traffic on Main Street, school uniforms, year round schools, seat belts on buses. Our studies culminated with a school wide election with students in grade kindergarten to grade 5 voted using real voting votes. We also learned about how a Bill becomes law. Each year, I would tell my students about some of the state symbols and how they came to be, they were particularly interested in the state symbols brought forward by other students, including the state cat, which is a tabby, the state insect, which is lady bug. I had one class that wanted to take it a step further and tried to have our school be associated with a state symbol. I agreed to help but insisted that it needed to be something meaningful.
At the time, we're reading a poem that mentions spring paper, we talked about it and amphibian and what that2118 means. Most have heard of it2120 before, but a few weren't sure. I googled it on my phone and excitement filled the room and they heard the sound. Those not familiar with the name knew the sound, it's a sound most of us associate with winter coming to an end, a sound of hope for good things to come. The spring keeper is a tiny tree frog that measures only about an inch long, which makes it difficult to spot. They're also nocturnal, which is another obstacle for seeing one. You'll find them in foliage and near the water's edge. They are camouflaged with tan or brown coloration, one frog sounds like the peep of a chick, when they sing together, they sound like sleigh bells. The males are trying to attract the females through song. Here are a couple of pictures, I can show you what they look like. This shows, its size compared to a coin. I had the sound here you're listening to as well in case someone wasn't sure what it sounded like. So that's the sound that many of you will hear in the beginning of spring, winter's ending, and sometimes we don't know what that is, but it's the sound of that spring keeper.
So a lot of people think it is they are crickets. Recently, my 94 year old mother took residence on the dementia floor at one of our local nursing homes, and I visit every day, and I have wonderful conversations with her new friends. One day, well, obviously, working on a craft with them, the television had a nature show playing in the background, and all of a sudden, I heard one of the ladies say, listen, do you all remember the beautiful sound of the peepers when the weather started getting warmer? Before I knew it, they were all talking about the past sharing memories of that. So I knew at that point that my former students2338 were right, the spring keeper needed to be designated the official state amphibian. It connects with people of all ages and continues to spread joy. We began this journey a long time ago, the year was 2011, we've had many state Representatives and Senators file the Bill over the year. These students have since graduated, and I have retired, but we persevere. It's been quite a learning experience for all of us, and I just ask you to think about the happiness that this little tree frog brings to so many and consider supporting us in our continued to designate the spring keeper as a state amphibian in the Commonwealth. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
SPEAKER1 - Thank you for your testimony. Any questions to the committee, comments, seeing none. We'd like to welcome virtually Michael Marib of the Andover Conservation Division. Who signed up to testify remotely.
MICHAEL MURRAY - ANDOVER CONSERVATION COMMISSION - SB 2006 - HB 3096 - Thank you, Chairman Cabral, Chairman Collins, and the member of the committee. My name is Mike Murray, I'm the land manager for Andover Conservation division, and I'm here speaking in support of Bill; S 2006 to make the blue spotted Salamander, the state amphibian. Thus far, you've heard about the blue spotted salamander as the species of special concern and its relationship to wetlands and vernal pools of Massachusetts. These are important reasons for designating the blue spotted salamander as the state amphibian, though I'd like to present another side to the argument for this Bill. Every citizen has a relationship to the place they live, for some people, it's2443 the walking path they visit every morning, picking apples in the fall or the patch of forest which they take their children, and these features make us feel at home in our town, state, and region. The blue spotted salamander connects us to Massachusetts. Red Maple swamps, floodplain forests, and marshes are part of the Massachusetts landscape. Our state has 28 watersheds with iconic rivers such as the Charles, Meramec, and Connecticut River, all of which help create habitat with blue spotted salamander.
By making it our state amphibian, we pay homage to the role that these rivers and wetlands play in our culture and our history. I also encourage citizens to pay attention to one of the lesser known and ecologically significant species native to our state. Consider as a model of spotted salamander, until organizations such as Mass Audubon became popularizing name and image. It was relatively unknown to the public. Now it is featured as Ohio State amphibian, and the concept of Vernal Pools has entered the public awareness. Massachusetts can do the same with the blue spotted salamander. It can be at the forefront of raising awareness about this beautiful yet increasingly rare salamander. By doing this, we can connect it with wetland habitat and our state. Think of the first cool April rain in Massachusetts, it's a hint of winter that is giving away the spring, and these are the days we find blue spotted salamanders emerging from their torpor. Imagine neighborhoods organizing blue spotted salamander migration month parties, where people could watch an incredible sight that is salamander migration, and by designating the blue spotted salamander, the state amphibian, we help conserve land and wildlife, we also provided citizens yet another way to appreciate the place in which they live. Thank you, Chairman Collins, Chairman Cabral, and members of the committee. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
SPEAKER1 - Thank you very much for your testimony. Questions from the committee. Comments. Seeing on would like to welcome Maureen Ward, virtually testifying on s 1989 and act establishing the official marine invertebrate of the Commonwealth.
SPEAKER15 - Hello. Can you
SPEAKER20 - hear me? And Sydney?
SPEAKER1 - Yes. Thank you.
MAUREEN WARD - HORSESHOE CRAB CONSERVATION ASSOCIATION - SB 1989 - My name is Maureen Ward, I live in Barnstable Massachusetts. I am a board member of the Horseshoe Crab Conservation Association, and a member of the Horseshoe Crab Recovery Initiative. I'm also a Horseshoe Crab volunteer at Mass Audubon and the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History. I'm here to ask for your consideration to designate Limulus Polyphemus Commonwealth of Massachusetts State's marine vertebrae. Like the other animals before you, it does align with Governor Healey's biodiversity goals to protect the Massachusetts coastline which would provide for more protection and conservation of this very special marine invertebrate. Massachusetts is known for many things, high on anyone's list with the early American history, education, research, biotechnology, seafood, and beaches, the horseshoe crab Polyphemus touches upon them all. It is not an exaggeration to say that Massachusetts horseshoe crabs live a life and service to the Commonwealth and intersects with Massachusetts past, present, and future. Horseshoe crabs are evolutionary superstars and local celebrities here in Massachusetts.
Evolutionarily speaking, Limulus Polyphemus is a superstar on a very short list of life bombs that have been on earth the longest, Horseshoe crabs have been around for more than 450,000,000 years, over 2,000,000 years before dinosaurs, including Massachusetts most recently designated state dinosaur. It predates plants, birds, mammals, and humans. Horseshoe crabs have survived every challenge a prehistoric and ever changing planet presented. Among them five global mass extinctions, one that took out 96% of all marine life, the separation of continents, glaciers, earthquakes, volcanoes, and extreme climate. Horseshoe crabs are not crabs, they are more closely related to spiders, scorpions, and ticks. There are only four species of horseshoe crabs alive today, three species are in Indo Asia Pacific and are critically threatened and are endangered.
The fourth horseshoe crab species, the American Horseshoe crab, is found along America's Atlantic Coast from Southern Maine to the Gulf of Mexico and the Yucatan Peninsula. Massachusetts is privileged to be one of the few places in the world with these rare and resilient agent mariners still reside. Historical records from Massachusetts Native Americans at2758 early European explorers from over 400 years ago indicate Horseshoe crabs were well known shoreline residents used as food and fertilizer, they were useful tools and decorative ceremonial items. In 1603, a print of cape in by French explorer Samuel Dee Champlain clearly draws an oversized horseshoe crab in Massachusetts Bay labeled with the Native American word Sechenar, which translated as horsefish or horse crab.
In his journals, he noticed the Massachusetts native Americans used horse who crabs to fertilize their cornfields. Native Americans then taught this technique to early European settlers, which led to the creation of an Atlantic Coast fertilizer industry that lasted over 80 years. Massachusetts as described over time, have emerged as a state cultural icon, a sort of a local celebrity and valued natural resource. Massachusetts residents love horseshoe crabs, one does not have to travel very far along any Massachusetts coastline before encountering a wide variety of horseshoe crab art, crafts, books, jewelry, and clothing. Massachusetts residents and state agencies participate in a variety of Horseshoe Crab citizen science related activities annually, such as the horseshoe crab spawning2840 surveys, migratory bird monitoring, horseshoe crab habitat restoration projects.
Massachusetts has multiple horseshoe crab conservation and advocacy organizations, a few that I belong, educational exhibits and programs and international horseshoe crab day celebrations. Horseshoe crabs are2862 seasonal focus of educational field2864 trips, nature walks, summer camps, and traditional news and social media coverage. Horseshoe Crab can be found in every aquarium touch paint in Massachusetts including Boston's New England aquarium. Horseshoe crabs have a high ecological impact in Massachusetts playing an important role in the marine environments in which they live.
Horseshoe crabs participate in one of nature's oldest and largest spawning events every spring. Horseshoe crabs leave the ocean floor to migrate to shallow waters to spawn and lay eggs. Coastal inhabitants in and around Massachusetts marine environments depend on their eggs and larvae as an important food source, including insects, land animals, bird, shellfish, crustaceans, and fish. This comes at an important time of year when species need extra energy for growth and reproduction, contributing significantly to local food webs, ensuring healthy and diverse marine ecosystems here in Massachusetts. Local gulf species will feed upon overturned adult horseshoe crab perhaps during spring and summer. 11 species of migratory birds have evolved over time to synchronize their Atlantic flyway migrations along the coastline to coordinate with horseshoe crab spawning. Hundreds of thousands of birds will seek horseshoe crab's intertitleness to feed upon their and supply energy rich eggs to fuel their long journeys. A larger stop being over being in Delaware Bay, a smaller, less no, but no less important fueling station here is in Chatham's Monomoy national wildlife rescue. Massachusetts horseshoe crabs spend most of their lives in shallow interest titled Coastal Communities in sandy and muddy bottoms of estuaries mud flaps, and washers.
White farmers, they plow and till the land, horseshoe crabs plow and till the sea2982 floor by forging for food during spawning. These movements loosen sediment distribute oxygen and nutrients which enhance species, diversity in abundance. I want to mention that there are over 100 years of horseshoe crab research, four scientists brought amazing contributions in their research here in Massachusetts at the marine biological laboratory that touched on human health and space travel. Even one of the astronauts use a horseshoe crab related product in the International Space3029 Center, and these products will be used for future space travel. In summary, I believe that the ultimate purpose of a state designation for Horseshoe crab is to feel good about our state, to know its history, its cultural icons, its traditions, its local treasures, and natural wonders, and be springboards to more learning. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
Ma'am,
SPEAKER1 - thank you very much for your testimony. Please submit the rest in writing. Thank you.
We'd like to, welcome,
Senator Paul Feeney, who will have testify in a moment, but would like to welcome, Pauline Roe, who's with us virtually to testify on an act establishing the annual observance of September 11th, remembrance day.
SPEAKER21 - Hello? K. Good morning. Can you hear me?
SPEAKER1 - Yes. Thank you.
SPEAKER21 - Okay. Good.
PAULINE ROE - CONCERNED CITIZEN - SB 2036 - Good morning, everybody, the committee members and Chairs. I want to say a few things, prefacing what I will read. Number one, thank you to Senator Patrick O'Connor for all his efforts in bringing this before your committee. We came before a committee in March 2022 and we're glad to be here again and hope this time we will come to a resolution. I'd also like to thank our Town of Hall Fire Chief Russo, for his tremendous support, including his willingness to offer his testimony here today. I'd also ask that you should have received our prior select board Chair, Jennifer Constables early as submission for the March 2022 hearing, and she continues to offer our support. She is currently our town manager, and, because of the short time notice, she wanted to offer a revised letter, but her time did not allow, so she's in full support of this. Speaking as a retired Massachusetts public schools educator, I come before you today to advocate for the passage into law of Senate Bill S 2036, an act establishing the annual observance of September 11th remembrance day. Two years ago as we were approaching the 20th anniversary commemoration of the September 11th 2001 terrorist attack on our nation's homeland, I became acutely aware through my public interactions that the younger generations do not formally acknowledge that faithful day in our nation's history.
I came to realize that families whose children were born after 9/11/2001 have neither the knowledge of, nor the excruciatingly painful memories associated with one of the most horrific days in our nation's history. 20 plus years hunts, the global threat of terrorism remains3232 one of chronic concern. The possibility of another foreign terrorist attack on our great nation remains at least as real a threat now in late 2023 as it was back in 2001. We are obligated to carry the3251 torch forward to ensure that our country's future generations are educated about the historical significance of September 11th 2001. It is our nation's duty to commemorate the anniversary of this horrific event to remember the 3000 plus Americans murdered here on American soil and to publicly honor our nation's countless heroic first responders who unhesitatingly, selflessly sacrificed themselves in the face of unspeakable peril for the sake of their fellow Americans. Every year, just prior to September 11th, CNN features an intensely powerful documentary on the 9/11/2001 attacks. Last year's feature filmed by a pair of French filmmakers visiting New York City to film an average day in the life of New York City firefighters unknowingly became an epic recording of this fateful day in our history. This year's no responders left behind featured John Stewart, who along with John Theo and Ray Feiffer fought unwaveringly to get health care benefits for the 9/11 first responders affected by their work at ground zero.
After this year's televised 9/11 ceremonies in which countless youth who had lost their grandparents and parents in 9/11 participated, we've read stories of how young people in New York City who survived the 9/11 attacks have been in addition to the first responders fighting chronic cancer conditions caused directly by the 9/11 toxic contaminants from 20 plus years ago. Following my testimony in the March 2022 virtual hearing on this same proposed legislation, I began to make note of national whatever days that Americans celebrate everywhere. To date, there is an incessantly growing list of national whatever days celebrated every day of every month featuring a host of trivial themes and topics. Quote, national today calendar includes the widest variety of national days and important days of the year, including days from US government or other government declarations, days named by organizations or companies, and days marking significant anniversaries and milestones.
What I know not, who is responsible for deciding to nationally celebrate these days, it certainly appears that our nation is paying special tribute to increasingly trivial manners while we grossly minimize if not completely ignore the most relevant days of importance in our nation's history. The month of September has no listings of the anniversary of the September 11th 2001 terrorist attacks on US soil, nor any topic even remotely related to it. In closing, history forgotten means history repeats itself, we must always remember so that we will never forget. Our nation has established a national hot chocolate day, National Colony Day, National strawberry shortcake day, and National dog day just to name a few. Respectfully, it is time to pass legislation to establish the annual observance of September 11th remembering study. Thank you for your consideration. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
SPEAKER1 - Thank you for your testimony. Questions from the committee3504 seeing none. Thank you very much. I would like to3508 welcome up Senator Paul Feeney. And just to remind folks that we're trying to keep people to 3 minutes lot of important issues in front of us. And, thank you very much.
SEN FEENEY - HB 3099 - SB 2000 - SB 2005 - HB 3044 - SB 2003 - Good morning, Chair Collins, Chair Cabral, members of the committee. As Representative Hawkins said, I was stuck in traffic coming in, but I was listening to the hearing on my phone and, Chair Collins, I think I may write a folk song about bike lanes and bus lanes and trucks on Storrow Drive after hearing your remarks earlier. I have a number of Bills on the docket today, three that you're considering, and just in the interest of time, I want to say that I'll submit written testimony for our bill H 3099 filed with Representative Ted Phillips and S 2000 filed by myself to establish a voting holiday at JFK Memorial Day here in Massachusetts. But there are two Bills in particular that I'd like to take some time and just offer some verbal testimony. Number one, you heard from Victoria Ziniti this morning and her passionate testimony on establishing a dwarfism awareness day here in Massachusetts.
Representative Hawkins as her former teacher has certainly done a lot of work to bring awareness to dwarfism, I'm pleased that it passed the House last year, and I'm hoping that we can continue to collaborate to bring awareness to dwarfism and little people throughout Massachusetts to the finish line this year. This next Bill, Mr. Chairman, quite frankly, I struggled a little bit as I was preparing kind of talking points or remarks on this. It's S 2005, an act designating October 15th as pregnancy and infant loss awareness day. You heard testimony on this previously, this Bill as I tried to write remarks, I asked myself, how do I talk about this issue? It is a painful issue for so many people, you heard personal testimony this morning.
It is not easy to talk about, and unfortunately, it is very rarely talked about, especially among men in our society and here in Massachusetts. As I was thinking about that and struggling to find the words, I thought how appropriate it is that this Bill is filed because of that reason because we very rarely talk about it in our social circles. The specific type of loss that this Bill recognizes is real, it is gut wrenching, and people often grieve in silence because it's it's not a comfortable thing to talk about as I said. Many people enjoy the journey as they try to become parents and plan their families. For some, it's easy, it's a happy, joyful time full of hope, hope for the future, thoughts, and of the joy of nurturing another human being in their life. For others, for many in Massachusetts and throughout our country, the journey is devastating, and it's a constant reminder of what could3693 have been. It's a moment frozen in time, it is for those who know that painful suffering that I speak for today and with this Bill. I speak for those who may only get to hear a slight heartbeat, only to have that flicker disappear at the next visit.
I speak for those who gave birth to3714 a baby who was already an angel on the day that they were born. I speak for those who held their baby, who played with their child, and suffered horrific loss early in that child's life.3727 I speak for those that may have seen a positive test after months or years of trying only to find out that it is dangerously ectopic. I speak for those suffering through a two week wait enduring IVF in trying to plan their family3745 only to have their hopes dashed. These experiences, Mr. Chair and members of the committee, I bring up as somebody who has experienced them and felt them many times in my life, but I bring them up because that story is not uniquely mine, it's all too common. You've heard from others today, and I'm sure many of you have experienced it or members of your family or many of your constituents. The pain of such losses is felt truly in everyday moments, it is woven into the fabric of our lives when you open up Facebook, when you have a conversation at a party. It is important for all of us to be their voice and to say that you are heard in Massachusetts and we understand, nothing can take away the pain that many of us feel, but somehow we carry on.
It's my hope, Mr. Chair, members of the committee that this day of remembrance helps us as a society to hold these people in a collective hug, this day of remembrance can bring hope where there is despair and shine a light, a light not only to educate others about these types of losses, but a light in the lives for those of us who have suffered them. Truly, I want to thank the work of Resolve and Maureen and Kate, who you heard from earlier in their testimony, but I want to thank Resolve for the work that they do the important work and not only advocating for good public policy and awareness, but for fighting for benefits and coverage for so many people who just want to be parents, and unfortunately have not been able to realize that dream as of yet.
I appreciate the opportunity to testify, Mr. Chair, you know it is not my style to get emotional speaking about legislation, but I can tell you, again, from firsthand experience and from the many people that I've spoken with at Resolve and other organizations and people throughout my district in Massachusetts, that this is something that is rarely talked about and having a day, one single day to bring this issue to light so that people can understand how truly heartbreaking and soul crushing pregnancy loss, infancy loss can be on families. Again, you know, I use the reference to wrap people in a collective hug, oftentimes that suffering happens in an insular level, internally, and to be able to talk about these issues, I think is important the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. I appreciate all the work that this committee does, and appreciate you listening to my testimony this morning. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
SPEAKER1 - Thank you, Sarah. Fannie. Questions from the committee comments. Thank you.
SPEAKER6 - Thank you. Thank you.
SPEAKER1 - Like to welcome Christopher Russo, the town of Hall Fire chief who's signed up to testify virtually, on s 2036 and act establishing the annual observance of September 11th remembrance day.
SPEAKER21 - May I speak, please?
SPEAKER1 - Well, man, we and and, miss, we did get your testimony. So
SPEAKER21 - No. No. I wanted to ask permission. I think chief Russo who is online might have I know he might have gotten a call in emergency.
SPEAKER1 - That's okay. We can no. We can come back to him. Thank you.
SPEAKER21 - Okay. May I read his testimony if he's not able to come back?
SPEAKER1 - No. Please. You can submit it online, and, we'll circle back to him. Thank you.
SPEAKER21 - Thank you.
SPEAKER1 - Like, the next welcome Alan Haley and Megan Haley, to come testify in behalf of H3016. Resolutions establishing the annual observance of COVID 19 remembrance day.
ALAN HALEY - CONCERNED CITIZEN - HB 3016 - Good morning. My name is Alan Haley, I reside in Tewksbury , Massachusetts. I'm the father of three children, I don't have a prepared speech, I was going to do one last night but I would prefer to speak from my heart. It's odd hearing about September 11th just now because two years ago on September 11th, I unofficially lost my wife, Paula Haley, who was a state employee for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for over 30 years and was an essential employee in how to report to work. On or about August 30th, she contracted the coronavirus at her employment at the Tewksbury State Hospital. She tested positive on September 5th on my birthday, and on September 9th,4054 she went to Mass General Hospital due to very low oxygen, and roughly 34, 36 hours later, in the early morning hours of September 11th 2021, she was incubated, and I unofficially lost her. 39 days later, my wife, Paula Haley, passed away.
I had no idea what was coming to me, I didn't think that anything like this could ever happen, I have been devastated. Some of the last texts that we shared with each other, you know, things that make me sad is I'm dying for a glass of ice cold root beer, I'll never drink another root beer in my life. One of the last things she said is I'm going to miss my beautiful family before she was put to sleep, which tells me that she kind of knew she wasn't gonna pull through this. 39 days of torture, I went through with my three kids, and I still live that torture every day today. I am in total support of this Bill. I think if you walk around the general public and ask strangers if they would be in support of our Covid remembrance day to remember the close to 25,000 people who have died from this, I don't believe that anyone would be against it, I don't think the people that died from this virus should ever be forgotten just like the people from 9/11 should never be forgotten. That's it. Thank you.
MEGHAN HALEY - CONCERNED CITIZEN - HB 3016 - Hello. My name is Meghan Haley, and I'm 18 years old. I'm a 1st year student at MCHS majoring in nursing. I am one of the millions of people who have lost someone so close to me, to this virus, my mom. I've had Covid, four times within 16 months, I suffer from severe long Covid and on top of that, I'm suffering from severe depression and anxiety due to this loss. She has not and will not see any of my big milestones, such as prom, graduating from both high school and college, getting married, having kids, and so much more. You only have one mother in your life, and now mine has forever gone to this ongoing pandemic. Nothing was more important to her than her number one role in life, being a mom.
My mom didn't deserve any of this. My mom was labeled as an essential employee at Tewksbury State Hospital, and because of that, she was forced to go to work while others got to be safely at home, my mother was ripped from my life. I'm here today to show you a slice of what families are going through. I missed a day of class as a nursing major to come here and show you that I'm dedicated to this Bill. I do not want my mom and the thousands of Massachusetts residents and their families to be forgotten, I do not want the strength of the deceased to be forgotten. This day can be a day for families to get together to remember, that's why I'm deeply committed to the cause of a Covid remembrance day. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
SPEAKER1 - Thank you for your testimony. Questions? Comments with committee. Thank you.
We would like to Welcome.
Well, priority go virtually, is there anybody else here to testify on any of the matters? K. We would like to go to Jeffrey Weisel, who's signed up to testify virtually on H2987 s 2012 enacted establish a COVID 19 remembrance day.
SPEAKER24 - Hello.
JEFFREY WIESEL - CONCERNED CITIZEN - HB 2987 - SB 2012 - My name is Jeff Wiesel. First, let me say that I am very sad to hear the loss of those individuals that went before me and that is a very4314 common story. I have a different story4318 in this regard, I am standing in opposition to S 2012 H 2987 for a day of remembrance, at least with the intention with which is being proposed, and I'd like to explain why. My memory of my covid infection in December of 2020, this is a very mild flu that lasted three days only with my senses of taste and smell not returning immediately. When I proposed to my boss, the nursing home at which I work, that I should be naturally immune, I was told the now debunked narrative that it would last three months, that my immunity would only last three months.
While, I recently discovered a little known article published online by the National Institute of Health itself, on January 26th 2021, that there was evidence even then that immunity lasted much longer. I remember that that was one month before my first shot. 26 days after my second Pfizer injection, on April 1st, no less, I woke to excruciating muscle contractions in my low back, right hip, and right leg, causing nerve pain that felt like I was on fire. I had no health care coverage, urgent Care's prednisone and flexural did nothing. I also developed a host of symptoms, mostly caused by systemic inflammation. Within two months, I lost my health, job, relationship, home, and in short order, had to declare bankrupt.
Good friends saved me from living out of my car, however, 2.5 years later, I'm not strong enough to go to work, and my meager social security can't land me my own place, so my way forward is unclear. I also remember when I was able to get Mass health, and I4424 immediately had to drop the doctor I was assigned as she gas lighted me claiming my condition was only chronic wear and tear, not at all related to the life changing event that I had at April fool's day. Alternatively, I found Doctor Sayyad online who prescribed Ivermectin fluvoxamine, and that made all the difference. My pain was greatly reduced to where I can get by most days without over the counter medications, though not without pain. So from my personal experience, what I will always remember about Covid-19 is that the cure was incalculably worse than the illness.
How could this be? As revealed in contractual documents of the Department of Defense and Pfizer, and in a recently fulfilled FOIA request reported on by many, but notably by Doctor Naomi Wolf from the daily cloud that the so called vaccine is a mechanist, a device, legally owned by the Department of Defense used against the population to cause harm and death, the effects of which were known and kept from the public by Pfizer, the CDC, the White House, and the DOD. So as opposed to a day of Covid-19 remembrance, we need to have a day in court for the people versus the pharma political military industrial complex and this mainstream media arm, which previous President, Eisenhower, and Kennedy, so emphatically warned. Thank you. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
SPEAKER1 - Thank you for your testimony. Questions from the committee. Seeing none, we'd like to welcome Julie Boras of Health Rights, Mass who was signed up virtually to testify as well.
SPEAKER25 - Hi. Can you hear me?
SPEAKER1 - Yes. Hello? Yes. Please go ahead. Yeah.
SPEAKER25 - Okay.
JULIE BORAS - HEALTH RIGHTS MASSACHUSETTS - HB 2987 - SB 2012 - Thank you to the committee. My name is Julie Boras, I'm here to testify on behalf of health rights mask in opposition to an act to establish a Covid-19 remembrance day, a Bill to honor all those who died or were stricken from Covid-19. What I remember is how early treatments like Ivermectin hydroxychloroquine and4559 vitamin D were censored, and I how people died needlessly because of those treatments were withheld like the story we just heard. I remember how Covid patients were prescribed a very deadly drug remdesivir, and I remembered how many were put on ventilators never to wake up again, like the story we just heard. I remember how the hospitals got tens of thousands of dollars for each patient for following these deadly protocols, and I remember how the early and cheap treatments were outright denied to patients.
I remember when basic necessities like food and water were withheld from Covid patients hastening their decline. I remember when people were not allowed to visit their family or advocate them and many died alone. I remember how we put Covid patients in nursing homes which made no sense and many died. This Bill also aims to protect and protect the first responders, caregiver and researchers who cared for victims. I remember nurses, doctors, our police, our firefighters, and our EMS workers who worked through the pandemic and were heroes before the shot was available becoming zeros overnight for being unwilling to take an experimental one size fits all liability free MRNA gene therapy that did nothing to stop the virus and harm so many people. I remember the lockstep media and marketing blitz, the bribes, the coercion, the mandates, and the scramble for exemptions.
I remember those who stood their ground and those who did not. I remember the stressful and difficult decisions that no one should have ever been asked to make. I remember the firings, people resigning and early retirements, a huge loss to our state, and so many lives devastated. The Bill aims to appreciate those who develop treatments or vaccines in response to the virus. I remember after the shots when people of all ages, including many young people, started dying suddenly. I remember myocarditis and nerve damage, heart attacks, blood problems, strokes, and turbo cancers. I remember hearing of suicides by those could not live with the pain anymore. I remember lives devastated by the shot and its mandates.
I remember when social media and mainstream media censored the first hand real life stories of those who've been hurt by the jab. I remember the censorship and persecution of doctors, nurses, and other scientific experts who spoke out despite lifelong prestigious careers overnight, they were deemed dangerous quacks and fact checked by the very same powers trying to silence them. We will never learn from our mistakes unless we first acknowledge them and then do better. Lawmakers' time and taxpayer dollars would be much better spent on legislation that would actually do something to fix the problem created by the government response to Covid-19, they could start by passing H 734 that would prohibit the Covid-19 shot in the condition of entry, essentially ending all mandates. Thank you for your time. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
SPEAKER1 - Thank you for your, testimony. Any questions in the community comments seeing none? Would like to welcome Louis Rosetti as well with us virtually to testify.
If Lewis is not with us, Mike Bush
SPEAKER26 - Hi there. Can you hear me okay?
SPEAKER1 - Yes.
SPEAKER26 - Alright. Thank you very much.
MICHAEL BUSH - CONCERNED CITIZEN - HB 2987 - HB 3016 - SB 2012 - Thank you for the opportunity to testify today. My name is Michael Bush, I'm a lifelong resident of Massachusetts. I'd like provide my testimony regarding three Bills before this committee today, specifically H 2987 an act to establish a Covid-19 remembrance day. H 3016, Resolutions establishing the annual observance of Covid-19 remembrance date, and S 2012, an act to establish a Covid-19 remembrance day. I ask that you oppose these Bills for the following reasons. Bill H 2987, an act to establish a Covid-19 remembrance day states that it is to honor all who died or were stricken and their families from Covid-19 and subsequent variants, especially older adults and people with disabilities to appreciate those first responders, caregivers, and researchers who cared for victims or developed treatments or vaccines in response to the virus. This and similar Bills presented distorted characterization of our Massachusetts residents' experience of Covid-19. What I remember about Covid-19 in this state is that our former Governor, Charlie Baker, issued unconstitutional borders shutting down and destroying residents businesses and livelihoods contrary to public health.
What I remember about Covid-19 in this state is that our former Governor Baker mandated a senseless and4846 abusive curfew as if Covid-19 was so clever that it only spread after dark. What I remember about Covid-19 in this state is that in early 2020, our former Governor Baker commissioned research that determined the usage of face masks would not stop the spread of Covid-19, yet he withheld that information and knowingly misled our people about the merits and usefulness of face masks. What I remember about Covid-19 in this state is that when Governor Baker's face mask mandate was in full4878 effect in late 2020, then Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey was talking down to and scolding us residents via social media for us to wear face masks to supposedly protect others from Covid-19. At that time, I observed Maura Healey, the then Massachusetts Attorney General outside her office building in Boston with some of her staff, I observed her standing right next to the other people talking with them. I observed her then put on a face mask just before stepping in front of the video camera so as to mislead viewers of the video to believe that she took face masks seriously.
Once she finished recording the video, I observed her immediately take her face mask off and resume talking with the other people there. What I remember about4930 Covid-19 in state is that then Governor Charlie Baker and then Attorney General Maura Healey viewed face masks as tools from virtue signaling, contrary to what they told us residents when they treated as disposable inferior peasants. What I remember about Covid-19 in this state is that our state officials legislators and other personnel had the audacity to take and keep my hard earned money as their salaries, otherwise known as taxes, while they hid in their homes and refused to fully do their jobs, while a few of us private residents who are fortunate enough to be able to work, did so without any such hypocrisy, greed, or selfishness. What I remember about Covid-19 in this state is that our state government issued Covid shot mandates that led to the termination of employment of many Massachusetts residents, including those first responders and caregivers that Bill H 2987 disrespect by mentioning them while failing to acknowledge this corrupt abuse our state officials truly subjected them to. To reiterate, I ask that you oppose H 2987, H 3016, and S 2012 and all similar Bills. Thank you for your attention. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
SPEAKER1 - Thank you for your testimony. Questions from the committee seeing none, we'd like to welcome Lisa Mayor to testify virtually on the same matter.
SPEAKER27 - Okay.
LISA MAYER - CONCERNED CITIZEN - HB 2987 - SB 2012 - Good morning to the esteemed committee I would like to share my thoughts on why I oppose H 2987, to establish a Covid remembrance day. Instead of the day to5031 commemorate a man made public health fiasco, I would rather see a day commemorating a weak commitment to the basic rights that were thrown out during the pandemic such as the right to free speech, the right to assemble, the right to observe religion, the right to bodily autonomy, the right to reject pharmaceutical interventions, the right to informed consent, and the right to breathe healthy air. The pandemic may be over, but the assaults on our rights continue. As we speak, the Biden administration is appealing to the Supreme Court to continue to censor experts from sharing their views on the internet.
Numerous scientists at the highest levels who disagreed with Covid policies were censored and smeared like Doctor Robert Malone, one of the top vaccine experts in the world who hold several patents on MRNA vaccine technology. He is certainly qualified to speak on the subject, yet the egregious censorship of his safety concerns kept most Americans in the dark. The FDA tried to keep Pfizer trial data hidden from the public for 75 years so that Americans would be unaware of the concerning safety signals that the FDA actually ignored. These are just a couple of the many examples, but the bottom line is that Americans were encouraged and even forced to take experimental therapeutics without informed consent, and many were injured and even died.
And despite the harm they caused and the fact that they don't stop transmission, vaccine mandates continue in many places to this day. Just a quick word about masks, for decades, the highest level of scientific research has overwhelmingly demonstrated that masks do not stop viral transmission. The CDC, Fauci, Oster Holm, and everybody initially admitted this but then they instituted masks mandates on embarrassingly low quality evidence that included flawed experiments, opinion pieces, and even manipulated observational reports. They continue to ignore the highest quality research that clearly shows masks don't work for respiratory viruses including multiple meta analyses and randomized control trials as well as the testimony of industrial hygienists who are the real mask experts. Being forced to breathe on carbon dioxide, fibers, and chemicals for over eight hours a day for something that provides no benefit is about as dystopian as it gets. Masks mandates are like Orwell's boot on our faces. So if you want to do a Covid remembrance day, the emphasis should be on a recommitment to scientific integrity, constitutional rights, codes of medical ethics, and government transparency. The Covid response was a stain on our history, and if we remember it, I hope that it will be more in line of the 911 and the Holocaust, never again. Thank you very much. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
SPEAKER1 - Thank you for your testimony. Questions from the committee comments, seeing them would like to welcome David Russell, who's sign up to join us personally.
SPEAKER28 - Good morning. Can you hear me okay?
SPEAKER1 - Yes. Go right ahead.
SPEAKER28 - Okay.
DAVID RUSSELL - CONCERNED CITIZEN - HB 2987 - SB 2012 - Thank you to the committee members for letting me testify today. My name is David Russell, I live in Marshfield. I'm here to testify in opposition to all the Bills as an act to establish Covid-19 remembrance day. While I do hold those who served in medical institutions caring for Covid-19 patients in the highest regard, I believe it is way too early to memorialize Covid-19. What I remember and still live with every day is that I've been suffering for 18 months with the effects of the Covid-19 gene therapy. What I remember is being bedridden all last summer. What I remember is wanting to take my life because my body was failing. What I remember was losing £26 in two months. What I remember is too many nurses, doctors, firefighters, policemen, and students losing their positions by not bending to a gene therapy mandate. There have been way too many of us that have and are still suffering from the toxic mix of chemicals injected into our bodies.
The information is now becoming widely known regarding the toxic and inflammatory nature of the lipid Nano particle used to envelope the MRNA cocktail which is neither safe nor effective, the long term consequences of this are still unknown. To honor individuals that created these vaccines that have never been fully tested and results disclosed is a kick in the gut to those that are injured. It's way too premature to memorialize Covid-19. A year from now, I want to be able to remember how transparency won the day. I want to be able to remember that we allowed for individual choice. I want to be able to remember that our government does not mandate medical procedures. I want to remember that cures have been found5360 for the vaccine injury and long Covid patients. After all, this is accomplished, then we can talk about Covid-19 day. Thank you for your time. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
SPEAKER1 - Thank you for your testimony. Questions comments from the committee. Seeing on would like to welcome Meredith Gammons who's with us virtually to close out testimony on 2987h2987ands2012.
Moving on, I would like to welcome representative.
Well, welcome to the room, not testifying thing. Representative Mindy Dunn. Next we'd like to welcome Jennifer Ritz Sullivan, who's here5412 to testify virtually, on H3016.
Resolutions establishing the annual observance of COVID 19, remembrance day. I'm going to hand the gavel over to chair Cabral.
SPEAKER29 - K. Go ahead, please.
JENNIFER SULLIVAN - CONCERNED CITIZEN - HB 3016 - Good morning. Thank you to the Chairs and the committee members. I'm here in support of H 3016 introduced by Representative Domb and Blais calling for a Covid remembrance today. I'm the constituent who went to my then Representative Blais in spring of 2021 after losing my disabled mom early to down Covid and request it this5462 legislation. The Bill should be outdated5466 to add the elderly and the disproportionately harmed communities. So the first Monday in March is the day that Covid bereaved across the US have already been acknowledged since 2021, it's the date that we come together to unifying our collective grief and to acknowledge all the sacrifices of the essential workers and the frontline workers and to also push for better pandemic prevention. Let's go back to the pandemic start. Hospital set up an emergency overflow units, intense, and bodies were stored in refrigerated trailers because the number of deaths overwhelmed them. Thousands of people died daily, and a public health emergency turned into political agendas and as you saw here earlier, conspiracy theories. Our nation is numb to the hundreds of deaths still happening from Covid around us every day like the 34 residents who died last week.
We cannot prevent what we're unwilling to acknowledge. Our death was preventable, she died before vaccines. She was one of 77,000 people to die in December 2020 of Covid in the US alone. She suffocated to death slowly isolated in the ICU for two weeks, fully aware that she was dying alone, something that she feared. I had one 15 minute phone call with my mom that full time, one 15 minute phone call and I was separated from my family and we couldn't hold a Memorial. My family remained steeply impacted by my husband's role in the community as an essential worker supplying his own PPE, frequently exposed to him a virus that I remain at high risk for. This has left him with PTSD. My husband caught Covid through one way masking in April of this year, and that resulted in me becoming further disabled by long Covid. There is much work to do, like prioritizing clean air and public spaces, eliminating barriers to testing treatments and vaccines, funding multiple research, mandating masks in health care, and more, but we also have to pause to mourn this historic tragedy. We must5615 learn from the dead and disabled, and we must breathe. Please help5619 us in doing that by reporting the Bill5621 out favorably, for over 25,000 people here in Massachusetts and over 1,100,000 in the US. Thank you. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
SPEAKER29 - Thank you very much for your testimony. Any questions from the committee? Xinal, thank you very much. The next, person is Carrie Pollock.
Carrie Pollock.
SPEAKER30 - Hi. Hi. I think I've, I'm here.
CARRIE POLLOCK - CONCERNED CITIZEN - HB 3016 - Good morning, Chair Collins, Chair Cabral and the members of the committee. My name's Carrie Pollock, I'm a resident of Sudbury, and I'm here to speak in support of H 3016, a Bill establish an annual observance of the Covid - 19 remembrance day. I support this Bill as a deep and sour reflection of what the pandemic has caused us in human life with suffering, as well as what it has taught us about health care inequity, about how truly essential essential workers are and about the importance of developing and funding strong public health institution. I have a very personal stake in this as well; my beloved mother-in-law died of Covid-19 in May of 2020, before vaccines, before Ivermectin, before freedom trucker convoys, before analogies, between public health measures and the Holocaust. She was a volunteer and life personality,5716 brilliant, Southern, generous and impossibly elegant even at the age of 91. She had been living for the previous two years in Framingham Nursing Home and we watched helplessly as her facility closed5731 off for nearly two months to any family visit with overwhelmed by a raging and lethal novel virus that left the staff the quarantine space or the personal protective equipment to fight adequately.
Ultimately, the National Guard stepped in to help with testing and other logistics, but by the time the facility had staff published publicly reporting veteran deaths, and again, it's for the back that the devastating toll was over 50 people. The facility did not report on what number of deaths there were or weren't among5768 staff. According to the state Covid interactive data dash board as of October 1st, there have been over 19,000 Covid deaths among Massachusetts residents aged 70 and over, 78% of total Covid deaths in our state. To not memorialize those loss to the pandemic in a public significant and lasting way is to suggest whether intentionally or not that on some level, the massive collective trauma of historically unprecedented pandemic was somehow less horrific because most of those who died were older than 70. But beloved elders deserve to be remembered, as to the many thousands who died of co and then many more thousands of provisions they left behind. I'm proud that my town's Sudbury is one of 180 towns and cities in the US to have adopted a legally non binding resolution supporting an annual Covid remembrance day, and I thank Representative Carmine Gentile for his support of that. I hope Massachusetts will make establishing this Bill of remembrance day of Covid a state law. Thank you very much for listening and for this opportunity to speak with you. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
SPEAKER29 - Thank you very much for your testimony. Any questions from the committee?
See you now, and thank you very much. Taking with us virtually, to testify on 2049, S 2049, Senator Pacheco.
SPEAKER11 - Thank you very much, Mr. Shannon, Mr. Shannon. I hope, you can hear me.
Can you hear me?
SPEAKER29 - Yes.
SPEAKER11 - Yes. Okay.
SEN PACHECO - SB 2049 - Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman, and I'm testifying virtually because I have Covid. It is back, and, it is very important for everyone to have their vaccinations and try to do everything they can to protect themselves and their families from the re emergence of this pandemic I am signing on today because of a dear friend who I lost recently who had been working with school children for years now teaching a unit on how a Bill becomes a law. As all the members in attendance5934 know that that is being done in the school system5938 after school system with history teacher after history teacher, civics related curriculum to teach how a Bill becomes a law, and one of those Bills is the Bill that is before the committee today, It's called the Quahog Bill. It really went back in the history. A lot of the school children so many generations of schoolchildren now that the gentleman by the name of Bill Ruggierio get as a classroom teacher to educate students, have them go back and look at the history of the Quahog and how the Quahog was actually a trading, barter type of arrangements, many, many years ago at the very foundation of our settlement here in the new world in working with indigenous peoples at the time and have the students do significant tracing of the Quahog and how its utilization and trade occurred early on in our history. And taught, young people over and over again how a Bill becomes a law, the process.
So in honor of Bill Ruggierio and the literally thousands of students that have fought for this Bill to become a law, I'm asking the committee to do what it has done in the past and report the Bill out favorably, to the Senate so that we can have an opportunity to try to fight additionally hard this year, to try to get it up on the agenda. It is not the most significant piece of legislation, it is before the committee, obviously, there are very, very important pieces of legislation that are before you. But it is important from the perspective of making sure we acknowledge a teaching tool that6084 has educated literally thousands of young people about how our process works. So I thank you very much, Mr. Chair, Chairman Cabral, and Chairman Collins, and all the members of the committee for giving me this few minutes to talk to you about this and I hope this piece of legislation is reported out favorably. Thank you. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
SPEAKER29 - Thank you, Senator Pacheco, speedy recovery. Any questions from the committee? See you, none. Thank you again for your testimony. Also, like to recognize, Sandra Miranda, to testify on 20302031.
SPEAKER18 - Thank you. Sorry. Look like a green apple today. My apologies.
SEN MIRANDA - SB 2030 - SB 2031 - Good afternoon to Chairman Collins, Chairman Cabral, and through you to the members. As noted, my name is Senator Liz Miranda and I represent the 2nd Suffolk and abutting6153 district to Chairman Collins, it's the home of Black Boston.6157 Today, I'm here to testify in support of 2030, the act designating September as PCOS awareness month, which I filed with Representative Sam Montano. Since being elected to the house in 2018, I have been solution oriented when it comes to the issue areas of maternal and reproductive health because of the zip codes I represented at the time were in the top 10 zip codes with the poorest maternal health and reproductive health outcomes in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. But solutions are not often found overnight, it can take years before we break ground on a possible and a plausible solution. This should not act as a deterrent, but rather motivate us to make headway on as many issues as possible. The first step is always bringing awareness and understanding and then a collective call to action. I want to express gratitude to the committee for taking the primary action steps by having 2030 included in today's hearing. Polycystic ovary syndrome, PCOS is a common genetic hormone, metabolic and reproductive disorder affecting women, which can lead to lifelong complications.
I filed this6229 Bill because 50% of women living with PCOS go undiagnosed or misdiagnosed, and it's important to spread awareness of the disorder. For women to be able to receive the help they need, we need to amplify the conversations around PCOS so they don't feel like they have to suffer in silence. Living with PCOS includes going through many side effects, including access, a facial, and body hair, insulin resistance, irregular menstrual cycles, but can also cause several life threatening conditions, including type 2 diabetes, psychological disorders, and cardiovascular disease, not to mention that PCOS is the leading cause of infertility in women. Due to the common symptoms associated with PCOS, 50% of these women that go undiagnosed have many complications. Furthermore, black women are disproportionately affected by PCOS because of the systemic issues plaguing our healthcare system, which ignores and silences many of their concerns. Massachusetts may be a national leader in maternal6293 health, but what good does it mean to those that reside in this red zone and are battling every day to receive6299 the equitable and trust care?
Recently, the Department of Public Health released a data brief as of July 2023 which highlighted that black non Hispanic women experienced the highest rates of labor and delivery complications in the state. So PCOS is not only the leading cause of infertility, but PCOS and pregnancies associated with preeclampsia, preterm delivery and fetal death. And if 50% again of women are living with this misdiagnosed undiagnosed disease, we know that we are more disproportionately affected, the risk associated with pregnancy and not being communicated to them and their lives are actually put at risk. During PCOS awareness month which happened actually in September, we don't have it in the Commonwealth, it allows space for women to feel more empowered and providers to feel more educated.
So I believe that if we designate September's PCOS awareness month, it'll go a long way with our maternal and reproductive justice work that we're currently doing in the Commonwealth. I'd like to also speak momentarily about 2031, and I'll quickly pivot to this Bill. It's a resolve, providing the creation of a commemorative memorial portrait in the Massachusetts state house in honor of State Representative Doris Bunty. You will hear from the other black elected women, they are four who will also either submit testimony or testify. Doris Bunty passed away in 2021, but she was the fist black woman elected to the Massachusetts legislature in 1972, and she not only founded the black and Latino legislative caucus, but also the women's caucus.
As a state lawmaker, she was essential in getting funding for RCC, Roxbury Community College, convincing colleagues to create a majority black state senate district. In the 80s, administrative Bunty was the first black woman to head the Boston Housing Authority. She championed efforts to integrate and desegregate Boston's public housing, laying the groundwork for a stronger better6426 and more equitable BHA. She advanced over $300,000,000 to infrastructure improvements6432 across all BHA and public housing properties. Representative Bunty's history as a single mom and organizer in Orchard Park Projects after moving to Boston from New York City hits home for me and served as a great motivator in my own career. Today, I do sit as one of four black women in the Mass legislature and a legacy lives on through us. Everyone who frequents and passes through these great halls should know and recognize the force that she was.
A woman who6462 stood alone and created a pathway for me6464 to hold the responsibility I have today, not only as a two term State Representative, but now a State Senator. I stand on the shoulders of so many other women who have come here, So I humbly ask for this committee to consider this Bill and report6479 it out favorably. I'll6481 end by saying, when you walk in the halls6483 of the State House, you don't always get to see all the diverse people that have made contributions, in fact, most of the folks are Governors and Royal Governors that you see, and there's only one African American man, and now there's one woman, right? It'd be great to be able to have something in the State House where folks can walk these halls and see who else made contributions to making Massachusetts. Great. Thank you. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
SPEAKER29 - Thank you very much. Any questions from the committee? Comments Hello? Senator Collins.
SPEAKER1 - Thank you, Senator Miranda. Thank you for putting this forward. You know, representative the labor representative, Bunty, you know, did so much to move the state forward. And, you know, she should be remembered for all that and definitely in this building. So. Thank you.
SPEAKER18 - Thank you for that.
SPEAKER30 - Thank you.
SPEAKER29 - Thank you very much. Going back to house 3016, Oliver Wilson.
Remotely or virtually Oliver Wilson.
SPEAKER28 - Ziah
SPEAKER29 - James Freshsales?
SPEAKER31 - Yes.
JAMES DESIREE - CONCERNED CITIZEN - HB 3016 - Good afternoon, Mr. Honorable Chair Collins, Mr. Honorable Chair Cabral and distinguished members of the committee, thank you for the opportunity to testify. I'm writing to support Bill H 3016, introduced by Representatives Mindy6580 Domb6580 and6580 Ms. Natalie Blais, an act establishing the annual observance of Covid-19 remembrance day on the 1st Monday of March. My name is DJ, short for my first name, which is Desiree, and my middle name, which is James, and my last name is Arsin Versailles. I'm from and live in Boston, Massachusetts. For the last two years, I've done work at the federal and state level alongside my friend, Jennifer, I'm low income and permanently disabled. I6606 was temporarily laid off from my job for seven months as a result of Covid I lost my mom, Florence Siobhan Versailles on May 30th 2020 to Covid. My mom was a housing activist working alongside the late great Mel King, rest in peace Mel King, and was instrumental in the protest that took place at potentially Apartment complex. I wasn't able to have the funeral memorial that I wanted to honor my mom's life and legacy.
My mom always said life is precious, we hold these truths to be self evident that all men and women are created equal that they are endowed by our creator with certain unalienable rights that among these are life. We are all equal in our creator's eyes, we must love one another's life as our own life. We need the appropriate memorialization of all the precious lives forever marked by Covid on the 1st Monday of March. Having a yearly Covid-19 remembrance day will help us recognize the collective trauma we face while ensuring that history is recorded correctly, we will allow a ratio. Recovery is impossible without the recognition of losses, grief and collective trauma can be forces that unify and bring us together in our shared humanity. I am sincerely in appreciation of your consideration and hope to see favorable recommendation from the committee. Thank you for your time. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
SPEAKER29 - Thank you very much for your testimony. Any questions of the committee? Nope. Thank you very much. Next, we have Jane Shivek.
Jane Shivek.
Bianca B. Harry.
Yanka P. Harry.
Again, Oliver Wilson.
Well, apparently, these folks are no longer online. This brings us to the last, individual individuals that had testified, that had signed up to testify at this hearing, in particular, on H 3016.
I will entertain a motion to adjourn. Motion adjourned. 2nd. You have a second? Oh, those in favor say, I, those yeah. I just have it.
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