SmartTranscript of Senate Judiciary - 2025-04-10 - 10:15 AM

[Speaker 0 ]: Hello? [Chair Nader Hashim]: Hey. We're back in senate judiciary. It's April tenth. We are taking a testimony on page one eighteen, and we have the Office of Racial Equity here to provide his thoughts on the bill. [Member Robert Norris]: Yeah. She's muted. [Angela Lazo Jimenez]: I'm sorry. You're muted. Can you hear me now? [Chair Nader Hashim]: Yes. [Angela Lazo Jimenez]: Good. Okay. [Chair Nader Hashim]: So, the floor is yours. Feel free to, share your thoughts on on the. [Speaker 0 ]: Awesome. I'll share my [Angela Lazo Jimenez]: screen. Thank you all for having us. We appreciate the invitation to testify today on this bill. We have testified on it in house judiciary. So this version is kind of similar, but it's a bit extended. So for the record, my name is Angela, but I'm Colombian, so the real pronunciation of my name is Angela Lazo Jimenez, and I am the policy person at the Office of Racial Equity. And this conversation is very important to me in a personal level and to the communities I belong because as a an immigrant person, a woman of color, a person with a particular immigration status, which is nonimmigrant nonresident. These, like, hate crimes are really an issue that we really care about. And I'd like to start by sharing the story of a family in Berry a couple, like, yeah, some years ago, and they were Latinos. And they they bought a house, And one of the neighbors was very violent and aggressive towards the family, and this man said that he will burn out the house with the family inside the house. And he also said that Latino people should go to their original countries, and he was, like, very unwelcoming and aggressive. So these kind of things happen in our state. And, of course, you don't this not only impacted the family, but also impacted the whole Latinx community in the state, and it spread a lot of fear. And this kind of issues or this kind of fear was spread when a couple of years ago, three Palestinian students were shot in Burlington while speaking Arabic and wearing traditional Palestinian clothes or scarves. So, yeah, we do really believe that every time these kind of things happen, the entire state and all the historical marginalized communities who live in the state start questioning their safety and what they consider home, and it's a lose for us. There are some statistics that I would like to share with you all today about hate crime. The first one is that in Vermont, hate crimes have risen from forty one incidents in twenty twenty one to fifty two in twenty twenty three, which affects not only the family or the person who has been targeted, but the entire community. They belong. And race, ethnicity, and ancestry based crimes increased from thirty to thirty four, so this is a real issue. And that's why we appreciate and support this view because we recognize the importance of recognizing the group impact that each hate crime has, and we appreciate the shift towards a more person centered terminology. However, this is only one step in the long line of steps that it needs to be that need to be taken in order to prevent hate crimes from happening in order to support historically excluded communities in Vermont. So how are you gonna do these? What are the next steps? How to prevent hate crimes from happening? So it's very hard to answer those kind of questions. There is no, like, a magical solution or something like that, but we would like to start the conversation. Or we do believe as an office that it's important to start having those conversations around topics such as white supremacy, gun violence, and hate speech that sometimes can lead to hate crimes and, create a lot of harm. So research has shown that white supremacy has been noted as a potential driving force, escalating hate and discrimination at disproportionate levels and communities of color or people who might sound or look like me. So we must acknowledge that this is an issue in while supremacy is super ingrained in our society and naming stuff matters. Education is in those topics are is also super important. And according to the human rights campaign, they they said in one of the reports that you can find clicking here in the slides, they said that laws can help a lot, but they must be complemented with education and training initiatives that reduce prejudice and biases among everybody. So that's also key. And we do believe that it's important to bringing new voices into those conversations and supporting immigrants and asylum seeking families in our state. Maybe this is not strictly related, but it helps the state to be a more diverse one. So our office also supports legislation who is trying to address related issues or related topics such as age three seventy five or age six three three three six, which creates the office of new Americans who help immigrant families to arrive to our state and to stabilize them in a way, NH one sixty nine, which addresses discrimination in public accommodations and housing. So, again, it's very hard. If we don't make this data more diverse and welcoming one, how are we gonna attract more people and how are we gonna attract diverse talent? So we gotta be thinking about that. Also, we do believe it's important to start having conversations around addressing gun violence. And according to the John Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions, from twenty thirteen to twenty twenty two, the overall gun death rate increased thirty percent in Vermont, and hate crimes and gun violence are things that are related. So here are some solutions they proposed, such as firearm purchaser licensing requirements, domestic violence protection orders, safe and secure gun storage practices, regulating the public carry of firearms and community violence intervention programs focusing on those most at risk, which are usual usually communities of color or people with different diverse gender and sexual identities. So, yeah, that conversations, we do believe needs to happen. [Chair Nader Hashim]: So go ahead. There's a question. [Angela Lazo Jimenez]: Yeah. Sure. I don't I'm not watching the screen, so feel free to jump in. [Speaker 0 ]: Yeah. What I'm wondering, and maybe it's in the link in your presentation, but if there are any examples of the community violence intervention programs you're talking about because I'd love to to talk more about that type of community investment. Yeah. In it's [Angela Lazo Jimenez]: it's such a good question. Thank you for asking. Basically, community violence intervention programs have at its core restorative justice. So they are more focused on restorative justice than punishment or prison as a solution for other structural problems, such as mental health issues or lack of socioeconomic opportunities or over policing communities of color. So the shift in those programs is more into recognizing the historical operations that some people and some communities experience. And instead of punishing or putting a lot of attention on that, the focus is more into fixing or trying to fix the harm those communities have suffered and promoting education efforts. So I don't have examples right now, but the focus is more into restorative justice than more traditional approaches to justice. Yeah. [Speaker 0 ]: Wonderful. Thank you. [Member Robert Norris]: Yeah. [Angela Lazo Jimenez]: The other thing that we think it's important, it's about or it's related to hate speech. And there is a huge like, social media now amplifies online hate speech a lot. So we wanted to point or to highlight this project, which is a nonprofit project that takes place in Canada called the Sentinel Project. It has demonstrated they these people have done a lot of research, and they have demonstrated that every time you monitor hate speech online, you can provide early warning indicators of violence that maybe can lead to real world violence. So they have a huge database called the Hate Base that tracks trigger words on social media platforms such as eggs or TikTok, and this is a way to try to do something before something really bad happens later. So this is good, and this is necessary. And the United Nations has also mentioned the importance of counter narratives. So every time we create counter narratives in during our political times or during politicals of polarization, this helps to deal with hate or hate speech online. So the United Nations in this policy brief published in twenty twenty three really told the states and local government to use to start using those narratives to address hate speech and to promote diverse and pluralistic journalism. So this is like in a nutshell, our office really wants like, we really appreciate this bill and support it, but we believe that it's important to start having those conversations that will lead us to prevent hate crime hate crimes from happening. And maybe some conversation starters can be around white supremacy or evidence based gun violence prevention measures or better monitoring and counter narratives against hate speech or expanded education and training initiatives. So I just want to close by expressing solidarity with all victims of hate crimes that have happened in our state due to their race or religion or gender identity, disability, ethnic origin, immigration status, national origin. We do believe that all hate is harmful, and we believe as well that every time we make Vermont safer and more inclusive for historically excluded and marginalized communities, we create a better state for everyone. So yeah. I'm gonna stop sharing my screen. Thank you all for having us. [Chair Nader Hashim]: So just to confirm, the Office of Racial Equity supports page one eighteen as passed by the house. I'm assuming so. The House of the one. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. So as far as I am aware, we haven't made any changes to this bill. [Member Sarah Robinson]: Part of the issue. [Chair Nader Hashim]: And I'm not suspecting that we plan to. Committee, are there any questions, comments? [Speaker 0 ]: No. I just want to hear from some of your questions. Yeah. [Chair Nader Hashim]: I think that makes sense. Great. Well, thank you for, coming in for your presentation. Appreciate it. [Angela Lazo Jimenez]: Yeah. Thank you for having us. Y'all have a good day. [Chair Nader Hashim]: As well. Thank you. So I believe we were in a place where we're gonna vote this out and generally in support of this. Jimmy, is there any discussion that we wanna have further on this? Good to go. Good to go. So we can put it up for a vote a bit later after we get filled, come back and and just, I guess, switch gears to Nice to meet you. I'm sorry. I didn't know you were here from one eighteen. [Member Robert Norris]: No. I was up in house judiciary, and Kayla sent me a notice. And so I just thought I just got done up there. [Angela Lazo Jimenez]: So I'll [Member Robert Norris]: then see if I'll need anything. But Appreciate it. [Chair Nader Hashim]: See you later, Lauren. Alright. Right? Right on time. We have Sarah Robinson. Let's switch those gears back to [Member Sarah Robinson]: our one minute requests. [Chair Nader Hashim]: I believe this is the last one that we have. We've heard [Member Robert Norris]: a lot of them. So or yeah. [Chair Nader Hashim]: Yeah. [Member Robert Norris]: Thank you. Where is it going? Yeah. Thank you so much for having me in. For the record, Sarah Robinson, co executive director at Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence. Good to be with you all today. And just as a basic reminder, we are the state's leading voice on issues related to domestic and sexual violence, and we are also a membership organization, and our members are fifteen independent nonprofits across the state that provide direct services to victims of domestic and sexual violence in the communities where you all represent. And these community based services to victims are a critical part of the criminal justice response and I think an often overlooked part of the criminal justice response. So the member organizations of the Vermont network serve as the primary providers assisting victims of domestic and sexual violence and seeking court protection orders, civil protection orders. They respond to and assist survivors who are seeking forensic exams and evidence collection at hospitals twenty four hours a day across the state. They house hundreds of families who are fleeing violence in emergency shelter. In twenty twenty four, our member organizations provided shelter to fourteen hundred survivors across Vermont, including nearly five hundred children. And they accompany survivors to civil family and criminal court proceedings. And to kinda put a finer point on all of that, I was thinking about the organizations that serve the areas that you all represent, and thinking about being just a few weeks ago, I was at steps to end domestic violence in Chittenden County, where they, right at this moment, have their shelters completely full. They have thirty five children living in shelter in families. Think about voices against violence up in Saint Albans area. And they just opened a second shelter actually in that region and the Women's Freedom Center down in the Rotterburg area, which has been just such a solid organization for so long, providing services to victims across the county. And despite the essential work that they all do, these organizations have been flat funded through Vermont's Domestic and Sexual Violence Fund for over fifty years. And while almost every other actor in the criminal justice system, when we think about the good work that prosecutors do, that defenders do, that law enforcement officers do, they have mechanisms to receive cost of living decreases, but community based advocates haven't received any increase in funding through the GESP funded for fifteen years. That fund was established in two thousand and eight. I always feel it's special to talk about that fund in this room because it was established by senator Sears. And its revenues are comprised of two primary sources of revenue. So a surcharge on marriage licenses and a surcharge on civil and criminal judgments. And with the percent of those surcharges, altogether, the fund right now generates about seven hundred and eighty four thousand total for the entire state. And then that seven hundred and eighty four thousand is dispersed across the state via funding formula. And that funding formula really ensures that all regions of the state receive equitable resources. It takes into account things like the square miles served by those organizations, the populations in that region, whether an organization operates a shelter or not. Yeah. And those revenues have experienced significant declines over the past ten years. The fund has experienced a deficit every year since f y fifteen with the exception of one fiscal year. So this would be the ninth year in a row that we're back saying that there is a a deficit in the fund in the current year. So in f y twenty six alone, the fund is again facing a shortfall of nearly a hundred thousand dollars. And in addition, the shifting federal landscape is posing very unique challenges to our field. Combined, our member organizations rely on twelve million dollars in federal funding. Our member organizations' budgets are primarily federally funded. Federal funds represent up to ninety eight percent of their budgets. And, I submitted to Kayla written testimony. I also submitted, an article from just last week to kind of put a finer point on these federal funding challenges. But our primary sources of federal funding are through the Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women, and the Centers for Disease Control, the Violence Prevention Division. And just feel a responsibility to let you know that all of the grant solicitations at the Office on Violence Against Women have been pulled. There are none available at this point. And the violence prevention division at the CDC was really decimated by staff cuts two weeks ago. There are actually no program officers remaining in the grant programs that fund our member organizations. And states across the country are experiencing layoffs already in domestic violence shelters and rape crisis centers. And this uncertainty is certainly it's threatening the promise that we've made to Vermonters that services will be available in every community in the state twenty four hours a day wherever you need them. So we estimate that the special fund that currently generates just under eight hundred thousand dollars in revenue in order to pay for more services in Vermont, we'd need to generate somewhere in the realm of five million dollars a year. But we know that that is not practical this year. We expect that conversation to continue to be a multiyear endeavor. So we are requesting this year an initial investment of one point two million dollars in base funds, which is really essential to prevent cuts in our field. Okay. The house version of the budget came over with four hundred and fifty thousand dollars dedicated to the domestic and sexual violence special fund in onetime dollars. You know, we while we appreciate that gesture, we think the amount is insufficient and will still result in cuts. And we certainly are requesting that the senate consider at a minimum preserving that four fifty. We would like to see it closer to the one point two million, and and we'd certainly like to do those in base funds so that we're not back here every year asking around our absence. [Chair Nader Hashim]: Sarah, how much approximately would be needed to avoid blame people off? [Member Robert Norris]: That's where our one point two million dollars came from. That really is about what we think the aggregated need across the state is. I wanted to say so so that's kind of the our our request in terms of the network. And I just wanted to say briefly, I watched Jennifer Coleman's testimony the other day, and, you know, you heard from her that the Vermont Center for Crime Victim Services so they are the ones that administer the domestic sexual violence special fund. They actually administer several special funds, including victims' compensation and restitution. All of those special funds are in trouble. We also support their requests that they're making around comp and restitution. Certainly, I'm here today to talk about the domestic and sexual debt special fund. But I do think it is something that's worthy of our kind of more long range planning. I know I had a conversation with senator Morris about this, of just looking at those funds with some fresh eyes, again, looking at the revenue sources, and thinking about what they're currently paying for and what's possible into the future. And so we really appreciate the opportunity to come back to the committee in the future if that's later this session or next session or in the interim just to to discuss what that could look like. Any other questions for me? [Chair Nader Hashim]: Maybe I'll hear you. [Member Tanya Vyhovsky]: Yeah. Quick on your special funds, Sarah. Yes. Can you just give us some historical background? What was the high? We know it's [Member Sarah Robinson]: at seventy four now. Just [Member Robert Norris]: Yep. I can absolutely follow-up with you. It has been over a million in the past, and it's been at seven eighty four now for many years in a row. [Member Sarah Robinson]: And and follow-up on the houses housing budget here at the four fifty, was that earmarked for the network? Or [Member Robert Norris]: So in the web report, it says to go to the domestic and sexual violence special fund. [Member Tanya Vyhovsky]: That's all. Yeah. [Member Robert Norris]: And we'd like to ensure that the house's intention remains in the senate and that those funds do go to the DDSB fund. [Chair Nader Hashim]: K. [Member Robert Norris]: That being said, also, again, just wanna state our support for we know that the center has many funds that are in trouble, and we we under you know, frankly, don't think we should be pulling from one pot of victim services to pay another. So we encourage the senate to fully fund, that will cost as well. [Speaker 0 ]: My question is around safety and if there's been any analysis done as to the decrease in safety of victims and children and which decreases in the services that you offer. And maybe there hasn't, but, like, logically, it seems that we would see an increase in domestic violence incidents, domestic violence murders with the lack of your service. [Member Robert Norris]: That is one hundred percent true, and there is actually excellent national research on that that indicates that when there are robust services available in communities, when there's shelter, when there's emergency response, when there's advocacy available to victims of domestic violence, the severity of, injury decreases, murder rates decrease in communities. And when those services, are not available, then those things increase in communities. So I'd be more than happy to follow-up and share some of that with you. But there is really excellent research about the protective nature of these services, for victims of domestic violence, but for the community at large. You know, I always like to think about let me think about, you know, the causes of violence and what violence is looking like in our communities in Vermont. You know, there is that statistic that nearly half of homicides in Vermont are domestic violence related, all homicides. And when we look across the country at mass casualty incidents, actually, two thirds of those usually have a genesis that's related to domestic violence. And so when we're able to provide services to victims so that they can leave violent situations earlier before violence escalates, it's not only protected for them, their children, and their families, but truly for the entire community. So this is sounds like a pretty critical public safety investment. It absolutely is. [Speaker 0 ]: And the one point two is really the bare minimum. We are not asking for any type of things, building more robust services at this point in time. [Member Robert Norris]: One point two will help us preserve services. Okay. [Speaker 0 ]: Okay. Would you say what the services are presently affected with and meeting the need? [Member Robert Norris]: Such a good question. I was at Health and Welfare yesterday speaking about the shelter system in Vermont. And I can tell you domestic violence shelters are full, proxy. They are completely full. K. And we have survivors who are overflowing from those shelters into our arson system. And while I will say I feel very, very confident and excellent about the work that our community based advocates do. They're in court every week helping people apply for protection orders. They're answering a hotline in the middle of the night. They're, providing services to children. They're doing prevention work in schools. I think that our organizations, like, I have never heard them before, are expressing to me that they're increasingly worried that they're not going to be able to provide state level services if lack funding for. You know, there's just there's really they have they are very unique organizations. [Speaker 0 ]: Yeah. Well, I wanna make it clear. I wasn't in any way tuning No. Simply questioning whether we are or not. Yes. Make sure there are people doing the work we [Member Robert Norris]: support that work. Yeah. I mean, I think that every community could benefit from work. That is true across the state from the northeast paint that's been a typical. [Member Tanya Vyhovsky]: Just a a quick follow-up. [Member Sarah Robinson]: Do you know the average length of stay in [Speaker 0 ]: Shutter. Shutters? Yeah. [Member Robert Norris]: So it used to be when I came to the network just about ten years ago that it was very common for people to come into shelter for, say, thirty to sixty days, get their feet underneath them, get some intensive case case management and support, work with an advocate to find safe, permanent housing. Now we have survivors who are staying in shelter six, fifteen to twelve months, because they are unable to find permanent affordable housing in the community. The length of stay has definitely grown. We're providing many more bed nights than we used to per survivor and for family that's in [Speaker 0 ]: children. Right. So, I wonder, are you also providing it's been a commitment support services into the overflow into the hotels and motels and with the eighty day caps going into effect to people who are now being exited to the streets? [Member Robert Norris]: Yeah. So how that works I'll just take steps to end domestic violence as an example in your district. So steps has a large shelter. You know, they have as I said, they have thirty five kids currently living in the shelter, in family arrangements. But we also our member organizations in some regions of the state receive, grant money from the Office of Economic Opportunity CF, so that's housing opportunity program grant money to operate motel over close. So that's when the shelter is full, but there are people that are essentially faith facing, the dilemma between staying in an unsafe and violent situation or unsheltered homelessness. And when that occurs, our programs have actually their own arrangements with local motels. It's not the same motels that are used for the GA program. And what they'll do is they'll put a family in a motel. They'll provide intensive case management. For example, Steppes has an entire staff person, and that's all they do is work with families that are in motels. Because the idea is we wanna get those families into domestic violence shelters as quickly as possible. And so then as soon as there's an opening, they're able to transfer those folks in. Their the way that program is structured, the the ADE day cap doesn't apply to that overflow pool, But there are certainly TB survivors who are in the motel system just through the GA program who, you know, we are on kind of a daily basis working with our member organizations to make sure those folks can stay housed and maybe some of them have to move around the state to find to look at each other's step. [Chair Nader Hashim]: Thank you. Any further questions? That would Okay. [Member Robert Norris]: Thank you. You too. Appreciate it. Alright. [Chair Nader Hashim]: So the last piece of business for the letter is discussing this last task, and then we're gonna vote on April eighteenth. [Speaker 0 ]: Initial thoughts on this? Yeah. Good conscience. Make funding cuts to our domestic and sexual violence service providers. Yeah. Okay. [Chair Nader Hashim]: We didn't get a we don't have a handout, but the from my understanding what was that? Yeah. My understanding is the house budget had four hundred and fifty thousand in onetime funds. And the ask is One portion to base funds? In addition to base funds. You [Member Robert Norris]: don't receive any. [Member Tanya Vyhovsky]: No. But yes. [Chair Nader Hashim]: Right. That's the obvious. So and the ask was to convert that to one point two million as base funds. They don't have to revisit this every year. And I think it was they've been level funded since two thousand eight. [Member Robert Norris]: For the past fifteen years, there's been no incomes. Yeah. [Member Sarah Robinson]: I was given four fifty in the building market for the network versus putting these programs for for a long term victim service center. Right? Market specifically. [Speaker 0 ]: I will say so. I obviously support the monthly two million in base. And I've also given that I flagged earlier exactly what Sarah flagged for us, all of those special funds being in trouble, I'm really happy to connect and try to look at what other revenues journeys may be for the future. Mhmm. But I I I think expect. I mean, this is critical to the survivors' community safety. Like, one point two million dollars of investment in in critical public safety is the only responsible thing to do, and I was happy to try to do some work in the off session about looking for other ways to Yeah. I think that'll be, I don't know, great. [Member Tanya Vyhovsky]: Can I ask, Sarah? [Chair Nader Hashim]: Yes. [Member Tanya Vyhovsky]: Do you remember the language we had in the BAA? I think it was There was that, but also or or [Chair Nader Hashim]: maybe it didn't go in [Member Tanya Vyhovsky]: the BAA. We had talked about it for the budget. But making if it was basically putting a request into the general fund for for you, is that this or is [Member Robert Norris]: this That's fifth. [Member Tanya Vyhovsky]: The one with the amount? [Member Robert Norris]: That is our request. Yeah. [Member Tanya Vyhovsky]: Yep. So I had talked with the network early on about this, and I think you all were looking also for a a revenue stream beyond [Member Robert Norris]: this. Yes. And So we we've said that, really, what it would take to fully fund core services is five million a year. We're realistic. And so the one point two, we really back into in terms of what's gonna help us preserve our services. [Member Tanya Vyhovsky]: So right now, we have two pieces, getting rid of the sunset and and this move from one time into base. And it's as we worked out the language, it would be done in a transfer rather than an appropriation, if I'm remembering. [Member Robert Norris]: Only that is correct. [Member Tanya Vyhovsky]: Yeah. Okay. No. I I support this. This is part of a plan that we were talking about months ago. It got kind of derailed by the budget adjustment and all of that, but I I [Chair Nader Hashim]: would support this for sure. Okay. So [Member Sarah Robinson]: just so I'm clear on this, Sarah, seven eighty four special funds. If an entity ends up, you're requesting one point two in addition to the seven eighty four? [Member Robert Norris]: The seven eighty four is generated by fines and fees. [Chair Nader Hashim]: Yep. [Member Robert Norris]: Yes. So the one point two would be general funds on top of the seven eighty four. [Chair Nader Hashim]: Okay. Okay. [Member Robert Norris]: And it would get distributed to fifteen different organizations. [Member Tanya Vyhovsky]: I view it kind of in a way that we did the bar the bar foundations. You know, there is an existing way of getting money out to all of these groups. So efficient in that way. Yep. [Chair Nader Hashim]: Any other thoughts? Yeah. I'll just think about I [Member Christopher "Chris" Mattos]: don't know what Tanya [Chair Nader Hashim]: was saying earlier about being able to fund this into the future. I know we've had conversations now on finance just about some members' uneasiness about how a [Member Christopher "Chris" Mattos]: marriage license fee goes towards a domestic violence. I remember when this came across, wakes me in, it's probably two years ago. [Member Robert Norris]: That's right. [Chair Nader Hashim]: I had the same kinda uneasiness that it felt weird. [Member Christopher "Chris" Mattos]: I was actually getting married at [Member Tanya Vyhovsky]: the time, so she I [Chair Nader Hashim]: haven't talked to her yet. Was a little a little weird. So that sunset that you're talking about [Member Sarah Robinson]: I go hand in hand and account of what [Speaker 0 ]: you're gonna be looking at because this is really Yeah. [Chair Nader Hashim]: Just really uneasy for me that already a record place that goes towards that. [Member Tanya Vyhovsky]: Well, and if we come up with an alternate revenue stream, you know, next year. We can put that in [Chair Nader Hashim]: I just [Member Tanya Vyhovsky]: three. But if it's down, then this This, at least Yeah. [Speaker 0 ]: Prevents immediate costs. [Chair Nader Hashim]: Yeah. Yeah. [Member Sarah Robinson]: We had Sarah and I had that conversation with the present funding sources and all of our case. Yeah. We need to find other alternatives and one hundred bottom. I said, great. She can I can? Work through that. [Member Robert Norris]: I would love to work with Eddie tomorrow. [Chair Nader Hashim]: I'm also on board with one point two on it. So seems pretty straightforward. I guess now [Speaker 0 ]: I share that amazing. That's when I learned that [Chair Nader Hashim]: Yeah. [Speaker 0 ]: License fees. So I was like, That's so bleak. [Chair Nader Hashim]: Yeah. So regarding this letter, I'll make changes tonight regarding everything that we revised, and I'll send that out tonight or tomorrow morning. And we can all take a look at it and just make sure that it all looks accurate based on everything we discussed, and then I'll send it over to the preparations tomorrow. So Alright. We'll go back. H twenty nine. Yes. Thank you. We made no changes to this. We got a good amount of testimony on it here. Do you ask the question? Is the words that Sarah wants to discuss? [Member Tanya Vyhovsky]: It seems like it's super straightforward. I didn't say so. [Speaker 0 ]: You never say those words. [Chair Nader Hashim]: Does it seem quiet, Mickey. Or third time, though, amending a past judiciary bill? [Member Sarah Robinson]: Second, that I know. The first one was to raise the age. [Speaker 0 ]: We wanted to. [Member Sarah Robinson]: When I do a thing well. Yeah. [Chair Nader Hashim]: She just reminded us judiciary of [Member Sarah Robinson]: When they're messing around with the eight forty five. Right? [Chair Nader Hashim]: Yeah. Yeah. [Member Sarah Robinson]: We'll leave it up today. [Chair Nader Hashim]: Remind them of that. Please send them your own hearts. We got other bills in there that we're making some big changes to. I mean, this one is one line. No. No. Two lines. But [Member Tanya Vyhovsky]: But there's no two bills that went out Yes. And see changes. They owe us that. Yeah. Sure. [Chair Nader Hashim]: I'll make sure they'll deal with that. Alright. Try to Try to vote and [Speaker 0 ]: Try to [Chair Nader Hashim]: open up paper. Do that. Great. Gotcha. Any further discussion? Great. Senator Meadows, please call the roll. Senator Norris? Yes. Senator Begoski? [Speaker 0 ]: Yes. [Chair Nader Hashim]: Senator Baru? Yes. Senator Meadows? Yes. Senator Cushing? Yes. Five zero zero. Thanks. Who would I what's the report of it now? We'd be happy to report it unless somebody anyone else has a burning desire to do so. We can let you report all of those. Yeah. That's good. Great. Probably run it off tomorrow by myself. [Speaker 0 ]: I'm happy to report it. [Member Tanya Vyhovsky]: I do. Perfect. [Speaker 0 ]: We'll let you know. Let's get a report at you. Oh, okay. [Member Sarah Robinson]: I wrote down. I thought [Chair Nader Hashim]: Take on it for a day. I have to work there. Yeah. I think we are all set. [Member Sarah Robinson]: Now we're getting to one or two.

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