Transcript Highlights:

• The clearest test of whether we are serious about discipline and growth is how effectively government
• It focuses on its core functions and how best to serve Missourians without over-promising and without
• Louis, putting Missouri's first responders to the test once again.
• They remind us of this: when Missouri is tested, Missourians answer the call.
• They remind us of this: when Missouri is tested, Missourians answer the call.

Keywords: 959, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The thing with air traffic control is it's strictly an FAA function.
• it's it's strictly an FAA uh function. it's it's strictly an FAA uh function.
• currently being tested. currently being tested.
• We actually have found a pilot program in federal government where they would test this to cancel the
• We just got it turned on. they would test this to cancel the noise they would test this to cancel the

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The task force was called to order with a quorum present, and Commissioner Mark Carter of the Kentucky Department of Aviation gave the first presentation. He outlined the state’s airport system, noting 58 public-use airports, the department’s small staff, and its funding structure through a jet fuel tax that generates about $23 million annually, leaving roughly $15 million for airport investment after required deductions. Carter highlighted recent projects at airports including Bardstown, Madisonville, Central Kentucky Regional, Paducah, Sparta, Danville, and Henderson, and said the department has also expanded data collection on airport activity, hangars, schools, and training programs. He emphasized that the department recently completed the first statewide economic impact study of general aviation airports and is developing a five-year airport needs plan. Carter said several things are working well, including stronger communication with airports, the public, the legislature, and especially the FAA’s Memphis district office, which now involves the state more in project selection. He said the department is reasonably staffed overall, but identified workforce development and advanced air mobility as major gaps. In response to questions from Senator Nunn and Representative York, he said he did not have specific workforce shortage numbers on hand, but cited Boeing reports showing large national and global shortages of pilots and mechanics, and explained that instructor shortages and low wages limit training capacity. He also said air traffic control is an FAA function, though EKU has shown interest in developing a training program. Carter identified several needs for improvement: more workforce investment, more aviation education in high schools, more scholarships for pilot and mechanic training, more attention to advanced air mobility, and more frequent, institutionalized data collection. He also pointed to major pending capital needs at airports such as Elizabethtown, Owensboro, Harlan, Leitchfield-Grayson County, and Whitesburg-Letcher County, all of which would require FAA and state support. He urged airports to do a better job marketing their economic value and said the state should continue updating aviation studies so lawmakers have current information for policy decisions. The task force then heard from Lexington Blue Grass Airport Director Eric Frankl, who welcomed the new CVG director and thanked the legislature for creating the task force and supporting aviation infrastructure. Frankl said Blue Grass Airport has rebounded from the pandemic and now exceeds pre-pandemic passenger levels, while serving a mix of private aviation, pilot training, corporate aviation, and commercial airline activity. He described ongoing terminal-area planning, parking technology upgrades, and a major parking lot expansion expected to finish by early spring 2026, and said the airport is planning for future technologies such as vertiports and electric aerial vehicles. Frankl estimated that a broader terminal modernization program will cost roughly $500 million to $700 million over the next 5 to 10 years and said the airport needs continued state support to close funding gaps and remain competitive with other states investing in aviation.

Transcript Highlights:

• remain muted when not speaking so others can clearly be heard, and please refrain from using the chat function
• What this would functionally do is reward those who openly broke the law and severely penalize and decimate
• We are compliant, we create, we test our products up to the standards of the CCC, and I want to really
• We are compliant, we create, we test our products up to the standards of the CCC, and I want to really
• We have a safe, compliant, easy-to-test and ensure safety arm of our CBD wellness industry, our hemp-derived

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Committee on Agriculture and Fisheries held its second hearing and heard testimony on a wide range of bills, including food security, cottage food entrepreneurship, hemp regulation, lobster industry support, pesticide restrictions, pollinator protections, pet cemeteries, and municipal land rights. Committee chairs outlined hearing procedures, noted that 19 bills were on the docket, and took testimony both in person and remotely, with several legislators testifying out of turn because of scheduling conflicts. Several speakers supported food access and local economic opportunity bills. Representative Howard and Senator Oliveira backed the Food Justice Frontline Program and a cottage food/food entrepreneur bill, arguing they would fund nonprofit food security organizations, create jobs, improve SNAP/HIP outreach, and reduce barriers for home-based food businesses. Eastie Farm representatives and a student testified in favor of the food justice bill, describing food insecurity in East Boston and the need for grants, youth involvement, and multilingual outreach. Sidney Travis of the Institute for Justice also supported cottage food reforms, saying current municipal permitting rules create unequal access and that cottage foods are generally safe. The committee also heard sharply divided testimony on hemp legislation. Senator Comerford supported S. 54 as a public health measure to ban synthetic THC products, restrict intoxicating hemp sales to licensed dispensaries, and fund local enforcement, while Laura Beiner, John Nathan, and Elizabeth Wendorf opposed the bill or parts of it, warning it would harm compliant hemp businesses and small farmers. Representative Arena-DeRosa testified in support of a related pollinator bill, and Adam Karachi opposed pesticide restrictions for schools while Deborah Smith supported them, arguing existing protections should be expanded to other child-centered locations. The committee also heard support for a bill to aid lobstermen affected by right whale protections, a bill to preserve private pet cemeteries, and a municipal right-of-first-refusal bill for agricultural and recreational land. No votes or final actions were taken during the hearing.

Transcript Highlights:

• Looking at if we had 10 students that applied to NMMI, 7 of them couldn't, could not test out at grade
• In fact, the majority tested out maybe 2 grade levels below.
• So we are functioning in a really streamlined way, um, especially at the beginning of 6th grade.
• Yeah, and I'm just, that's part of the, how the school is functioning. That's a reality.
• that right, um, either consistency or flashy listening in class and knocking out of the park on the tests

Transcript Highlights:

• to run the test.
• then that you go and you do the testing then that you go and you do the testing on<02:01:51.440>
• to test uh vaccine to test uh vaccine safety<03:37:45.279> uh<03:37:45.680> uh<03:37:46.040
• Uh, can you give some examples that did have placebo tests?
• The bill states that any vaccine required must be tested using an inert placebo.

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The House Committee on Health, Human Services and Elderly Affairs heard testimony on House Bill 606, as amended, a bill aimed at preventing physicians from denying medically necessary sterilizing or fertility-affecting treatment based on a patient’s age, number of children, marital status, or a doctor’s speculation about future reproductive intentions. Representative Ellen Reed, the sponsor, described the bill as a response to her own long experience with PCOS, heavy bleeding, and repeated refusals by doctors to perform a hysterectomy despite her clear wishes. She said the amendment narrows the bill to medically necessary care, adds definitions for “medical condition” and “appropriate reproductive care,” and removes earlier provisions about voluntary sterilization referrals. She also said the bill does not target religious objections, and that doctors could still refuse for medical, payment, or existing religious reasons not addressed by the bill. Committee members asked about religious freedom, informed consent versus waivers, and the scope of the new definitions. Reed responded that religion was not added to the list of prohibited reasons for denial, and that the amendment is intended to protect doctors when patients sign informed consent or waivers. She explained that “appropriate reproductive care” includes procedures such as hysterectomy, oophorectomy, orchiectomy, salpingectomy, and endometrial ablation, and that the bill now focuses on medically necessary treatment rather than elective sterilization. She said the change was intended to make the proposal narrower and more tailored after earlier concerns. Several witnesses supported the bill with personal accounts of being denied hysterectomies or other procedures despite serious symptoms. Representative Lauren Selig described a decade-long effort to obtain a hysterectomy after years of cycle problems and migraines, saying doctors dismissed her concerns and treated her symptoms as normal. Jade Flad also testified in support, saying she had long been told to simply endure her cycle problems and noted that her husband was offered a vasectomy without similar barriers. The sponsor said online support was strong and that there was little or no written opposition testimony. No vote or final committee action was taken during the portion of the hearing provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• that had used it where they tested that had used it where they tested before<00:21:29.039> and
• And as I also back later in the article, I did look at the recent test scores.
• I did look at the recent test scores in the fourth grade reading.
• space we don't need to get into test space we don't need to get into test scores scores scores um
• <05:15:45.600> as was no longer functional as was no longer functional as anything<05:15:48.200

Keywords: 928, house, all

Summary: The committee first addressed House Bill 415, which would remove the requirement that schools provide menstrual products. Members supporting an ITL said the mandate was unfunded, had been in place since 2019, and was already working without complaints from districts. Other members opposed the bill, arguing menstrual products are essential and that the requirement helps students, especially those with fewer resources. The committee voted ITL on HB 415 by a roll call of 17 yeas, 0 nays. The committee then took up House Bill 388, concerning public reports on special education. Supporters of ITL said they agreed with the goal of transparency but were concerned about student privacy, especially in small districts, and thought the bill’s information requests went too far. They noted that related issues could potentially be addressed in another bill, HB 557. The committee voted ITL on HB 388, 17-0. House Bill 730, which would require schools and some colleges to provide information on adoption, was also moved ITL. The sponsor said adoption is personally important to him but that the bill was not the right vehicle and involved entities such as colleges and the Attorney General unnecessarily; he said related ideas might be folded into other bills later. The committee agreed and voted ITL, 17-0. The committee then discussed House Bill 671, a preschool/early literacy proposal involving a statewide nonprofit digital program, likely Waterford. Members raised questions about who would be covered, data privacy, prior use of federal ESSER funds, whether the program had measurable results, and whether the bill’s nonprofit requirement was too restrictive. Department of Education witness Melissa White said the state had spent $400,000 in FY22 and $600,000 in FY23 on a Waterford contract using ARP ESSER funds, but she did not have participant counts and said the department could not measure literacy gains for that population. She also said the bill’s funding level would likely require an RFP and that, if enacted as written, the program would probably still be Waterford-based. The discussion continued without a final vote in the portion provided.

Transcript Highlights:

• You may need to go get it tested. And there's really no help.
• Water tests done on the water cost as much as $2,000 a piece.
• Calf Canyon fire and you start testing for arsenic and... ...and you start testing for arsenic, and
• So this testing will be for private wells as well as community water?
• For all of us, really, testing drinking water is important.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• And to the extent that flexibility helps, perhaps, but also form and function do matter.
• , especially since pilot tests cannot be performed without a discharge permit.
• We've had a decade now of looking at that and testing our theories. We passed out a handout.
• But where do you send the test off to? The samples that are being collected?
• So we do have a designated site to do the testing of any sampling. ...site to do the testing of any samples

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• training of individuals with four-year bachelor's degrees in relevant sciences for performance of testing
• labs and improve test result turnaround time.
• But a critical liver test showed dangerously high levels that were never shared with them.
• of a group of people telling them how to function is going to be fine.
• But I think that, so ultimately government can't function. Senator Smith. Thank you, Mr. President.

Summary: The Senate convened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and several guest introductions before moving into a long special-order calendar. The chamber first considered two claims bills: SB 6/HB 6507 for relief of L.E. through the Department of Children and Families, described as compensation for severe injuries after DCF returned the child to unsafe parents, and SB 26/HB 6509 for the estate of Mark Legata, involving catastrophic injuries tied to FDOT negligence. Both bills were substituted with their House companions and passed overwhelmingly. Members then approved several policy bills focused on child welfare, education, and professional regulation. CS/CS/SB 42/HB 47 required child protective investigators to consider certain medical diagnoses before proceeding in abuse cases; CS/SB 206/HB 851 expanded autism-related training and incentives for teacher preparation programs; SB 556/HB 453 allowed Special Olympics participation to satisfy PE requirements for students with disabilities and clarified marching band credit; SB 688 reestablished licensure and regulation for naturopathic doctors; SB 878/HB 1347 addressed clinical laboratory personnel shortages by aligning more closely with federal CLIA standards; and SB 914/HB 867 clarified that licensed occupational therapists may perform dry needling. Each of these measures passed, most by unanimous or near-unanimous votes. The chamber also approved bills on court administration, public records, financial disclosure, and child welfare. SB 326/HB 131 modernized rules for curators of estates; SB 758/HB 625 updated the composition of the Justice Administrative Commission, with an amendment broadening the judicial member to a judge or senior judge; SB 830 created a public records exemption for certain local government executives and their families; SB 964/HB 6011 revised how gifts and honoraria are reported and, via amendment, restored a percentage-based reporting option for financial disclosures; and SB 1002 clarified that acute or chronic parental drug abuse can constitute harm or neglect and allow courts to order assessment and services. These bills all passed, with SB 830 drawing the most opposition among them. The most contentious debate centered on CS/CS/CS/SB 354, the Blue Ribbon Projects bill, which would create a framework for very large planned communities with substantial conservation set-asides. Supporters argued it would provide a new growth-management tool and economic opportunity, while opponents warned it was too broad, lacked specificity, weakened local control, and could be exploited by large developers. After extensive debate and an amendment limiting data centers in commercial areas, the bill was temporarily postponed rather than brought to a final vote. The Senate also passed SB 530 on lottery operations, SB 1632/HB 1471 on foreign law and domestic terrorist designations after a lengthy and divisive amendment debate over references to Sharia law, and SB 21/HB 218 on land-use regulations tied to hurricane recovery, which preserves SB 180 restrictions in storm-affected counties while lifting them later for unaffected counties.

Transcript Highlights:

• But you have norm reference tests, you have criterion reference tests, you have things that I believe
• been going through a certain type of testing, the testing that's required under this law.
• and state standard testing is.
• , standardized testing.
• And if the state is overseeing the standardized testing, then we functionally have private schools acting

Bills: SB683, SB1579, SB1389, SB1387, SB1390, SB1391, SB2063, SB1829, SB2060, SB1842, SB1398, SB1212, SB2158, SB102

Keywords: education, tax credit, student support, private school, Oklahoma Parental Choice Tax Credit, financial assistance, homeschooling, qualified expenses, property tax, valuation increase, taxpayer rights, homestead, protest process, school choice, tuition assistance, income limits, parental choice, accreditation, sales tax, motor vehicles

Transcript Highlights:

• OIG is currently really has almost 500 employees and they have employees that aren't really OIG functions
• OIG is currently really has almost 500 employees and they have employees that aren't really OIG functions
• OIG is currently really has almost 500 employees and they have employees that aren't really OIG functions
• <00:01:43.560> but<00:01:43.680> they're aren't really oig functions but they're aren't
• really oig functions but they're under<00:01:44.079> that<00:01:44.280> oig<00:01:44.880

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• things that do take potential annexations off the table just because they don't meet the technical test
• . ...do take potential annexations off the table just because they don't meet the technical test.
• We're not replacing our lost wetland and other habitat functions. What causes this?
• When the economy goes down or there's a lack of funding available, it's not uncommon to cut those functions
• It's not uncommon to cut those functions.

Keywords: 904, all

Transcript Highlights:

• In fact, last summer there was a successful test conducted in California by Tesla and Sunrun with 100,000
• In fact, last summer, there was a successful test conducted in California by Tesla and Sun Run by 100,000
• Test one, two, test. That's better? A little further? Like, put... put on the test. Okay, test.
• plan meetings, convene, possibly do research on behalf of the council, some general administrative function
• As I understand, ...some general administrative functions. So that's one cost component.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• fires about that in the and your test fires about that in the presence<00:13:33.519> of<00:13
• Our core functions include advocacy, research, engagement, and public awareness.
• <01:03:29.720> include communities our core functions include communities our core functions
• <01:06:22.720> and our administrative functions and our administrative functions and temporary
• <01:16:14.280> technical<01:16:14.880> assistance functions technical assistance functions

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Summary: The committee heard Senate File 59, authored by Senator Green, which would require counties to locate and restore original public land survey monuments and related boundary markers. Green argued that newer GIS/GPS-based surveys have sometimes shifted long-established property lines, creating disputes for landowners, counties, and state agencies. He described examples involving his own property and constituents, including a case where a neighbor allegedly lost access to a well and septic system after a new survey and another where a landowner was told he was farming school trust land based on a newer plat reference. Testimony in support came from Allan Roger Olen, who said a newer survey changed his family’s property lines and created a dispute over land, a building permit, and ownership of well and septic systems. Senator Green also said county plat books are not legally binding and that the bill is intended to force counties to find original monuments before more disputes arise. Committee members raised concerns from the Association of Minnesota Counties about the bill’s timeline, funding, and requirement that counties employ a land surveyor. Green responded that counties had already been told to hire surveyors in some disputes, acknowledged the funding concerns, and said he would look for funding sources while emphasizing protection of property rights. A committee member who teaches surveying explained that adverse possession is a real legal doctrine in Minnesota and noted that restoring all monuments would cost far more than the $10 million already appropriated, estimating the total need at about $300 million. Phil Reigns of the Minnesota Society of Professional Surveyors testified that the Public Land Survey System underlies Minnesota’s land tenure system, that the original monuments were set mostly between 1850 and 1908, and that surveyors aim to restore them as accurately as possible using historical records and modern tools. He said the work is expensive because many counties lack staff surveyors and must hire consultants. Members discussed whether the bill would create boundary conflicts or authorize counties to alter lines, and Green said his intent was to restore original monuments and avoid litigation. Co-Chair Lang moved that Senate File 59, as amended, be recommended to pass and re-referred to the Committee on Judiciary. The motion prevailed on a voice vote. Afterward, the committee began receiving an overview from the Minnesota Council on Latino Affairs.

Transcript Highlights:

• MCDH functions as the centralized communication access authority for the Commonwealth.
• You have an extremely important function here in the Commonwealth, and we've recognized that for a lot
• Thank you for the opportunity to test Good afternoon.
• . ...emphasizing the need for a thorough assessment of family history and functioning and for robust
• So one, we don't anticipate that it will impact the functioning or the services that the 33 facilities

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The hearing was a FY27 budget session on Health and Human Services held in Mattapan, hosted by the Joint Committee on Ways and Means. Opening remarks from Senator Lydia Edwards, Representative Brandy Fluker-Reed, Representative Russell Holmes, and Boston Public Library President David Leonard emphasized the significance of holding the first Ways and Means hearing in Mattapan, the importance of community access, and the role of libraries as human services institutions. Committee members and attendees introduced themselves before agency testimony began. MassAbility testified first, describing its mission to support people with disabilities through employment, independent living, and disability determination services. The agency highlighted federal funding uncertainty, a modest FY27 budget reduction, and a proposed reworking of its home care program, which it said is outdated and should better target those most in need. Members questioned the home care cut, staffing reductions, and federal coordination. MassAbility also shared a participant story about recovery and community support to illustrate the impact of its services. The Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing then presented its FY27 request, focusing on interpreter and captioning access, workforce development, emergency communication, aging-related hearing loss, and transition services for deaf and hard-of-hearing youth. Members asked about interpreter shortages, after-hours emergency coverage, ASL education, and community training; the commission said it is expanding mentorship and referral systems but still faces staffing and vendor challenges. The Massachusetts Commission for the Blind followed with a $30.8 million request, describing services for nearly 9,000 consumers, peer support groups, vocational rehabilitation, and Turning 22 services, while noting federal funding uncertainty and a 7% budget cut. Members raised concerns about maintaining services with fewer resources, and the commissioner said the agency had trimmed overhead and could manage the proposal. The Office for Refugees and Immigrants closed the segment, outlining expanded legal, housing, workforce, citizenship, and financial literacy supports for immigrants and refugees, including Know Your Rights trainings, legal defense initiatives, and the Massachusetts Access to Counsel Initiative. Members discussed the effects of federal policy changes, the loss of refugee resettlement funding, and the need for state support to fill gaps. No votes were taken in the portion provided; the hearing consisted of agency presentations and committee questioning.

Transcript Highlights:

• pilot program for a continuous lead air monitoring system to a community that meets the criteria. testing
• done. testing done.
• Pollution control and environmental monitoring are specialized functions that belong at the state level
• monitoring are specialized functions monitoring are specialized functions that<00:03:34.040>
• So, we at Moore have a vast knowledge of how drainage functions within the state of Minnesota.

Bills: HF4211, HF3426, HF4819, HF3466, HF3793, HF3339

Keywords: air pollution, lead emissions, continuous emissions monitoring system, CEMS, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, MPCA, environmental monitoring, emission compliance, air quality, public health, industrial pollution, permitted facility, residential exposure, toxic metals, emission limits, pollution control, stack monitoring, real-time emissions monitoring, natural resources, environment

Transcript Highlights:

• was able to respond to them for them to actually create gains, as opposed to just doing well on the test
• For them to actually create gains or have gains, as opposed to just doing well on the test, right?
• If the goal is to have higher gains for the students overall and not necessarily the test itself, why
• And so I already know that there's a functioning definition here in the state that I don't know.
• And so I already know that there's a functioning definition here in the state that DOE can very much

Summary: The Pre-K through 12 Budget Subcommittee took up CS for House Bill 1071, a broad education package described by the sponsor as updating transparency, parental rights, student safety, early learning accountability, scholarship oversight, and instructional program rules. The committee adopted two amendments without objection: one clarifying that Title I funds may be used for STEM programs, and another removing a prior provision related to canine dogs on school grounds. Members then questioned the bill’s provisions on student records transfers, instructional materials adoption and removal, educational emergency authority for low-performing schools, health education and a fetal development video, student-led organizations, FHSAA board language, lab schools, and rulemaking authority. The sponsor repeatedly said the bill was intended to improve accountability, keep education dollars focused on students, and give districts flexibility, while also noting that some issues would be addressed through future rulemaking or later amendments. Public testimony was overwhelmingly opposed. Many speakers argued the bill was an omnibus measure that bundled unrelated policies together, making it hard for families and educators to understand or meaningfully comment on it. Opponents also said it would increase school-law enforcement coordination, chill immigrant and mixed-status families’ participation, restrict DEI-related and student-led organizations, and impose controversial health and embryology content on students. Supporters, including the Christian Family Coalition and Florida Citizens Alliance, backed the fetal development video and the bill’s parental rights and funding restrictions, saying the content should be medically accurate and that schools should not fund political advocacy. Several speakers urged the committee to break the bill into separate measures. In debate, some members praised the sponsor’s responsiveness but said they would vote no because of constituent concerns, especially around DEI, the fetal development video, and local control. Others supported the bill, emphasizing rulemaking, educational emergency flexibility, EpiPen access, early learning changes, and evidence-based math instruction. The sponsor closed by reiterating support for the bill as amended, saying the law enforcement provision had been removed, the embryology content would be opt-out with posted materials, state funds should not support political advocacy, and the bill would help with safety, accountability, and student outcomes. The committee then voted on the bill after debate, with the sponsor indicating support and members stating their positions during closing discussion.

Transcript Highlights:

• I would break it up into three functional components. One is rights-of-ways.
• other words, and you understand this, we come up 10 feet, 15 feet, whatever it is, and we seal it, test
• it, come up, seal it, test it, come up, seal it, test it.
• Test it, seal it, and then they're done.
• They really have, and they really put the test to trying to do the best they can.

Transcript Highlights:

• . >> The answer that for my old for my old job, they're actually 3 that don't require standardized tests
• They have to have a standardized admission test from my understanding that what would be a standardized
• tests for a trade school. >> Thank you, Mister Chairman.
• Favor groups are admitted despite lower scores on the medical college aptitude test, we're not required
• to take the test at all for one of the 3 part United States Medical licensing exam, which is the most

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The worries of tests and grades disappear and get replaced by the warmth of music.
• Students in high school have unforgettable moments, not from hardcore tests or endless assignments, but
• Students will struggle to learn because of this, and state testing scores will become even lower.
• Finally, the caregivers are the bones that give us the support to function each day.
• PACE programs are an integrated program and are administered through MassHealth and function through

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The Joint Ways and Means Committee held its final public hearing on the FY26 state budget, with chairs and members emphasizing that public testimony would help shape the budget and asking speakers to keep remarks brief. Committee leaders introduced members, explained the hearing process, and repeatedly thanked residents, students, and advocates for participating. No votes were taken during the hearing. Testimony focused heavily on education funding and the Chapter 70 formula. Students from Amherst, Northampton, Gateway Regional, Chester Elementary, and other districts described budget-driven cuts to electives, special education supports, paraprofessionals, counselors, transportation, and building maintenance. They urged higher Chapter 70 aid, increased minimum aid, rural school aid, and a reopening or restructuring of the funding formula, arguing that current formulas leave many districts unable to meet student needs and force local layoffs and overrides. Other speakers urged funding or protection for a range of programs and facilities, including the Louis D. Brown Peace Institute for homicide survivor services, the Museum of African American History, the Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and CART/interpreter services, the Access to Counsel housing legal aid program, the Department of Mental Health and Pocasset Mental Health Center, and Pappas Rehabilitation Hospital for Children. One speaker opposed offshore wind-related spending and urged a reset of the state’s energy approach, while another advocated ending the aircraft sales tax exemption. Committee members responded sympathetically to many speakers, asked a few follow-up questions, and several expressed support for maintaining or expanding the programs discussed.