Meetings
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[Matthew Birong (Chair)]: I'll fix my lap. Alright. Welcome back, everyone. It is just before 02:35, and we are in the final discussion phase of our budget now. We got about five items, I think, plus minus left to take positions on, and we'll go through the spreadsheets. There is a newer spreadsheet that has been posted on our page under our committee assistance name. So that is the most current copy that we have to work off of.
[Chea Waters Evans (Ranking Member)]: Thank you, Nick.
[Matthew Birong (Chair)]: And, yeah, this spreadsheet has been such a nice help. So with that, representative Hango has been really the one diligently tracking this. So I will hand the conversation over to her, Representative Hango.
[Lisa Hango (Vice Chair)]: Great. Great. Thank you. So we have since I don't know which version of the spreadsheet everybody is looking at because there are several different versions, I'm just going to start with what my first one is. Oh, perfect timing.
[Sandra "Sandy" Pinsonault (Member)]: Can you tell us what page one starts with on yours?
[Lisa Hango (Vice Chair)]: Sure. Let me let Brett Morgan sit down because he's gonna be the first person I call on.
[Michael Morgan (Member)]: You're talking about the radios?
[Lisa Hango (Vice Chair)]: Yeah. So the page starts with attorney general's office, ends with military administration. And we're talking about the Vermont State Police, a $500,000 ask for Vermont State Police Radio Equipment Replacement Special Fund.
[Michael Morgan (Member)]: Yep. So, what that, my talk with, representative felt us on that particular one, and it's, it's a reserve fund that this money is being transferred from, that it collects money over time. And then as needs like this arise, they then transfer it one, you know, one one time, so to speak. And that's what they're doing. And then the fund will continue to build over time. When they have the need again, they'll ask it again. So it's but it's not so it's not like an an annual recurring, in other words, if that makes sense.
[Lisa Hango (Vice Chair)]: So right now, they need money to replace radios. Is that
[Michael Morgan (Member)]: That is correct. So, it's a transfer, from, yeah, a general fund to the special fund to do that purchase.
[Sandra "Sandy" Pinsonault (Member)]: And it
[Lisa Hango (Vice Chair)]: does say fund transfer. Correct. Any questions from the table on that ask?
[Matthew Birong (Chair)]: Thank you for that clarity, Rep Morgan. I guess I'll ask for position of favorable treatment care via thumbs. That is sweeping support.
[Lisa Hango (Vice Chair)]: So, do I
[Sandra "Sandy" Pinsonault (Member)]: think this wasn't on the original spreadsheet? No, it was.
[Lisa Hango (Vice Chair)]: Mhmm.
[Sandra "Sandy" Pinsonault (Member)]: But it's page two bottom.
[Lisa Hango (Vice Chair)]: Great. Next one, Department of Human Resources. We have not learned anything on that. And we have talked about this, that we asked various individuals to help us out with this. So I think the recommendation is that we take an elk position if they haven't directly come to us to ask for money, And we have not been able to get any information from budget buddies or whomever. So anybody have any comments on that? Right, because
[Sandra "Sandy" Pinsonault (Member)]: we have no idea what they were asking for.
[Lisa Hango (Vice Chair)]: Right, there is apparently something in the budget that's governor recommended, but we can't find that information. And we don't know if it touches our committee or not. Evans, the general. I
[Philip Jay Hooper (Member)]: was just going to add that that was one of my jobs
[Chea Waters Evans (Ranking Member)]: and I haven't heard back from budget buddy. There's no item. There's no number. There's nothing. So, I think we can just kind of safely. We have to take a position since it's nothing. Can just move on from it.
[Matthew Birong (Chair)]: Right? Yeah, well, recommendation was going to be no recommendation for the committee to guide Costa.
[Chea Waters Evans (Ranking Member)]: Right, because there's nothing to have an opinion about.
[Matthew Birong (Chair)]: We have nothing to have on this. So, everybody favor a mole with the opinion? No opinion. Thumbs for no opinion.
[Lisa Hango (Vice Chair)]: I thumbed up.
[Matthew Birong (Chair)]: I see your thumb behind Alright, the so it's a middle position position.
[Sandra "Sandy" Pinsonault (Member)]: So,
[Lisa Hango (Vice Chair)]: going back to and I really apologize on this one Common Good Vermont, I thought we knocked that one off. And I see it here on my newest version, which you all may not have, that we didn't take a position, but I thought we had. So I'm looking back at my back
[Chea Waters Evans (Ranking Member)]: up sheet. I thought we had said yes to that.
[Matthew Birong (Chair)]: I thought we had it as well.
[Lisa Hango (Vice Chair)]: I'm just verifying that.
[Matthew Birong (Chair)]: I have that marked as a yes on my previous sheet.
[Lisa Hango (Vice Chair)]: Okay, that's what I thought. But I wanted to make sure, and I have it as a yes also. For the total $5.60
[Sandra "Sandy" Pinsonault (Member)]: is equal to $0.02?
[VL Coffin IV (Member)]: So
[Lisa Hango (Vice Chair)]: I think that was my mistake because I didn't transfer it over to the final column of right yes in it. So Nick didn't pick up on that. So my apologies.
[Matthew Birong (Chair)]: Everybody else is recalling a favorable position on that one, I believe?
[Philip Jay Hooper (Member)]: Yes.
[Sandra "Sandy" Pinsonault (Member)]: All right.
[Lisa Hango (Vice Chair)]: Alright. So we have states attorneys, SIUs, and sheriffs. Were we trying to find out more information, rep Coffin, on that one brings fresh mind memory.
[VL Coffin IV (Member)]: Yes. We were. And after I reviewed on more, I actually do recommend it
[Matthew Birong (Chair)]: for we
[VL Coffin IV (Member)]: were on hold for that
[Sandra "Sandy" Pinsonault (Member)]: Mhmm.
[VL Coffin IV (Member)]: The operating expenses. And looking further into it, again, with the victims advocates being at it, having the victims advocates and legal assistance because of the increase in court cases, judicial proceedings that if we're actually going to process move the trials along, we need this and the transportation.
[Matthew Birong (Chair)]: And for newer members, these conversations they've been having, have been going on for years with resource capacity and the need for more to do their job or performance. So, personally definitely find those requests available. Any further comment from the committee before I ask for a position to be a film? I do. Oh, sorry.
[Sandra "Sandy" Pinsonault (Member)]: I was erasing. What do you have any idea why it wasn't the government? The governor's recommended?
[VL Coffin IV (Member)]: No, I don't have any information on why it was left out. But as public safety So
[Matthew Birong (Chair)]: asking for thumbs favorable to the request from the Department of State's Attorneys and Sheriffs. Seeing universal thumbs.
[Lisa Hango (Vice Chair)]: So next on my list, we have Human Rights Commission. We talked a little bit about that and decided to go back to that. So again, Rep Coffin, this is your wheelhouse.
[VL Coffin IV (Member)]: Right. So on the Human Rights Commission, and I know I questioned a lot of it last week, and so I've decided to use the weekend for research. And because our our qualifications are so much different, we're actually stricter, and we look at more things, more accepting than what federal levels are, that we're losing federal funding and we're can get less now because we have higher levels of the, for what's considered protected. So they need the extra help to fight for people that are being possibly discriminated against because we do offer more protections, and you can look at I was comparing the federal levels with what we have mandated and put into legislation. So I'd say send the ask based on what I looked at this weekend. Okay.
[Lisa Hango (Vice Chair)]: So I'm hearing you say that we have very, broad language where there are many more people who are
[Chea Waters Evans (Ranking Member)]: in So
[Matthew Birong (Chair)]: the state of
[Lisa Hango (Vice Chair)]: therefore we would need more resources to protect said people.
[VL Coffin IV (Member)]: Yes. And where we're not getting as much funding from the federal government because of the level of protection we offer people that is more and above than the federal, they need the extra that that is in there. That's based on having an extra weekend to look it all up.
[Kate Nugent (Member)]: Thank you. I guess I'm looking at this and just thinking about what you're saying about the federal funding and that it's three new positions and concern about whether or not we'll be able to sustain them in the future years, and if that's setting them up for capacity issues. It's just been down.
[VL Coffin IV (Member)]: I and that one, I don't know. I can look at this year. I don't I don't like the idea of adding more state employees, but I don't like the idea of people not having legal voice either.
[Matthew Birong (Chair)]: Representative,
[Chea Waters Evans (Ranking Member)]: Lawrence Evans? I'm with Rep Coffin on this one. In a shocking turnaround since Friday.
[VL Coffin IV (Member)]: I take the look back seriously, and that's why I started doing more research.
[Matthew Birong (Chair)]: But
[VL Coffin IV (Member)]: I I I do not like the idea of adding more state positions. I I love the idea creating jobs, but in a free market and not more state employees. But at this point, we need to be able to support the laws we've passed.
[Matthew Birong (Chair)]: Opinion broadly favorable representative. Okay. So, any other comment from the committee before we call for them?
[Sandra "Sandy" Pinsonault (Member)]: We know what their workload is?
[Lisa Hango (Vice Chair)]: They did come in and testify to us. And we
[Sandra "Sandy" Pinsonault (Member)]: know the bills we passed.
[Matthew Birong (Chair)]: I think expansive applies.
[Philip Jay Hooper (Member)]: Yeah.
[Sandra "Sandy" Pinsonault (Member)]: So this is where I'm little confused, because the governor's already approved them for 1,358,000 Their ask is $1,007,000 So really, so we're looking at $440,000 Yes. And that's those positions. Plus the vacancy savings.
[Chea Waters Evans (Ranking Member)]: Right, and they lost $95,000 in federal funding.
[Matthew Birong (Chair)]: Yeah, there is that piece too from the cut from the federal.
[Lisa Hango (Vice Chair)]: And we don't all have to agree.
[Matthew Birong (Chair)]: It's a plurality of thoughts.
[Sandra "Sandy" Pinsonault (Member)]: Right, right. I agree with representative Nugent about, I mean, we set them up between new hires, and then what happens next year when we can't fund it?
[Matthew Birong (Chair)]: Did I see anything from you, Robert? Robert Hooper, and then Sean.
[Robert Hooper (Member)]: Just as a thought, since we're struggling with it, it is a delta four forty, as Sandy said. And taking into account what Rutland also said, perhaps we compromise and split the difference because I can see Kate's point that we could be setting ourselves up for fail it, budgetarily, for out years. I've already seen a beat, you know, this homework, that's great, know, adds up, makes sense, but maybe that's we find some middle ground there, and that we recommend that, of course, in the m eight. Appropriations made also. And what would
[Matthew Birong (Chair)]: what are you framing for the
[Robert Hooper (Member)]: Well, if it's $4.40, make it at 02:20 to the +1. So call it Okay. +1.
[Matthew Birong (Chair)]: Rep shown, no, get where you're saying.
[Unidentified Member (possible Mary-Katherine Stone)]: Vote, passed out of here, with the full recommend knowing that appropriations are the ones that hold the calculators, like the scope of their committee. So, I think saying this on record, that you're hearing us, but I would leave it up to them. And then I hear what you're saying about like, well, what about the upcoming years? That's a job for future committees. So it's kind of like when you're debating on the floor, you're not supposed to be talking about future legislation because you don't know what's going to happen. Who knows? We could end up being the president's favorite state and you could give us billions and billions of dollars for this. I mean, I don't think that's going happen, but I'm just saying
[Sandra "Sandy" Pinsonault (Member)]: like Billions.
[Matthew Birong (Chair)]: Understand what you're saying.
[Unidentified Member (possible Mary-Katherine Stone)]: That's what I'm that we just got to see what's on our plate in front of us now. And I feel comfortable just moving it along, and they can have the conversations and appropriations if they run out of money and need to look on the captives or not.
[Matthew Birong (Chair)]: Yes. I totally understand your point. I personally am of the same mindset where, for us in this moment, altering the recommendation within the recommendation isn't it is really what we're doing. We're just offering a recommendation to this request. Right? Like, with something like this, it's it's very complex to the nuance of the request. So, Rep Hango, is not testing.
[Lisa Hango (Vice Chair)]: I was going to suggest, similar to Mike Morgan, funding the staff attorney investigator position at 130 and the new paralegal position at 108 and calling that a compromise. And that's 238,000.
[Sandra "Sandy" Pinsonault (Member)]: Reptisanal? With all due respect, if this just gets passed on to appropriations, why are we spending our time doing this? If we're not willing to make some suggestions, we're just going to go with all the dollar figures, then why are they asking us for our opinion, guess, is what I'm saying. We've spent a lot of time on this, it's just a give and take, if we can't make a suggestion for them that they might be overseen, then I think the compromise is a good way. Instead of denying it all, it just went back to the governor's request, beat him halfway and tell him which positions we're willing to support.
[Matthew Birong (Chair)]: Guess that's You want to
[VL Coffin IV (Member)]: take it? I could actually get behind the if we took out if we did fund just the attorney, the investigative attorney position, and the paralegal position, as representative Hango suggested, and it falls into that leaving out the director's position, the policy director's position, and just staying with give them the investigator they need, give them the paralegal position they need, that would still allow them to have a co counsel if needed based on their based on their written testimony here. If we compromise, at least we're showing we're trying we've compromised last year on things. That gives them two of the positions. I actually could get behind that better than my suggestion.
[Matthew Birong (Chair)]: Represent Hango with the memorial.
[Lisa Hango (Vice Chair)]: Thank you. So, the question was raised, why do we go through this exercise if appropriations is really going to make the decision? They weigh our testimony and our deep dive into policy very heavily when it comes to these types of things, because we know the policy better than they do behind these asks. Sorry. That's the answer to that. And yes, we should be thoughtful, but no, we're not rubber stamping everything because we've already have some no's and some no positions on our spreadsheet. So we're not just saying yes to everything. Answer to both of those. Thank you,
[Chea Waters Evans (Ranking Member)]: Robert I'm just really concerned about not supporting housing, defending people against and protecting people against housing discrimination. And I don't feel comfortable personally deciding for the Human Rights Commission, which position we find to be the one they need the least. I think if we were to ask to take money away from one position, they should be the ones to choose that position. And also, if we're losing federal funding, we have a housing crisis already. We've been working on legislation, and there's been proposed legislation for a long time about fairness in housing and equality and stuff. I just, don't know. This is one of those things where I feel like if the federal government is going to be pursuing removing more money and protection from people in housing, I think it's up to us, the state of Vermont, to make sure that we do what we can for those people who are being discriminated against.
[VL Coffin IV (Member)]: And by granting half the request, they can choose where they spend the money, which position they hire. We're not writing out a position then. If the director is more important than an investigator, They can do as they need. It's still more funding than they had.
[Philip Jay Hooper (Member)]: What's the dollar amount? I do beg your pardon for 130,000
[Lisa Hango (Vice Chair)]: for each of those positions. So, is six of one or half dozen of the other.
[Sandra "Sandy" Pinsonault (Member)]: As VL just pointed out.
[Matthew Birong (Chair)]: So, you know, and we all don't have to find this favorable. So it doesn't have to be universal in our prep over.
[Philip Jay Hooper (Member)]: If I got this correct, it sounds like VL is advocating for granting two of the four requests, three, and leave that decision up to whom?
[Matthew Birong (Chair)]: Well, this is a recommend that goes to appropriations. Oh, no. Anyway Yeah.
[VL Coffin IV (Member)]: And then leave the
[Matthew Birong (Chair)]: Yes, yep.
[VL Coffin IV (Member)]: Yeah, to answer the question, it would leave the Human Rights Commission to decide which position they fund. Where do they apply the funds that they're allocated?
[Matthew Birong (Chair)]: I mean, perhaps because it's like we would be taking if we did decide to unfavorable one position over another, if we would be speaking to those positions themselves, not a totality of funds to choose how to allocate.
[VL Coffin IV (Member)]: So,
[Matthew Birong (Chair)]: it's not like a pot of money, where it's like, do x with it. They're defined the bid task. So, we would be making the personnel decision. Okay. On a recommendation. Rev. Hooper.
[Philip Jay Hooper (Member)]: So, I got it correct, then we can't do that. We just, we would have to, we would have to
[Matthew Birong (Chair)]: We would have to enumerate By virtue of very
[Philip Jay Hooper (Member)]: certain mathematics, that we would not be able to even open it. But, I apologize if I missed this, but have we made no recommendations on very many other dollar figures? We are in moments of this
[Lisa Hango (Vice Chair)]: conversation. Have we taken no position?
[Michael Morgan (Member)]: Yeah. On
[Philip Jay Hooper (Member)]: a few. And do those, like, are they similar amounts? Or is it, like, are we nickel and dime?
[Matthew Birong (Chair)]: They were mostly as a result of, like, a lack of information. We weren't able to get, like, dollar signs and whatever details.
[Lisa Hango (Vice Chair)]: This isn't something we really can say, take no position. This is
[Sandra "Sandy" Pinsonault (Member)]: We have house.
[Philip Jay Hooper (Member)]: Mhmm. Oh, I see okay with that.
[Matthew Birong (Chair)]: Yeah. And again, we all don't have to agree. Right. You know? So, our partners Evans.
[Chea Waters Evans (Ranking Member)]: I I was gonna say, I'm I'm happy to call for a thumbs up for a thumbs down right now. We're in the middle of a a housing crisis, but there are more unhoused people per capita than a month in anywhere. I don't think that having inadequate staffing for housing discrimination and helping people with those things is going to help anybody right now. So I'm supportive of funding the full amount.
[Matthew Birong (Chair)]: Rob Coffin, then Hango.
[VL Coffin IV (Member)]: I'm just this doesn't increase what's available of housing. This has nothing to do with the housing shortage that we have here in Vermont. This is about making sure that people aren't discriminated against. So giving them the two two of the positions that are key to fighting those cases is what it's about. It does nothing to develop housing. They're only just making sure that the housing we have, people aren't being discriminated against getting into. It's equal access to. So I would say the two positions, if we're making a compromise, the two positions for the investigator and the paralegal be to me the more important because that gives them the ability to have a co counselor if needed.
[Michael Morgan (Member)]: Covered caseload. Okay, Hango Stone.
[Lisa Hango (Vice Chair)]: I just want to remind everybody about our friends at Vermont Legal Aid who present folks for free, doing this very work. And I think I would like to train rep Waters Evans in calling for a thumbs up or a thumbs down on the entire amount, Because I think trying to split the difference isn't going to work with this group of individuals. So we could go on and on for hours. Correct.
[Matthew Birong (Chair)]: Yeah,
[Unidentified Member (possible Mary-Katherine Stone)]: I'm just saying. Saying, not a good question. I grew up in Alabama. In my mother's lifetime, the civil rights movement happened, where I was born and raised. I refuse to sit here. And I know it doesn't create housing, but to be on record saying that we're not supportive of stuff that puts anti discrimination at the forefront of ensuring that everyone has a right to have a roof over their heads, I just want us to recenter and hear what's coming unintentional or not, like, think unintentional. I didn't move to Vermont to sit by and not vote to support people's right to housing. So yeah, all or nothing, I'm all in, and I'm totally for calling the cops.
[Matthew Birong (Chair)]: Rutgers and I'll
[Philip Jay Hooper (Member)]: to do you have something?
[Sandra "Sandy" Pinsonault (Member)]: I was just, do they not have a policy director now? Is this another policy director? Is this an additional policy director?
[Matthew Birong (Chair)]: If I recall correctly, there's somebody it's like a dual role, where I think they're looking to have a different role.
[Sandra "Sandy" Pinsonault (Member)]: Their budget letters, they said they have an executive director but not a policy director. Yeah.
[Matthew Birong (Chair)]: So the executive director was
[Philip Jay Hooper (Member)]: acting as the policy director.
[Kate Nugent (Member)]: I don't know if this is adding to confusion or not, but least as far as how I feel about this, I want them to be successful. And I'm just looking at that from an organizational management standpoint, that it's hard for your funding to go up and down and to manage positions that come and go. So I felt like that was important to clarify, just given where the conversation has been going. So,
[Matthew Birong (Chair)]: what I'm going do is I am going to call for a thumbs on the total sum. Any further discussion from folks? Seeing no further discussion, thumbs for total sub. Okay, moving
[Lisa Hango (Vice Chair)]: on, we have the Vermont Criminal Justice Council, which is rep Norbert. Are you able to find out any
[Michael Morgan (Member)]: No, I went into a reattack with Brett Feltis and Mission Ville on my part, because I only have, I tried connecting with her late last week and we haven't. The only words I think that I've said in the committee before is on that one and the one about the public safety, her words on those, if they were standard and recurring, and that she felt they would be supportable in the budget with ease, but I don't have anything more than that at this point. If it aligns with what a couple of others we looked at, guess in theory we'd have to say at this point no position, I guess my recommendation, if we need more finality than that.
[Matthew Birong (Chair)]: Yep. Since I don't have enough soap. I will tell you if
[Michael Morgan (Member)]: I fail on something, I've failed on it because I don't have anything from it.
[Matthew Birong (Chair)]: So the the decision is no position? That's what I'd recommended. That's inconsistent with others. So the committee, I'm just gonna call for thumbs to be favorable. No positions on this one? No. Thank you. And the same thing on the other one above it. What?
[Michael Morgan (Member)]: Public safety of above it?
[Lisa Hango (Vice Chair)]: That's Okay, yeah, that one I'm not sure where it is on mine.
[Michael Morgan (Member)]: Well, yeah, that's
[Lisa Hango (Vice Chair)]: I think we might have, in the latest iteration, gotten rid of that line item.
[Michael Morgan (Member)]: Oh, this one? Yes. Okay, alright.
[Matthew Birong (Chair)]: I'm not seeing it on the newer sheet.
[Lisa Hango (Vice Chair)]: There was literally no information on that, and I even say what part
[Sandra "Sandy" Pinsonault (Member)]: of public safety we were talking about.
[Michael Morgan (Member)]: I had written micro grants of $25,000
[Sandra "Sandy" Pinsonault (Member)]: That's in something else. That
[Lisa Hango (Vice Chair)]: is in the Technical Rescue Microgrant Program, and we did talk about that and voted yes on that. So we just heard the Secretary of State ask for $500,000 $450,000 for election support, which they get every year, and $8,000 for the local civic journalism awards. Any discussion on that?
[Chea Waters Evans (Ranking Member)]: I'm fully supportive. I was glad to hear that you withdrew the request for $650,000 that they originally asked for. And I'm very, very super extra supportive of the Civic Journalism Awards.
[Lisa Hango (Vice Chair)]: Do you have anything to say?
[Sandra "Sandy" Pinsonault (Member)]: I would have been a flat no had the six fifty stated, but I'm okay with the 500,000 request.
[Matthew Birong (Chair)]: Okay, any other comment from the committee before I call for a favorable vote? Right? Favorable vote? That is morality in favor.
[Lisa Hango (Vice Chair)]: Mary, just rubbed you one more thing because I think we only have one lot, but I want to be certain before we move on. For people who weren't listening earlier during the break, one of the breaks, we have no information on the Pay Act because it hasn't been negotiated yet with one of the unions. So we cannot act on the Pay Act recommendation. And the last one left is the Vermont Ethics Commission, which we said we would come back to. And we left it at, I had made an offer to split the difference, but hearing the conversation around the table again today, I'm going to withdraw that offer and ask just to have a thumbs up or a thumbs down on the total budget, which is $3.51. Above the governor's recommendation. So they're asking for $351,382 above.
[Sandra "Sandy" Pinsonault (Member)]: Yes.
[Matthew Birong (Chair)]: And so that is a favorable fund would be for the total sum of Any other conversation? Comments for the total sum? You have favorable you have a plurality of thoughts.
[Lisa Hango (Vice Chair)]: Thank you all for your very hard work. And hopefully next year, this will not be as dangerous because they know where they're all our jurisdiction wise.
[Matthew Birong (Chair)]: Represents.
[Chea Waters Evans (Ranking Member)]: I just thank Robert Hingle for all our organization and hard work on this. That was no easy task to wrangle not only everybody, the numbers, but the committee members.
[Matthew Birong (Chair)]: Thank you.
[Lisa Hango (Vice Chair)]: You are welcome. But our big thanks to our committee assistant, Nick, because he built every single one of these spreadsheets. Snap the windows. That
[Michael Morgan (Member)]: was a rather large number of spreadsheets. Thank you.
[Matthew Birong (Chair)]: Yeah. Yeah. No. No. No. And spreadsheets itself, also the tracking realm itself is a very, very good tool.
[Lisa Hango (Vice Chair)]: What's the next step is to write the letter?
[Matthew Birong (Chair)]: So we are submitting this. I I spoke to appropriations. We are submitting the spreadsheet, just reorganized with these final positions, non positions, etcetera. And then we're just gonna send it with an attachment with a letterhead.
[Lisa Hango (Vice Chair)]: We've got one built already.
[Matthew Birong (Chair)]: Just referencing to the spreadsheet. Yep. But the spreadsheet is how we're really going to engage our information with it.
[Lisa Hango (Vice Chair)]: I'll tell you what it says currently. Just a nice letterhead, due house appropriations from House Government Operations and Military Affairs, the date, subject committee, budget memo, House Government Operations and Military Affairs, respectfully fits the spreadsheet listing the areas of the FY twenty seven budget in order of those requests that we support, those we don't support, and those we are taking no position on. Sound good? Uh-huh.
[Matthew Birong (Chair)]: Yeah. And I think that it's just like the spreadsheet speaks for itself and us.
[Lisa Hango (Vice Chair)]: And I do want Nick to know this. Other committees have asked to see the spreadsheet because they've heard about it. They're very excited.
[Matthew Birong (Chair)]: The buzz around the building. We all are. Yeah. We can put a spreadsheet variable in there. Rev Hooper, did you have a question?
[Philip Jay Hooper (Member)]: Yeah. So we we just, on a partisan basis, voted out a nonexistent budget letter.
[Matthew Birong (Chair)]: Is that correct?
[Philip Jay Hooper (Member)]: Like, And then we're just gonna signal a partisan disagreement in agreement? Is that right?
[Michael Morgan (Member)]: I'm not sure what you're referencing.
[Matthew Birong (Chair)]: We're sending this whole spreadsheet.
[Kate Nugent (Member)]: Yes. And we because there's
[Unidentified Member (possible Mary-Katherine Stone)]: no You don't have to plurality of some sort of partisan.
[Philip Jay Hooper (Member)]: So, that an official vote, is it just a
[Lisa Hango (Vice Chair)]: Yes.
[Matthew Birong (Chair)]: Well, it's a straw poll on a recommendation. It's not a formal vote.
[Sandra "Sandy" Pinsonault (Member)]: Nobody's recorded who voted yes, who voted.
[Kate Nugent (Member)]: Like It's numbers.
[Philip Jay Hooper (Member)]: I did.
[Matthew Birong (Chair)]: Good work, everyone. The budget memo in this committee is always a big lift because we intersect with so many aspects of government. So I really appreciate everybody's help on their individual projects, and we already said a big kudos to Nick for helping organize those and also representative Hango for being with VL. So I just wanna close with, like, my personal gratitude and just happiness with what we have been able to put together for this request and getting it wrapped up today was something that was very, very, very high in my consciousness. So, also, thank you for helping achieve that goal for our timeline this week. So we all have some stuff because we've got so many bills in motion right now. So let's utilize the last, like, forty five minutes or so of our working day to anchor into our individual projects, and we will be getting this down to appropriations and for time. So thank you committee.