 Thank you. Without further ado, hopefully our next governor of the state of Vermont, James Ellers. Thank you for joining us today. This legislative session had enormous potential. Both chambers of the legislature were ready to make progress on the most pressing issues affecting working people. So first, I must thank and I will congratulate my legislative colleagues for a job well done, especially those of you that are here in attendance right now. Thank you very much for your leadership this session. You've served your fellow Vermonters honorably and your efforts deserve every Vermonner's appreciation. Thanks to the good work of the House and Senate legislative staff, particularly the Joint Fiscal Office, our state workers, and the countless Vermonters engaged in our unique and special legislative process. We had the opportunity to make our state more fair and just for all. But yesterday, Governor Phil Scott vetoed some of the most important legislation of this session. He vetoed paid family leave, H-196, a bill that would have made Vermont more affordable, not more expensive as he has just done. He vetoed a minimum wage increase. It too would have made Vermont more affordable for working Vermonters. But instead he chose to protect special interests. He vetoed the toxic chemical protection bills, particularly S-197, toxic substance exposure, choosing polluters over our fellow Vermonters. He vetoed, and I wish I could speed this up, but I didn't select how many bills he was going to veto. He vetoed a consumer protection bill that would protect Vermonters from unjust arbitration clauses, S-105. And we all know that's not all. He's threatened to veto the budget, a tribe partisan budget that passed nearly unanimously. He's threatened to veto tax reforms that would make our state more fair and dignified. And stunningly, he's even threatened to veto H-764, a bill to regulate companies that profit off of our data as consumers. Because it charges companies like Equifax in annual registration fee. Yes, the same Equifax that exposed the personal information of 150 million Americans. At the same time, H-764 would save Vermonters up to $8 million each year by eliminating the fee to freeze their credit. But this is how little Governor Scott prioritizes the needs of everyday Vermonters over big corporate interests. Let's be clear, Governor Scott would rather sell out Vermonters on protecting their personal information, which would save us $8 million annually in order to save large corporations like Equifax, $100. Think about that. And still, we don't know exactly when this session is going to end. One thing is certain, though. With a Governor who works with the legislature instead of against them to make life more fair and dignified for working Vermonters, there is no telling, no limit to what we can accomplish. That's why I'm running for Governor. To return the people's voice to the Governor's office. To see true progress in our state. No matter what happens in Washington, D.C. To ensure for every Vermonter we live up to the promise of our state motto, freedom and unity. In my administration, we will pass a people's budget that invests in our children and our most vulnerable instead of cutting school services and disability assistance. A budget that ensures the wealthiest among us pay their fair share. Some things that we're looking at. A luxury tax on homes could bring in $25 million annually. Just like going to eat at a nice restaurant costs more, living in a nice state costs more. Luxury homeowners can do more. We're going to govern honestly and transparently instead of putting taxes on a credit card for your kids and my kids to pay later. We're going to pass paid sick leave so no one ever has to choose between caring for a loved one and a job, a job that we have to have to survive. We're going to raise the wage so hardworking Vermonters can have the basics. The basics, the minimum necessary. A warm home, food on the table. We're going to protect our communities from toxic chemicals, both industrial and organic. Sanobacteria is ravaging communities throughout Franklin, Addison County, and we know how to stop it. Governor Scott has indicated he has no interest in doing that. After we saw the tragic contamination of drinking water in Bennington and Rutland that has had such harsh economic consequences in those areas and beyond, it is unconscionable that we are not acting swiftly. We're going to invest in public schools as the very basis for a good and just and economically sound society. And we're going to invest in the most fundamental necessity for life, clean water, and put an end to the poisoning and destruction of our drinking water supply. We're going to regulate companies that profit off of Vermonters data, like Equifax. These are bills I will champion and promote and sign as governor. These are bills for which it is unconscionable to wait any longer when our people, the House, the Senate, are demanding progress for a fair and just society now. Recently I read an article in Seven Days about a dad, Francis, who was caring for a 22-year-old son, Simon, who has severe disabilities. In response to extreme challenges faced by families like this one every day, Governor Phil Scott proposed a $4.3 million cut to the developmental disabilities services. This demonstrates just how incredibly out of touch Phil Scott is with the needs of ordinary Vermonters. He is willing to do anything to protect a small amount of corporate profits at the expense of families who are working tirelessly every single day to make ends meet. This blind faith in the religion of trickle-down economics to solve our problems is an empirically documented failed approach. It just doesn't work. It has never worked. It is only a smokescreen to side with wealthy and powerful interests for political convenience and expedience. We stand for fairness and dignity for every single Vermont man, woman, and child. And we won't rest until we see it happen, until we see a change in the Governor's office next year that stands for fairness and justice. And as a U.S. Navy officer, I served our country and I'm ready now to serve as our state's governor. And when I do, we will pass paid family leave, we will raise the minimum wage, and we will protect Vermonters and our water from toxins. Thank you to everyone who is here with us today, as we all know this is about we, not me. I think, despite my campaign manager's insistence, I'll make myself available for questions. Good. So how do you distinguish yourself from what you have been from your primary? It's pretty clear. I think even some of the interviews for your outlet, John, I've spoken candidly about the need for those who are the most well-off in this state to pay their share. The data is very clear. Those in the top 20% in the top quintile are paying roughly 8% of their income in taxes, while the rest of us are paying 12% to 13%. My primary opponent has said that there's absolutely no reason to raise taxes. She's even said at times to cop out. But in order for us to ensure that Vermonters have the opportunity, the freedom to live up to each of our own potential, then either corporations, for example, have to pay, or we wind up putting the subsidy on the taxpayer. And I think for corporations that are profiting off of Vermonters, the Vermont landscape, Vermont labor, they can do more, and I think the folks that live here who enjoy the highest quality of life can do more as well. So fundamentally, there's some major differences between myself and my primary opponent. First is I work to help Lex Sue Minner. She voted for Phil Scott. And I think that about sums it up. So you're using the deadlock that we're seeing today as a campaign opportunity. But what specifically, I mean, how would you resolve the impact? Except by agreeing to everything that the... So what you refer to as a campaign opportunity, I refer to as a leadership opportunity. So I would be in this building anyway, I think you know, leading on issues that remain specifically to the environment. I chose to run because the environment and the economy are interwoven. So some of the things that we're dealing with right now, because of this special session, well, for starters, we'd be saving taxpayers money, something this governor says he wants to do, without having had the need to bring everyone back into this building when we should be hiking or fly fishing or canoeing or trolling for lake trout. I don't know, pick something. But that's what I've heard from the vast majority of legislators in the building today is, there's absolutely no reason for a budget that passed with the overwhelming tripartisan support and the unanimous support in the Senate that we should be here today in this building, except for when we have a governor dedicated to politics instead of process. Thank you very much.