 Good afternoon. My name is Representative Jill Kroinski, and I am the speaker of the Vermont House. And I'm Senator Becca Ballant, and I am the President Pro Tem of the Vermont Senate. Thank you all so much for joining us here today as we reflect and acknowledge a shameful time in our state's history. The policies and practices of eugenics on certain targeted populations. The eugenics practices inflicted incredible amounts of pain and suffering to many families, friends, and communities. And while eugenics practices and policies are no longer in existence, the impact in the legacy deeply remains today. For those that were directly impacted for their descendants and for all the communities involved, we cannot undo the trauma that this moment has caused. But we can start. We can start by formally acknowledging this dark period in our state's history. Today, we publicly apologize for the legislature's role in ever allowing this to occur. We are sorry, and I am sorry. As the speaker said, we know that we cannot undo the harm that the eugenics movement caused to so many. But as the current leadership of the Vermont General Assembly, we take responsibility for the actions of the legislative branch. And we commit ourselves to making sure that this never happens again. This is a moment for grief, but it's also a moment for growth. When people think of the eugenics movement, many think of sterilization. While the devastating practice of sterilization was part of the eugenics movement in Vermont, there were other practices and policies that also caused great suffering. The faulty science and the social thinking of the time sought to create a, quote, better society. And while this thinking was not held by all Vermonters, elected officials were able to push forward with these horrible practices. They wrongly and tragically believed these policies would have a positive effect on Vermont. Policies that included restrictions on who one could marry. Policies that removed children from their families and segregated them into places like the Brandon Training School. Policies that forced the removal of adults from their families and institutionalized them. These Vermonters who supported the eugenics movement thought we should only welcome people to our state that they deemed to be superior. Those who met certain racial and class qualifications. It is difficult to reckon with this awful, painful history. So many of the people that were impacted by the eugenics movement were harmed in the name of science. Our indigenous communities, French Canadians, persons with disabilities, and low income families were removed and placed into institutions in what many scholars claimed was needed in the name of science. The language that was used during this movement to describe these Vermonters was so reprehensible that we have chosen not to use it here today. And while some may feel like this was a moment in our distant past that is far from reality. And we know that individuals impacted live in our Vermont communities today and that the groups that were sought out during this time live with the stories that have been passed down from their families and friends. When we had conversations over the summer with impacted communities, one of the things that stood out to me was the relief that a formal apology was finally going to occur. For a long time it was never certain if the organizations including the legislature would actually take action and apologize for the harm that so many experienced. Hearing their relief only reinforced for me the importance of us committing in this effort during the legislative session. But it was also, it was a deeply sad moment knowing that people were never sure that the pain that had been caused would ever be recognized. The joint resolution that we passed in the legislature this spring would not have been possible without those who have been impacted coming forward to tell their stories. Testifying in the legislature can be a nerve-wracking experience. And having to relive past trauma in front of strangers is incredibly difficult. We know that it took a lot of courage. Some testimony we heard mentioned the fear that was felt in communities about being erased from history. We know that many of those who came forward including some of those I see here today have worked on this public acknowledgement and apology for a long time. We could not have done this without your efforts, your courage and your commitment. The eugenics movement is a shameful part of our state's history. And although the process to pass the joint resolution may have been imperfect as a lot of our legislation is, it is still critically important that we recognize the wrongs of the past. We as Vermonters must sincerely apologize for the trauma and the harm that the state has caused. This event reminds all of us that we must continue to strive for a more equitable Vermont. We still have work to do. We know that we do. And we have to make sure we're careful and thoughtful in any legislation that we take up. And we can only meet the needs of all Vermonters if we include as many voices as we can in the legislative process. The chair of our General Housing and Military Affairs Committee, Tom Stevens, who is here with us today was a critical member in supporting this work through the Vermont House of Representatives. When we discussed this resolution in our virtual chamber, he presented a powerful floor speech. And there was one part that sticks with me when referring to the apology. He said, What is it? What does it do? And why are we doing it now? An apology is both an end and a beginning. And it's an acknowledgement of what we as a General Assembly supported, long held and practiced policies and that those policies were harmful and that the harm it inflicted was likely serious, widespread and enduring. It stands out because I do see this as an end and the beginning. We can truly begin the work to build more trust, support communities that have historically not had a voice in the legislative process or in our communities, and we can continue to collaborate on positive actions to uplift voices from all our Vermont communities. In our conversations throughout this summer, there were many wonderful ideas that were brought forward on ways we could move positively into the future, such as promoting indigenous art and culture in more public spaces, making the legislative process and language we use more accessible. Continued the work to reach out to communities that have historically not had a voice in the legislative process, preserving the apology in the State House for visitors to see and so much more. I believe we can work together and use this moment as a way to move a more hopeful future with greater opportunities for all Vermonters. I am also hopeful that today's public apology will bring this time in our history to the attention of more Vermonters and lead them to read more about our past so that we all can learn from it and know we need to do all we can to be thoughtful with the laws we create in the future. Thank you so much for joining us here today. We have copies of the resolution available on the table in front if you would like one. Thanks again. Please be well and stay safe.