Arturo Velasquez (Film)

(No speech recorded this turn.)

Colleagues, I rise to affirm my strong support for Amendment 8, which explicitly enshrines Long-term Ecological Stewardship as a core pillar within the AGATA Time Priorities Charter. From the perspective of managing film shoots as well as respecting the integrity of our local land and neighbors, this amendment represents a non-negotiable trajectory for AGATA’s future. Our 70-acre regenerative farm and cultural lab is a living organism, requiring decade-long commitments to managing invasive species, feral animals, and other ecological pressures that threaten both productivity and community trust. Embedding this is not only an ecological imperative but a logistical necessity to coordinate our projects—including film productions—around predictable, sustainable land use. It ensures our time legislation’s foundations rest solidly on genuine, resilient stewardship that supports all other pillars: resilience, redundancy, regeneration, community, education, and accessibility. I urge all Senators to vote yea.

Colleagues, I stand firmly in support of Amendment 7 which explicitly enshrines Accessibility as a core pillar alongside Resilience, Redundancy, Regeneration, Community, and Education in the AGATA Time Priorities Charter. From my experience managing local film productions within South Carolina's rural zones, ensuring accessibility is not a secondary concern but foundational to ethical engagement and sustainable community relationships. This amendment transforms Accessibility from being a peripheral add-on to a key design principle that safeguards inclusive participation from Deaf, hard-of-hearing, blind, neurodiverse, and low-bandwidth constituents. It promises that as we establish logistical pipelines, coordinate labor, and steward resources like our film productions, we embed nondiscrimination and equitable access throughout time legislation. Accessibility strengthens all other pillars by making sure no one is excluded from regenerative agricultural knowledge, cooperative cultural practices, or shared community labor. Supporting this amendment reaffirms AGATA’s commitment to intersectional justice and inclusive stewardship which are central to our longevity as a farm, cultural lab, and cooperative at the heart of Coward, South Carolina.

Colleagues, having served as Film Senator and closely involved with local productions that bring vital attention and resources to AGATA, I rise now to affirm my unequivocal support for Amendment 6. The explicit embedding of Long-term Ecological Stewardship as a core pillar is indispensable for our 70-acre farm and cultural lab's survival and flourishing. It is this deep, sustained stewardship—particularly decade-scale invasive species and feral hog management—that ensures the soil, water, and ecosystems vital for both agricultural resilience and creative experimentation endure across seasons and generations. Without this, our entire operation faces untenable risk, threatening our ability to serve the community and create lasting ecological and cultural wealth. I stand firmly with Senators Dr. Costa and Dr. Júlia Costa, whose tireless advocacy has elevated this issue rightly to the forefront of our priorities, and I urge my colleagues to join me in this critical affirmation.

Colleagues, as someone who closely coordinates film productions on our land and liaises regularly with both local crews and neighbors, I want to affirm my full support for Amendment 5. The explicit inclusion of Long-term Ecological Stewardship as a foundational pillar of our Time Priorities Charter is indispensable. Our 70-acre site is not just a backdrop or setting but a living, breathing ecosystem that sustains all creative, agricultural, and community engagements here. For film projects that depend on the reliability of our landscape and the goodwill of neighbors, embedding decade-scale invasive species and feral hog control, alongside holistic stewardship, can prevent the costly breakdowns and conflicts that have challenged many productions in this region. This amendment aligns seamlessly with the core values of resilience, regeneration, accessibility, and education which we have all embraced. From a production logistics standpoint, stewardship is not just ecological but also operational: healthy land ensures continuity in filming schedules, respects the community, and maximizes the investment of local crews and artists. Thus, I am proud to vote Yea and urge us all to consider this amendment as central to securing AGATA’s ecological and cultural future.