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Connections
A smiling man with short dark hair wearing a blue button-down shirt and a grey blazer. He is holding a pair of eyeglasses. The word "Connections" appears on the left side of the photo in vertical letters.
Connections

Sen. Samra Brouk on the 2026-2027 NYS budget; the state of Black maternal health

By Evan Dawson,
Megan Mack, Julie Williams
Published July 29, 2026 at 4:02 PM EDT
Two people wearing headphones and eyeglasses sit at a table in a radio talk studio: a woman at left has long dark hair and is wearing a sleeveless beige vest; a balding man at right is wearing a blue button-down shirt, white pants and white sneakers.
1 of 2  — Samra Brouk with host Evan Dawson on "Connections"
Samra Brouk with host Evan Dawson on "Connections with Evan Dawson" on Wednesday, July 29, 2026
George Yeadon / WXXI News
Three people wearing headphones and eyeglasses sit at a table in a radio talk studio: a woman at left has very short grey hair and is wearing a blue button-down shirt; a woman at center has very short grey hair and is wearing a black top; a balding man at right is wearing a blue button-down shirt, white pants and white sneakers.
2 of 2  — Phyllis Sharp and Tracy Renee Webber with host Evan Dawson on "Connections"
Phyllis Sharp and Tracy Renee Webber with host Evan Dawson on "Connections with Evan Dawson" on Wednesday, July 29, 2026
George Yeadon / WXXI News
WXXI News

We’re joined by Senator Samra Brouk. It’s the latest in our series of conversations about New York’s 2026-2027 budget.

The senator discusses a number of budget items, including funding for childcare and maternal health.

Then, we are joined by a local clinician and a local doula, who weigh in on the state of Black maternal health.

Our guests:

Connections
Evan Dawson
Evan Dawson is the host of "Connections with Evan Dawson." He joined WXXI in January 2014 after working at 13WHAM-TV, where he served as morning news anchor. He was hired as a reporter for 13WHAM-TV in 2003 before being promoted to anchor in 2007.
See stories by Evan Dawson
Megan Mack
Megan Mack is the executive producer of "Connections with Evan Dawson" and live/televised engagement programming.
See stories by Megan Mack
Julie Williams
Julie Williams is an associate producer for "Connections with Evan Dawson." She started at WXXI in 2019 and has been working on Connections since 2022.
See stories by Julie Williams