News That Affects You!
A bill requiring the Vermont Agency of Education to stamp out racist, sexist, and repressive school mascots was approved 5-1 last week by the Senate Education Committee. Sponsored by Sen. Richard McCormack (D-Windsor), S139 will be up for review by the entire Senate on March 8, when the Senate returns from Town Meeting Week break. The bill requires Read More…
It’s the time of year when bills are being pushed through the committee approval pipeline ahead of the mid-March “crossover” deadline. Legislation getting committee time this week stands a fair chance of committee approval. Bills on House Committee agendas this week: In House General, Housing & Military Affairs: H96, creating the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Development Task Force to Read More…
Bills creating housing-related state registries are up against vetos by Gov. Phil Scott. Legislative voters may not have the votes they need to override. Senate Rental Registry – Last year, Gov. Scott vetoed S79, “an act relating to improving rental housing health and safety.” As the name suggests, the Senate claims the S79 would let the State Read More…
An Orange County supervisory union board today rescinded a planned vote proposed requirement to vaccinate all employees for Covid-19. Instead, the Orange East Supervisory Union board adopted a more lenient vaccine mandate. Taking effect July 1, it would offer a testing option for those with religious or medical exemptions, and a testing requirement for other Read More…
The Vermont Senate today is scheduled to consider S265, the ‘criminal threatening’ bill that would impose prison sentences of up to two years for threatening public officials and others. The bill was approved by Senate Judiciary this week by a 4-1 vote. Sen. Joe Benning (R-Caledonia) was the dissenting vote. During committee discussions, Chair Dick Sears said Read More…
Governor Phil Scott doesn’t support the vaccines under Emergency Use Authorization for mandatory use in schools. At today’s press conference, Gov. Scott was asked by Vermont Daily Chronicle: “Is it ever appropriate for a vaccine under Emergency Use Authorization to be considered for mandatory requirement for public school enrollment?” Scott replied: “Not as far as I’m Read More…
A bill that would expose police to lawsuits for exercising their duties is scheduled for review Wednesday 9 am in the Senate Judiciary Committee. S254 would “create a private right of action [power to file suit] against law enforcement officers for violations of Vermont constitutional, statutory, and common law rights. This bill also proposes to waive Read More…
The Senate Natural Resources Committee will continue to review S.234, the Act 250 reform bill, all week this week. Last week, it reviewed the bill’s impacts on the state’s housing shortage, the Campaign for Vermont reports. The Vermont Natural Resources Council voiced concern about forest fragmentation due to subdivisions of housing. Between 2003 and 2009 found Read More…
A bill introduced by a freshman Progressive Tanya Vyhovsky (Essex) and Winooski Rep. Taylor Small (Progressive/Democrat), who identifies as transgender, would allow a minor to receive medical treatment for transgender conversion without parental consent. H659 “proposes to allow a minor who identifies as transgender to consent to receiving hormone blockers and other nonsurgical, gender-affirming care and Read More…
The University of Vermont Medical Center today responded to inquiries about the hospital’s chief of critical care’s social media criticism of vaccine-refusing patients. Dr. Gilman Allen, chief of critical care and a critical care specialist in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at UVMMC, wrote recently on Instagram: “What is more entitled and privileged than refusing Read More…
A “language access” bill introduced into the Vermont House today would require state agencies serving “a substantial number” of non-English speakers to offer translated materials and bi-lingual staff. H692 would require state agencies to “implement language access services, including the use of translated materials, bilingual staff, or contracted interpretation services, when the agency serves a substantial Read More…
The number of Vermonters serving on state boards and commissions is growing. And so will their pay, if a new House bill becomes law. H545, introduced Jan. 11 into the Vermont House, would increase the per diem pay for members of Vermont’s boards and commissions from $50 to $125. Most members of these appointed boards and commissions Read More…
The Vermont Department of Health no longer reports the number of unvaccinated Vermont Covid-19 deaths on its daily dashboard or weekly reports. Nor will it, at least as long as the current surge of Covid-19 cases lasts. Despite repeated references by state officials to the Vermont Covid-19 pandemic as “a pandemic of the unvaccinated,” and Read More…
Lawmaker/Journalist Anne Donahue (R-Berlin) explains the behind-the-scenes decision-making that led to the dramatic moment in the almost-empty House chambers Wednesday when Rep. Cynthia Browning (D-Arlington) stunned the handful of assembled lawmakers by calling for a quorum before an attempted vote on allowing the House to meet and vote remotely. She explains how the disagreement between Read More…
By Guy Page March 25, 2020 – “Stay home and stay safe” may be impossible for Vermonters at risk of domestic abuse, the Senate Judiciary Committee learned today. Domestic abuse-related 911 calls nationwide have increased since the Covid-19 State of Emergency began. Vermont reports are fairly low now, but state’s attorneys say it’s just the calm Read More…
By Guy Page March 19, 2020 – Some recent environmental and fiscal decisions made by Vermont State Government are being rethought, or at least second-guessed, due to the coronavirus. Plastic bag ban. On July 1 of this year, Act 69 of 2019 will prohibit food establishments (including grocery stores) from providing single-use plastic grocery bags or Read More…
