By Guy Page
Bills that would ban the use of “eminent domain” seizure of land for natural gas pipelines, further decriminalize the consumption of mind-altering drugs, and allow transgender students to declare their identity for access to gender-separated school facilities were introduced into the Vermont House of Representatives earlier this month.
Not all these bills are destined to become law. After a bill is introduced into the Vermont House of Representatives, it is reviewed by at least one standing House committee. A bill becomes state law only if it is approved by that committee, and then is successfully passed through the House and Senate and is not successfully vetoed by the governor.
If the bills listed below become law, they would:
| H.158 | Set standards for care of domestic pets, ban euthanasia by gas. Rep. Walz. | |
| H.173 | Clarify State’s grant acceptance process. Rep. Ancel. | |
| H.188 | Amend law re: captive insurance companies, risk retention. Rep. Marcotte, others. | |
| H.182 | Study transition of Corrections into mental health rehabilition system. Rep. Cina, others.
Education-related: |
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| H.194 | Expand early childcare funding and service, incentivize early childhood education. Rep. Yacavone, others. | |
| H.193 | Fund education for Americorps members | |
| H.186 | State Board of Education may adjust supervisory union boundaries and discontinue supervisory unions. Rep. Till. | |
| H.185 | Give transgender students access to gender-segregated school programs, activities, and facilities consistent with individual’s gender identity. Rep. Cina, others. | |
| H.172 | Allow town boards in merging school districts to interview candidates for teaching and school principal positions, recommend hires | |
| H.170 | Require community service as high school graduation requirement by 2025-26. Rep. Masland. | |
| H.164 | Make Election Day a public school holiday. Rep. Grad, others.
Energy & Telecom-related: |
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| H.191 | Clarify Public Utility Commission, Dept. Public Service don’t have jurisdiction over companies just for having electric vehicle charging stations. Reps. Sullivan, McCarthy, White, Burke. | |
| H.175 | Prohibit utilities from using eminent domain for fossil fuel infrastructure. Rep. Cordes. | |
| H.160 | Support more broadband deployment. Rep. Sibilia. | |
| H.157 | Adopts minimum security standards for sale of internet-connected devices. Rep. Rachelson, others. | |
| H.155 | Lets only 100% renewable utilities keep Standard Offer (solar subsidies, etc.) exemption. Rep. Yantachka.
Miscellaneous: |
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| H.192 | Governor, not legislature, appoints National Guard Adjutant General. Make military retirement pay tax-exempt. Rep. Canfield, others. | |
| H.196 | Tax and regulate cultivation and retail sale of marijuana. Rep. Young, others. | |
| H.167 | Require fireworks purchaser to show permit at POS, and prohibit fireworks after 10 pm. Rep. Shaw, others. | |
| H.179 | Deposit State funds into credit unions and conduct State financial activities with local financial institutions. Rep. Cina, others. | |
| H.163 | Require State agencies to have policy on consumer data storage. Rep. Fagan.
Health Care-related: |
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| H.181 | Provide State Auditor with accountable care organization records. Rep. Donahue | |
| H.169 | Prohibit managing mental health insurance benefits separate from other health insurance. Rep. Donahue | |
| H.153 | Ban preexisting condition exclusions in major health care plans. Rep. Cina. | |
| H.152 | Design income-sensitized health insurance premiums. Rep. Cina | |
| H.195 | Require restaurants to serve healthy kids’ meals, establishes legislative sugary drinks working group, appropriates $$ for bicycling, pedestrian initiatives. Reps. Wood, McFaun, Till. | |
| H.189 | Create Medicaid inflationary rate increases for home- and community-based service providers. Rep. Noyes. | |
| H.187 | Reimburse agencies for home-delivered meals under Medicaid. Rep. Noyes | |
| H.183 | Prohibit involuntary sterilization of individuals with intellectual disability, but permit voluntary decision | |
| H.174 | Set limit on prescription of opioids and create private right of lawsuit for excessive prescriptions. Rep. Browning. | |
| H.161 | Require hotels and restaurants to train employees to identify and report suspected human trafficking. Rep. L. Sullivan, others.
Drugs & Crime related: |
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| H.184 | Convert civil fines to community service in person can’t pay. Rep. Chesnut-Tangerman | |
| H.162 | Remove buprenorphine from misdemeanor crime of possession of narcotic. Rep Colburn, others. | |
| H.159 | Require 72-hour waiting period for all firearms sales. Rep. Lalonde, others. | |
| H.154 | Prohibit State from helping federal government collect electronic and metadata. Rep. Rachelson. | |
| H.151 | Limit judicial forfeiture of assets as part of plea bargain, place all proceeds in General Fund. Rep. Rachelson.
More Miscellaneous: |
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| H.190 | Study funding and management of state wildlife programs, including better serving Vermonters who don’t hunt, fish or trap. Rep. McCullough, others. | |
| H.171 | Pay for water quality work with fees on all real estate, rental properties, and milk and asphalt production. Rep. Till. | |
| H.177 | Give state more oversight over warranties, maintenance, disposal of primary batteries. Rep. Yantachka. | |
| H.180 | Require municipal approvals for Burlington International Airport noise compatibility programs Rep. Townsend. | |
| H.166 | Penalize truck driver for not having GPS indicating he is driving overweight vehicle. Rep. Shaw, others. | |
| H.165 | Increase text-while-driving penalty to $500 and five points on license. Rep. Brian Smith, others. | |
| H.178 | Exempt recognized Indian tribe property from property taxes. Rep. Cina | |
| H.176 | Exempt from VT income tax capital gains from investment in federal Opportunity Zone. Rep. Beck. | |
| H.168 | Apply property transfer tax to transfer of corporation holding real property. Rep. Ancel. | |
| H.156 | Allow municipality to exempt volunteer firefighters from property tax. Reps. Harrison, Christie and Shaw. |
Statehouse Headliners is intended primarily to educate, not advocate. It is e-mailed to an ever-growing list of interested Vermonters, public officials and media. Guy Page is affiliated with the Vermont Energy Partnership; the Vermont Alliance for Ethical Healthcare; and Physicians, Families and Friends for a Better Vermont.
Image courtesy of Bruce Parker/TNR
More regulation more intrusion more cost and less safe… Sounds about normal for the montpiculiar idjits. the 72hr wait to be able to defend yourself is a slap in the 2nd Amendments face.. If we’re going on the assumption “if it saves one life” then I suggest we get rid of all
Illegals which have accounted for the deaths of 68,000 American Citizens
” Make Election Day a public school holiday. Rep. Grad, others.” ANOTHER day off for teachers? Another??? Not to mention that this will make it easier for their little charges to go out and vote exactly what they were taught by their liberal indoctrinators! Children….and they are children….should not be voting.
Guy Page, thanks for pointing out the above list of ” foolishness ” coming out of Montpelier,
hopefully, people will read the attached list and see what we are dealing with and reconsider
in the next election …… We deserve better !!
The State is in Debt, High Taxes, Drug issues, Job concerns and this is what we have to deal
with …………..Wow, this list is a priority ??
Wake up Vermont.
Reserve the mental health clinics for Vermont legislators. These people are insane! Now we are going over backwards for transgendered? Transgendered? No Such Thing. Look between your legs; that is what you are. The rest is your messed up brain! You need a shrink; not a dick or a vagina (and they are wearing them on their heads these days, so no operation needed there!). Vermont is a pathetic joke.
They missed a couple–picking nose in public or while driving, and how dare they call Native American property Indian?
Or chewing gum while driving?
Smoking while chewing gum?
Have they outlawed mullets yet?
Recommending learning to code?
Memes that make fun of them?
Pathetic!