Vermont’s senior human trafficking official strongly opposes a bill to legalize prostitution, she told the House Judiciary Committee Wednesday.
Vermont Attorney General T. J. Donovan, legislative leaders and advocates gathered Thursday at the Statehouse to press for the adoption this year of a bill that would establish a tax-and-regulate system for commercial cannabis.
The House Committee on General, Housing, and Military Affairs committee met Wednesday to discuss Gov. Phil Scott’s alternate plan for a state-employee-focused paid family leave program that allows other Vermonters to join in.
On the Legislature’s first day back, the “bill mill” resumed at a rapid pace as House Democratic Caucus leaders gave members two minutes each to pitch new ideas to would-be co-sponsors.
A dozen candidates for political offices including lieutenant governor, secretary of state, state auditor, three Senate seats and six House seats announced their candidacies Monday morning at a joint news conference at the Statehouse.
In all seriousness, how do our representatives expect us to pay for all of this? There are only about 320,000 taxpayers in Vermont. This ever-growing burden on so few shoulders is crushing. It has to stop.
House Education Committee Chair Kate Webb (D-Shelburne) a month ago emailed the Vermont Daily Chronicle a preliminary bullet list of 2020 committee priorities.
Last weekend’s shooting at a Texas church and stabbings at a New Jersey Hannukah celebration demonstrate that houses of worship must be able to defend themselves from murderous attackers, Vermont Traditions Coalition Firearms Policy Expert Bill Moore said in an interview following the attacks.
The Vermont Legislature reconvenes Tuesday, Jan. 7 for the second year of the 2019-20 biennium. Here are key issues that may get attention, as indicated by between-session legislative committee activity and media reports.
Members of the Vermont House Judiciary Committee have sponsored extensive legislation on racial bias, criminal sentencing, domestic violence, drug possession, gun restrictions, and other issues related to courts and crime.
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Christine Hallquist asked on Twitter, “Okay, Vermont, when are you going to pass a homeless bill of rights?” To this question Vermont HBR advocates could very well answer, “We tried to pass one in 2018 and it didn’t go so well.”
The Transportation and Climate Initiative (TCI) will be the “banner bill” for the Vermont Legislature Climate Solutions Caucus in 2020, Sen. Chris Pearson, D/P–Chittenden, told about 50 climate-minded lawmakers and advocates at an informal State House meeting Wednesday morning.