SmartTranscript of House Session: 2025-02-28-9:30 a.m.

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[Madam Speaker]: Will the house please come to order and members kindly take their seats? Good morning. Good morning. The devotional today will be led by representative Will Greer Bennington. [Representative Will Greer]: Thank you, madam speaker. Thank you, members. Good morning. It's hard to believe that we've been in this chamber for two months. Today is February twenty eighth twenty twenty five. Originally, I was going to speak from scripture. My uncle Don was a Southern Baptist preacher in Little Rock, Arkansas, so I knew I could find some inspiration from him on that. But I am sorry, uncle Don. I'm not gonna do that today. And, of course, I thought I could find a poem that would encompass the meaning I was trying to pass along. But shockingly, too, there are way many way too many of those to choose from. However, unbeknownst to me at the time of arranging this devotional that I was choosing today, February twenty eighth, our last day before town meeting week. But it's also another special day. You see, every four years, there's this little holiday, if you can call it that, that many of us skip right over, leap day. And no, you did not forget, tomorrow is not leap day. It is a new month. It is a new day. It is simply a normal day. But leap day is that extra day that sets us straight or at least some of us a little more straight, on our celestial orbit around the sides. But what if but what if today I gave you a challenge? Instead of going into your meetings, your weekend plans, your town meeting celebrations, if we can call it that, What if I asked you to give yourself an extra day, your very own leap day? An extra day not for working, not for dreaming, or even for sleeping, although I do love my beauty rest, but to be. What would you do? Who would you see? Where would you go? Who would you choose to be? And as I thought about those questions and what I would do on my own leap day, I came to a stark reality. There's no such thing as an extra day. There are simply just days. And leap day was, is, and always will be a cleverly disguised construct that we've created that tries to perfect the continuous passage of time. And if time were in appropriation, chances are you wouldn't have much of it these days. But members, we define each day we are given. Some will be better than others. Some will be filled with happiness, love, kindness, and every piece of the puzzle in this game of life will just fit without even trying, while other days will find us at our lowest, weakest, and most vulnerable points. We are not entitled to either one of those kinds of days, But we do have the anchors, we have the oars, and we have the sails to navigate through either calming or crashing waves. And even the waves, whatever whoever they may be, have a choice on whether they will sink or save your ship. So, members, every day is your own leap day. [Madam Speaker]: Members, we have thirty house bills for introduction today. With that member from Poltenay, can you please offer us a motion to suspend our rules to introduce bills by number only? [Member from Poultney]: Madam speaker, I make a motion to suspend rules in order to introduce bills by number only. [Madam Speaker]: The member from Poultney moves that we suspend our rules to introduce bills by number only. Are you ready for the question? If so, all those in favor, please say aye. Aye. All those opposed, please say nay. The eyes appear to have it. The eyes do have it, and you have suspended our rules to introduce bills by number only. Please listen to the first reading of bills by number only. [Reading Clerk or Legislative Aide]: H four twenty six. [Madam Speaker]: To transportation. H four twenty seven. To judiciary. H four twenty eight. To judiciary. H four twenty nine. To general and housing. [Reading Clerk or Legislative Aide]: H four thirty. [Madam Speaker]: To health care. [Reading Clerk or Legislative Aide]: H four thirty one. [Madam Speaker]: To health care. [Reading Clerk or Legislative Aide]: H four thirty two. [Madam Speaker]: To health care. [Reading Clerk or Legislative Aide]: H four thirty three. [Madam Speaker]: To health care. H four thirty four. To environment. H four thirty five. To judiciary. [Reading Clerk or Legislative Aide]: H four thirty six. [Madam Speaker]: To corrections and institutions. H four thirty seven. To general and housing. H four thirty eight. To ways and means. [Reading Clerk or Legislative Aide]: H four thirty nine. [Madam Speaker]: To general and housing. [Reading Clerk or Legislative Aide]: H four forty. [Madam Speaker]: To general and housing. H four forty one. To education. [Reading Clerk or Legislative Aide]: H four forty two. [Madam Speaker]: To government operations and military affairs. [Reading Clerk or Legislative Aide]: H four thirty forty three. [Madam Speaker]: To ways and means. [Reading Clerk or Legislative Aide]: H four forty four. [Madam Speaker]: To commerce and economic development. H four forty five. To general and housing. [Reading Clerk or Legislative Aide]: H four forty six. [Madam Speaker]: To government operations and military affairs. [Reading Clerk or Legislative Aide]: H four forty seven. [Madam Speaker]: To agriculture, food resiliency, and forestry. H four forty eight. To government operations and military affairs. H four forty nine. To government operations and military affairs. H four fifty. To government operations and military affairs. [Reading Clerk or Legislative Aide]: H four fifty one. [Madam Speaker]: To general and housing. [Reading Clerk or Legislative Aide]: H four fifty two. [Madam Speaker]: To human services. [Reading Clerk or Legislative Aide]: H four fifty three. [Madam Speaker]: To environment. [Reading Clerk or Legislative Aide]: H four fifty four. [Madam Speaker]: To education. And h four fifty five. To government operations and military affairs. Members, we will now read a house concurrent resolution offered by all members of the house. HCR forty eight is a house concurrent resolution in memory of former representative Kurt McCormick of Burlington. Please listen to the reading of the resolution. [Reading Clerk or Legislative Aide]: Whereas Kurt McCormick was a passionate environmental advocate who worked diligently to reduce sources of air pollution and encourage vermonters transportation choices in a direction issuing cars and airplanes. And whereas a licensed electrician by profession, Kurt McCormick desire to serve his fellow citizens in the legislative arena and contribute in an enduring beneficial impact on both environmental and transportation policy twice sparked him to stand for a seat in the General Assembly. And whereas in nineteen eighty two, he won election to the House of Representatives as a member from Rutland City. And during this first legislative foray, which extended to late nineteen ninety five, he chaired the House Committee with environmental jurisdiction and was a national pioneer in leading a state effort to limit the use of chlorofluor fluorocarbons. And whereas he departed from the general assembly to serve as the Vermont bicycle pedestrian coordinator at the Department of Transportation, a role that enabled him to implement facilities for human powered transportation. And whereas in twenty twelve, having relocated to Burlington, Kurt McCormack won election from the city's downtown Old North End District, starting a new five term legislative tenure that featured his service as the unusually Carlos House Committee on Transportation chair. Coincided with the extension to Burlington of the Ethan Allen Express Amtrak rail service, which he was instrumental in establishing years earlier and included his election as a University of Vermont trustee. And whereas he was a Peace Corps volunteer who established a recycling facility in Joel, Senegal, a cyclist who bicycle extensively in North America and Europe, a painter and a music fan whose diverse melodic pleasures range from Bob Dylan to opera. And whereas Kurt McCormick died of cancer on September sixteenth twenty twenty four at seventy two years of age, and his survivors include his partner, Lisa Scofield, and his children, grandchildren, and siblings, including former senator Richard McCormick. Now, therefore, be it resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives that the General Assembly extended sincere condolences to the family of former representative Kurt McCormick of Burlington. And be it further resolved that the secretary of state be directed to send a copy of this resolution to the members of Kurt McCormick's family. [Madam Speaker]: Are there any announcements member from Brattleboro? [Member from Brattleboro]: Madam Speaker, we just heard the reading of the resolution honoring former member Kurt McCormick. The outlines of his life and service are impressive. Let me fill in some of the space between the lines. Many members here remember Kurt fondly. He was a kind and gentle soul, a rare individual, a committed environmentalist who lived his values rather than talked about them. As we heard in the resolution, Kirk did not own a car. This made headlines when he was appointed chair of House Transportation. And at one point in his tenure as chair, Kurt traveled around the state by bicycle train and public transit to visit each member of the committee staying at our homes. He went from Burlington to Fairfax to Swanton to ST Johnsbury to Concord to White River to Brattleboro, Bennington, Clarendon, Powd Null and back to Burlington, emphasizing all on his bike bus and Amtrak train. It was a lovely gesture, one that honored each member of our committee and also set an example for sustainable transportation options. The rest of the McCormick family has made an equally impressive contribution to our state. Kurt's daughter Blythe was a legislative page. His former wife, Virginia, served in the House and brother Dick just retired after thirty six years in the Vermont Senate. A number of family members are here with us today. Kurt's beloved companion and partner Lisa Scofield, brother and former Senator Dick McCormick, daughter Blythe McCormick, son James McCormick, daughter-in-law Amanda McCormick, former wife and mother of their Children, Virginia McCormick, grandchildren, Mason and Liam McCormick, and nephews, Aaron and Noah McCormick. Today also happens to be Kurt's birthday. And I just found out it is is his grandson Mason's birthday as well. Kurt had a joyous spirit. He was a fabulous role model, friend to many, and my dear friend. Please join me in welcoming the McCormick family. [Madam Speaker]: Will the guests of the member of from Breville, please rise and be recognized. Are there any further announcements, member from Westminster? [Member from Westminster]: Madam Speaker, today I am honored to introduce a group of visiting six to twelfth grade four h youth leaders to our chamber. The four h program provides young people the opportunity to develop a wide range of skills and knowledge from farming to citizenship. The students are here to learn about the legislative process and how to advocate for issues they care about. They met with our secretary of state and myself this morning and will be in the building until noon. They would be glad to connect with other legislators. Please welcome from Washington County, Katie and Josh Parker. From Chittenden County, Josefina, Kasia Hare, Celia Cruz, Jane Curry, Anna Minor, Andrew Shattuck, Remington Card. From Franklin County, Emma Babak and Anna Minor. From Windsor County, Sophia Fores. From Addison County, Caroline and Thomas Allen, and Olivia and Marissa Gordon, from Caledonia County, Casimo Franklin, and from Grand Isle, Logan Russell. Visiting with the students, our four h educator, Molly McFon, who happens to be the daughter of our own Topper McFaughn, who is from Barre Town, also Amy Miller, who is assistant director of four h, and other adults, friend, and family members from around Vermont. Please join me in welcoming our students, mentors, and staff from four h today. They are seated in the balcony. Will the guest [Madam Speaker]: Will the guest, the member from Westminster, please rise and be recognized? Are there any further announcements, member from Berkshire? [Member from Berkshire]: Thank you. On Tuesday, March eleventh, the day that we come back, the National Guard and Veterans Affairs Caucus will be meeting at eight AM in room ten. A Zoom link will be sent out on Monday, March tenth. So if you can't join us in person, you can join via Zoom. Thank you. [Madam Speaker]: Member from Coventry. [Member from Coventry]: Thank you, madam speaker. Today in a card room, we have, members of learn, serve, learn, and earn. Serve, learn, and earn is a, a group of our, nonprofits who provide, workforce training for our youth and young adults in the state. They're comprised of the Vermont youth conservation corp from, Vermont works for women, Vermont Audubon and resource. They've provided over the years, extremely important certifications and trainings for our youth and young adults that have raised their lives up and make them gives them the skills that they need in order to participate in our economy and our workforce. They're they're here today with their executive director Kate Glutman. And, they also have brought some participants of those, different trainings. I hope you all will be able to stop in the card room, have a discussion with them and understand just how much and how important this, this, serve, learn and earn is to our economy and to our workforce. They're seated in the gallery and please welcome them to the people's house. Thank you. [Madam Speaker]: Will the guest of the member from Coventry please rise and be recognized? Are there any further announcements member from Springfield? [Member from Springfield]: Madam speaker, I would move I'm sorry about my voice. I would move that the remarks from the member from Bradborough honoring representative McCormick, be generalized. [Madam Speaker]: The member from Springfield moves that the remarks of the member from Brattleboro be generalized. Are you ready for the question? If so, all those in favor, please say aye. Aye. All those opposed, please say no. Nay. The ayes appear to have it. The ayes do have it, and you have generalized the remarks of the member from Brattleboro. Are there any further announcements? Member from Hyde Park. [Member from Hyde Park]: Thank you, madam speaker. It is my honor to welcome folks from the Vermont Association of Court Diversion and Pretrial. The in nineteen and two twenty twenty four, the VCADP served two thousand five hundred adults and youth referred to prosecuted by prosecutors to court diversion in Tamarac. Seventy two percent of the court diversion cases closed successfully. The cost of resolving diversion cases is fifteen percent of the cost of cases going to court. Staff used restorative justice to hold people accountable and meet the victim's needs. Please welcome to the People's House today, the dedicated professionals from all counties who are here today. Thank you, madam speaker. [Madam Speaker]: Will the guest of member from Hyde Park please rise and be recognized? Are there any further announcements? Member from Brattleboro. [Member from Berkshire]: Madam speaker, the final workshop in the ways and means committee's tax workshop series is today at noon in room eleven. Hope you can join us. [Madam Speaker]: Are there any further announcements? Seeing none. Orders of the day. Members, we have one bill on our action calendar today. That's house bill three thirty nine, which is an act to removing the repeal of seven VSEA section two thirty. Please listen to the third reading of the bill. [Representative Will Greer]: It's page three thirty nine. An act relating to removing the repeal of seven VSA section two thirty. [Madam Speaker]: The question is shall the bill pass? Are you ready for the question? If so, all those in favor, please say aye. Aye. All those opposed, please say nay. The eyes appear to have it. The eyes do have it, and you have passed the bill. Members that completes the orders of the day. Are there any announcements? Member from Essex. [Reading Clerk or Legislative Aide]: Madam speaker, house health care will be meeting ten minutes after the fall of the gavel. [Madam Speaker]: Are there any further announcements? See none. Member from Poltenay, can you please offer us a motion to adjourn until Tuesday, March eleventh at ten AM? [Member from Poultney]: Madam speaker, I make a motion this body stand in adjournment until Tuesday, March eleventh two thousand twenty five at ten AM. [Madam Speaker]: You have heard the motion. Are you ready for the question? If so, all those in favor, please say aye. Aye. All those opposed, please say nay. Aye. The ayes appear to have it. The ayes do have it, and this body stands in adjournment until Tuesday, March eleventh at ten AM.
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