SmartTranscript of Senate Session - April 16, 2025

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[129 seconds of silence] [Chair (or President)]: Thank you. Are there any announcements? We have sent bills for introduction. An act relating to requirements for older drivers to renew operators' licenses introduced by senator Clarkson and others. First reading the bill. [Clerk or Legislative Secretary]: S one fifty two, an act relating to requirements for older drivers to renew operators' licenses. [Chair (or President)]: Now you've heard the first reading of the bill, and it's referred to the committee on I have h four fifty four, an act relating to transforming Vermont's education governance, quality and finance system that passed out April ninth twenty twenty five. Please listen to the first reading of the bill. [Clerk or Legislative Secretary]: H four fifty four, an act relating to transforming Vermont's education governance, quality, and finance systems. [Chair (or President)]: Having failed to meet crossover, but having been given free free a referral release from the committee on rules for temporary senate rule forty four a, the bill is referred to the committee of jurisdiction, which is education. We have House proposal of amendment S9. Oh, we're passing over S9. We have page ten for third reading. Are there any amendments? This is for the third reading. [Clerk or Legislative Secretary]: No. H ten, an act relating to approval of amendments to the charter of the city of Barrie. [Chair (or President)]: Question is shown bill passed in concurrence with proposal of amendment. Are you ready for the question? If so, all in favor say aye. Aye. All opposed nay. The ayes have it and we have passed h ten in concurrence with the proposal. We now have H one hundred and eighteen, an act relating for expanding the scope of hate motivated crimes. It passed the house on February eleventh twenty twenty five and was referred to the committee on judiciary. It reports it has considered the bill and recommends that it ought to pass in concurrence. Listen for the second reading of the bill. [Clerk or Legislative Secretary]: H one eighteen, an act relating to expanding the scope of hate motivated crimes. [Chair (or President)]: I recognize the senator from Kitten and Central, senator Bietkowski, for the report of the committee on judiciary. [Senator Bietkowski]: Thank you, mister president. This is a simple but important and meaningful change to our current statutes regarding hate crimes. In title thirteen, chapter thirty one, our chapter on discrimination, a there is a statement of purpose. And that statement of purpose reads, the legislature finds and declares that it is the right of every person to enjoy the public peace and that sense of security and tranquility afforded by the protection of the law, and that wrongful activity is motivated by hatred towards particular classes or groups of persons, invade that protection. It goes on to say some more, but that's the really critical aspect of that statement of purpose. And our current Vermont hate crime statute does not actually live up to this statement of purpose, as it only applies directly to a specific victim who is a member of a protected group. When a hate crime happens, it, of course, affects the targeted victim if there is a targeted victim, as sometimes hate crimes, in fact, are targeted at an [Chair (or President)]: entire group without a specific victim. [Senator Bietkowski]: For example, a swastika painted on a victim. For example, a swastika painted on a public building. There is no specific victim. It's a whole group, and our current statute would not apply. However, additionally, it also it even if there is a specific victim, that hate crime affects the broader group of the targeted victims. When three Palestinian men were shot in Burlington, this crime, of course, impacted them and their families, but it also rippled out and had impact through the entire Palestinian community in Vermont. These important, meaningful, and frankly, minimal changes in this bill seek to recognize these realities and will help our hate crime statutes do what we intended them to do. It changes references to an individual victim to language that includes another person's or group of people, and it changes there's con there's conforming change as well that it no longer applies to the actual or perceived membership in a protected category, but it expands to the group membership. In Vermont in twenty twenty one, there were forty one reported instances of hate crimes. And by twenty twenty three, that had risen to fifty three. It's highly likely that this is a greatly underreported crime. It is important to remember that our current hate crime statutes do not infringe on the first amendment as they are enhancements to an underlying crime, not a crime themselves. Meaning that a crime must first occur for the hate crime enhancement to be used. This bill does nothing to change that and simply expands the definition of who the hate crime can be against, from an individual victim to a group of people because of their membership in a specific group or perceived membership. We heard that as the current statute stands, if someone were to vandalize my home and wrote anti Ukrainian slurs on my home, that I would not be able to seek redress under the hate crime statute because the victim of the vandalism is my landlord and not me as the renter of the property. This bill would solve that problem and will align our hate crime statute with the legislature's stated intent in Title thirteen, Chapter thirty one. With the significant rise in hate crimes we are seeing, this is a timely and important language change to fully realize the goals that we have stated to combat discrimination and hate. I also want to take a moment to express solidarity and care and support to any victim of a hate crime, whether they reported that crime or not. We heard from the Office of Racial Equity, the Attorney General, and Legislative Counsel, and your committee, senate committee on judiciary voted five zero zero to update this important statute, and we ask for the senate's support. [Chair (or President)]: The question is, shall the bill be read a third time? Are you ready for the question? If so, all in favor say aye. Aye. All opposed nay. The ayes have it. And you have ordered third reading of h one eighteen. That completes the orders of the day. Senator from Chittenden Central. Thank you, mister president. Pending announcements, I would move that the senate stand in adjournment until one PM, Thursday, April seventeenth. Are there any announcements? Senator from Chittenden Central. [Senator from Chittenden Central]: I rise with an announcement following in the footsteps of my colleague from Windsor yesterday, who I don't see in the chamber right now. Many are feeling helpless right now, not knowing what to do in the face of a cruel and toxic president and administration. We senators could can do what is within the scope of the Legislature. We can draft policy right resolutions and pass bills. But at least attempt to improve the lives of Vermonters. But we can also use this position of privilege to speak up and not sit quietly while the president of the United States and his people trigger a constitutional crisis and cause great moral and economic harm to our state. Crippling tariffs, draining of beloved institutions, mass firings, tax cuts for the wealthy, and most terrifyingly, the unlawful abduction of Vermonters. So I invite my senate colleagues, one on each day until the end of the session, to stand and speak in defiance of this president and this administration. And I leave you with these lines from the fifth amendment of the US constitution. No person shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of the law. Thank you, mister president. [Chair (or President)]: Secretary, you correct me if I'm wrong. Thank you for your statement, and everybody is welcome to make a statement. And because the senator from Windsor and you were into your statements, I believe we're supposed to ask when we do something like that to speak on a point of personal privilege. So when people stand up, it's generally I've never seen it not granted to a senator, but I believe protocol is to ask for a point of to speak on a point of personal privilege. Senator from Tintin Central. [Senator from Chittenden Central]: I did discuss the matter with the secretary and because it's actually not personal necessarily to me, but it's a statement, we felt it was okay to make it as an announcement. [Chair (or President)]: Okay. I thank you for that. I just I know when I was sitting there, I generally did and sometimes maybe didn't need to, but thank you. Are there any further announcements? Senator from Essex. Thank you, mister president. Tonight, we have Retail Groceries, Association's reception of the Capital Plaza, six to eight. Very great place to be, drinks and food. I wouldn't miss it. It's a good event. Thank you, mister president. Are there any further announcements, senator from Washington? Thank [Speaker 4 ]: you, mister president. Senate finance will be at one thirty. [Chair (or President)]: Senator from Washington. Thank you, mister president. Senate appropriation will meet at one twenty nine. Senator from Rutland. Thank you, mister president. Senate government operations will meet at one twenty eight. Are there any further announcements, senator from Wyndham? Thank you, mister president. I will refrain and just say that senate institutions will meet at one thirty. Senator from Windsor. [Speaker 4 ]: Good afternoon, everybody. Farmers' night is over. However, it's not over for next year, and I thank you. I just wanna thank you all for those of you who did come to Farmers' Night. It is it was just such a great season, and we had on average about a hundred and fifty people at each performance. It was just amazingly successful, and it's a wonderful way for us [Senator from Chittenden Central]: to open our doors, [Speaker 4 ]: and celebrate the incredible talent that's in Vermont. As you all know, it's the showcase, really, for the best of Vermont talent. And I would ask you, for those of you who represent large districts, which all of us do, to please give us well, I represent Farmers' Night in this chamber. If you would be kind enough to share ideas for next year because we're gonna be beginning to book Farmers' Night for next year, and I would love to have all the best ideas from this chamber. So thank you very much. Thank you all for attending, and day for Farmers' Day. Thanks. [Chair (or President)]: Senator from Chittenden. [Speaker 4 ]: Thank you, [Senator Bietkowski]: mister president. I would like to request that the statement from the other senator from Chittenden Central will be generalized should she so choose. [Chair (or President)]: The senator from Chit Moon Central has requested that the Chit Moon from the senator from Chit Moon Central's remarks be generalized. Are you ready for the question? If so, all in favor, please say aye. Aye. All those opposed, nay. The ayes have it and motion carries. Are there any further announcements? Seeing none, the Senator from Chittenden Central has moved that we adjourn until one p. M. Thursday, April seventeenth, twenty twenty five. Are you ready for the question? If so, all in favor, say aye. Aye. All opposed, nay. The ayes have it and we've adjourned till one o'clock PM, Thursday, April seventeenth, twenty twenty
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