SmartTranscript of House Session: 2025-02-11-10:00 a.m.

Select text to play as a video clip.

[Chair [Unknown]]: Will the house please come to order and members kindly take their seats? Good morning. A very special treat for you. The devotional today will be led by David Robinson of Brattleboro, who is an army veteran with the k nine unit. [Speaker 1 ]: Good morning. [David Robinson]: Good morning. In my life, I have made many promises, many of which I failed to keep. But when I was eighteen years old, I took the oath of enlistment into United States Army. I swore to upend uphold and defend the constitution of the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic and to obey all orders of my superiors. That was a heavy lift for being eighteen years old. It was quite the weight on my shoulders of the magnitude. That was not a promise. That was an oath. I also agreed to, live my life through core values such as loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity, and personal courage. I encourage every person in this room to look into their hearts and take a moment to reflect on the power of an oath and what that means. Thank you very [Speaker 1 ]: much. [Chair [Unknown]]: Members, will you please rise as Paige Dean Roy of Stowe leads us in the pledge of allegiance. [Member from St. Albans Town]: I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. [Chair [Unknown]]: Members, we have nineteen, house bills for introduction today. With that member from Saint Albans Town, can you please offer us a motion to suspend rules to introduce bills by number only? [Member from St. Albans Town]: Madam speaker, I make a motion to suspend our rules to introduce bills by number only. [Chair [Unknown]]: The member from St. Albans Town 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 ayes appear to have it. The ayes do have it, and you have suspended rules to introduce bills by number only. Please listen to the first reading of bills by number only. H one seventy two. To general and housing. H one seventy three. To general and housing. H one seventy four. To general and housing. H one seventy five. To general and housing. H one seventy six. To corrections and institutions. H one seventy seven. Two ways and means. H one seventy eight. Two ways and means. H one seventy nine. To education. H one eighty. To education. H one eighty one. To energy and digital infrastructure. H one eighty two. To government operations and military affairs. H one eighty three. To judiciary. H one eighty four. To human services. H one eighty five. To health care. H one eighty six. To judiciary. H one eighty seven. To transportation. H one eighty eight. To transportation. H one eighty nine. To judiciary. And h one nine. To judiciary. Member, we members, we have a bill on the notice calendar requiring referral to a money committee pursuant to house rule thirty five a. House Bill forty four is an act relating to miscellaneous amendments to the laws governing impaired driving, carrying an appropriation. The bill is referred to the committee on appropriations. Members, we have received a request to read a house concurrent resolution that the house and the senate adopted pursuant to the consent calendar. HCR twenty five is a house concurrent resolution recognizing the vital role of Vermont two one one on its twentieth anniversary and recognizing February eleventh twenty twenty five as national two one one day in Vermont. Please listen to the reading of the resolution. [Speaker 4 ]: Whereas United Way of Vermont operates Vermont two one one, a nationally accredited health and human services helpline that provides a twenty four seven statewide information and referral service. And whereas, Vermont two one one provides streamlined easy access to over one thousand community based agencies offering twenty nine hundred programs and ten thousand eight hundred services via text, phone, email, and website. And whereas a team of eleven trained empathetic community resource specialists is employed at Vermont two one one, and it is able and is able to help Vermonters assess their needs in a safe and confidential manner. And whereas Vermont two one one received over fifty seven thousand contacts via phone calls, texts, and emails in twenty twenty four, resulting in over twelve thousand five hundred referrals for programs and services. And whereas the most commonly requested services were for basic needs, such as access to housing, food, and utilities, and Vermont two one one helps to maintain the integrity of the nine one one system as a responder to nonemergency calls. And whereas the Department for Children and Families receives invaluable support from Vermont two one one through the management of after hours general assistance calls. And whereas Vermont two one one works with Vermont Emergency Management Services in the course of regional, statewide, and national emergencies, such as flooding and pandemics. And whereas, the member organizations of the Food Security Roadmap Coalition value Vermont two one one as an essential partner and essential tool for the provision of robust services. And whereas, Vermont two one one is celebrating twenty years of service as an essential community resource, Now therefore be it resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives that the General Assembly recognizes the vital role of Vermont two one one on its twentieth anniversary and recognizes February eleventh twenty twenty five as national two one one day in Vermont. And be it further resolved that the secretary of state be directed to send a copy of this resolution to Vermont two one one. [Chair [Unknown]]: Are there any announcements? Member from Brattleboro? [Member from Brattleboro]: Thank you, madam speaker. On behalf of the members of Brattleboro, I'm proud to introduce David Robinson, the sergeant of arms for my beloved American American Legion Post five in Brattleboro. David is a tireless advocate for veterans and their families, both in Brattleboro and across the state, a gentle lover of animals and a great defender of democracy, our town, our state, and our country are better for David's love and service. Madam speaker, join me in welcoming David to the state house and thank him for his service and the touching devotional. [Chair [Unknown]]: Will the guest of the member from Brattleboro please rise and be recognized? Member from Waterbury. [Member from Waterbury]: Thank you, madam speaker. Today's date is February eleventh, otherwise known as two eleven. And we just heard the rez reading of the resolution honoring the twentieth anniversary of Vermont's two one one program. And today, I'm really pleased to introduce some special guests we have with us here today. And many of you, might not be familiar with the fact that the United Ways in Vermont, that two one one is a program of the United Ways. We heard how instrumental two one one is to all Vermonters and particularly in times of need when people are looking to access resources, looking to access emergency housing, looking to access child care, looking to, report damage from, one of our disasters that that, you know, unfortunately, we've been plagued with in recent years. But they're a statewide resource. They're a twenty four seven resource and a resource that we have come to value and appreciate here in the state of Vermont. They have trained staff available three hundred and sixty five days a year. You get access to a real live person on the other end of the phone if you need a real live person. And Vermonters really have come to rely on two one one for help, in their times of need. Please join me in recognizing several guests that have joined us today, from United Ways and from two one one specifically. We have executive directors from Green Mountain Lemoyo and Addison County United Ways. They are here along with the executive director, Elizabeth Gilman, and a staff person from two one one. And please welcome to the People's House there in the balcony. Thank you. [Chair [Unknown]]: Will the guest of the member from Waterbury please rise and be recognized? Are there any further announcements, member from Bradford? [Member from Bradford]: Madam speaker, I have a guest in the balcony. Elizabeth Daley is a member of the youth voice committee of the Vermont youth state youth council. She also attended the Governor's Institute on Global Issues and Youth Action. She's a junior at Lamoyo Union High School and a resident of Johnson. Could the body please help me welcome her to the people's house? [Chair [Unknown]]: Will the guest of the member from Bradford please rise and be recognized? Member from Berkshire. [Member from Berkshire]: Good morning. In the statehouse today are students from Richford Junior Senior High School and their instructors, miss Liz Erickson and mister Wesley Kempton. They're from the expected speaking, communications, current events, and civics classes at RHS. They will be meeting with their legislators, touring the state house and the Supreme Court to learn more about what we do here. Madam speaker, would you kindly welcome them to the People's House? They are seated in the balcony. [Chair [Unknown]]: Will the guests of the member from Berkshire please rise and be recognized? Member from Dover. [Member from Dover]: Madam speaker, tomorrow is Wednesday. Wednesday is rural caucus meeting day. We will be meeting at eight AM in room ten, and all are welcome. [Chair [Unknown]]: Are there any further announcements? Seeing none, orders of the day. We have one bill on our action calendar this morning. House Bill one eighteen is an act relating to expanding the scope of hate motivated crimes. Please listen to the third reading of the bill. [Member from Brattleboro]: H one eighteen, an act relating to expanding the scope of hate motivated crimes. [Chair [Unknown]]: 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. Nay. The ayes appear to have it. The ayes do have it, and you have passed the bill. Members, that completes the orders of the day. Are there any announcements, member from Brattleboro? [Speaker 10 ]: Thank you, madam speaker. This is a hastily organized announcement. People from the Governors Institutes of Vermont are out in the card room today. Governors Institutes, as people may know, offer an adventure of learning and community for high school students. There are numerous programs. They have it's a wonderful, wonderful organization, and I urge you to go check out their information in the card room. I have a personal experience with the governor's institute on the arts. My husband taught there for ten years. Two of my children attended as high school students and then worked there. And it's it's a very enriching and positive organization. So I believe that they are just sitting down here. Director, not sure. Anyway, please give them a warm welcome. [Chair [Unknown]]: Will the guest of the member from Brattleboro please rise and be recognized? Are there any further announcements, member, from Essex Junction? [Member from Essex Junction]: Madam speaker, the Democratic caucus will meet fifteen minutes after the floor in room eleven here in the state house building. We are not in the pavilion. We are here in room eleven. Thank you. [Chair [Unknown]]: Member from Saint Albans Town. [Member from St. Albans Town]: Madam speaker, house Republicans will caucus fifteen minutes on adjournment in room ten. [Chair [Unknown]]: Member from Burlington. [Member from Burlington]: Madam speaker, house progressives will caucus at noon in the pavilion in room two seventy today where we'll be receiving guests from all over the state. [Member from St. Albans Town]: Thank you. [Chair [Unknown]]: Are there any further announcements? Seeing none, member from St. Albans Town, member from Barre Town. [Speaker 1 ]: Thank you. This is another hasty introduction. The Vermont Nurses Association and a couple of other affiliated groups are here today for advocacy day. And would you please help us welcome them to the people's house? Thank you. [Chair [Unknown]]: Will the guest of the member from Barre Town please rise and be recognized? Are there any further announcements? Seeing none. Member from Saint Albans Town, can you please offer us a motion to adjourn until Wednesday, February twelfth twenty twenty five at three PM? [Member from St. Albans Town]: Madam speaker, I make a motion that this body stand in adjournment until Wednesday, February twelfth at three PM. [Chair [Unknown]]: 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. Ayes appear to have it. The ayes do have it, and this body stands in adjournment until tomorrow at three PM.
Select text if you'd like to play only a clip.

This transcript was computer-produced using some AI. Like closed-captioning, it won't be fully accurate. Always verify anything important by playing a clip.

Speaker IDs are still experimental