SmartTranscript of House Session: 2025-05-07-1:00 p.m.

[Chair]: Will the house please come to order and members kindly take their seats? Good afternoon. The devotional today will be led by former representative Peter Anthony of Barrie City. [Speaker 1 ]: I guess it's about the time to say, buck up. This too shall pass. As I often do, it's my pleasure to read some works from young Vermonters published by the Young Writers Project of Burlington and published, in many, many local, papers. This particular, first offering, is by Phoebe, age fourteen, from Huntington. The second piece is by someone I'm sure many of you know, a poet who has a bent towards naturalist themes, Mary Oliver. With that, things to remember by Phoebe. You are not a number. You are not a letter. You are not something that can be measured on a scale with a beginning and an end. You are allowed to change. You are allowed to shift from one to another. You are allowed to react one way and differently later. You are allowed to talk differently or like different things than before. You are allowed to stand up for yourself when someone assumes you are the same person you were a year ago. You are allowed to change your style or your hair or the way you wear jewelry, allowed to have your identity shift, and allowed to say something and take it back, and not have anyone judge you for it. You are growing, adapting, seeking the things that satisfy you. It's okay to change your mind or even have the very basis of those things shift. You are human. By definition, you will never be stagnant, not when the earth is always changing and the universe is expanding, and the world is always changing too. You are just simply a part of that existence. And now from miss Oliver, the red bird explains himself. Yes, I was the brilliance floating over the snow, and I was the song in the summer leaves, but this was only the first trick. I had hold I had hold of among my other mythologies, for I also knew obedience, bringing sticks to the nest, foods to the young, kisses to the bride. But don't stop there. Stay with me. Listen. If I were the song that entered your heart, then I was the music of your heart that you wanted and needed, and thus wilderness wilderness bloomed there with all its flowers, gardeners, lovers, people who weep for the death of rivers. And this was my true task, to be the beaut music of the body. Do you understand? For truly, the body needs a song, a spirit, a soul, and no less to make this work. The soul needs a body, and I am both of the earth, and I am of the inexplicable beauty of heaven. Where I fly so easily, so become well so welcome, yes. And this is why I have been sent to teach you to this heart. Thank you. [Chair]: Members, we have one house bill for introduction today. House bill five fifteen is an act relating to in state tuition for non Vermont residents who do not have access to DEI programming in their home state post secondary institutions. Introduced by representative White of Bethel. Please listen to the first reading of the bill. [Speaker 2 ]: H five fifteen, an act relating to in state tuition for non Vermont residents who do not have access to DEI programming in their home state public post secondary institutions. [Chair]: Now the bill has been read the first time and is referred to the committee on education. Members, we have a joint senate resolution to take up at this time. J r s twenty five is a joint resolution relating to weekend adjournment on May ninth twenty twenty five. It was offered by senator Baruth and was read and adopted on the part of the senate. Please listen to the reading of the resolution. [Speaker 3 ]: Resolved by the senate and house of representatives that when the two houses adjourn on Friday, May ninth twenty twenty five, it'd be to meet again no later than Tuesday, May thirteenth twenty twenty five. [Chair]: Now you've heard the reading of the resolution and the question is, shall the house adopt the resolution and concurrent? Are you ready for the question? If so, all those in favor, please say aye. All those opposed, please say name. The eyes appear to have it. The eyes do have it in the resolution is adopted in concurrence. Are there any announcements Member from Berry City. [Member from Berry City/Representative Peter Anthony]: Thank you, madam speaker. I I rise to introduce someone who needs no introduction. He has served as our mayor, as the chair of our board of civil authority, our state representative, and, illustriously, the delegate to the Central Vermont Solid Waste Management District. He is a father, a husband, a mentor, and I have done my best, over the past few months to keep his chair warm and his legacy strong on the ways and means committee. And I would ask the body to welcome back the friend to all, the enemy to none, representative Peter Anthony. [Chair]: Will the former member please rise and be recognized? Are there any further announcements? Member from Bradford. [Speaker 5 ]: Madam Speaker, I have a guest in the gallery. Gavin Sanborn is a UVM senior. He was my intern this, this year, and this is the first time I've done an introduction for him. He is graduating with a BA in political science and economics. And after graduation, he's heading home to Maine, to try to work in the state house in Augusta. [Chair]: Will the guest member from Bradford please rise and be recognized? Are there any further announcements? Seeing none. Orders of the day. Members, we will begin with House Bill five zero four, which is an act relating to approval of amendments to the charter of the city of Rutland. Please listen to the third reading of the bill. [Speaker 3 ]: H five zero four, an act relating to approval of amendments to the charter of the city of Rutland. [Chair]: The question is shall the bill pass? Are you ready for the question? If so, all those in favor, please say aye. All those opposed, please say nay. The eyes appear to have it. The eyes do have it and you have passed the bill. Next is Senate Bill fifty one, which is an act relating to the Vermont unpaid caregiver tax credit. Please listen to the third reading of the bill. [Speaker 3 ]: S fifty one, an act relating to the Vermont unpaid caregiver tax credit. [Chair]: The question is, shall the bill pass in concurrence with proposal of amendment? Are you ready for the question? If so, all those in favor, please say aye. All those opposed, please say nay. The eyes appear to have it. The eyes do have it and you have passed the bill in concurrence with proposal of amendment. Next is Senate bill fifty six, which is an act relating to creating an office of new Americans. Please listen to the third reading of the bill. [Speaker 3 ]: As fifty six, an act relating to creating an office of new Americans. [Chair]: The question is, shall the bill pass in concurrence with proposal of amendment? Are you ready for the question? If so, all those in favor, please say aye. All those opposed, please say nay. The eyes appear to have it. The eyes do have it, and you have passed the bill in concurrence with proposal of amendment. Up next is house bill eighty nope. Senate bill eighty seven, which is an act relating to extradition procedures. The bill was referred to the committee on judiciary, which recommends that the house proposed to the senate to the amend the bill as printed in today's calendar. The member from Northfield, representative Gosselin, will speak for the committee. Please listen to the second reading of the bill. [Speaker 3 ]: S eighty seven and act relating to extradition procedures. [Chair]: Member from Northfield. [Member from Northfield/Representative Gosselin]: Thank you, madam Speaker. It's a lot of chirping going on up around here. I don't know why. Anyway, s eighty seven. Madam speaker, s eighty seven is a bill that involves changes to how extradition proceedings take place in Vermont. Your house judiciary committee found the bill to be favorable with an amendment. Let me be begin by giving you a brief description of what an extradition is. An extradition is how one state, which is called the holding state, delivers a person to another state, which is called the demanding state, when there is a warrant out for that person. To do that, the two states must follow an extradition process that involves the governors of both states in multiple state agencies. This process includes many steps that can take a long time. The bill addresses the time concerns in two ways. First, it extends the time it takes a holding state, may hold a person while the formal extradition process plays out. Second, sometimes a person was given the option to waive their right to a full extradition process when agreeing to conditions of release or conditions of pro probation in a demanding state. Currently, in Vermont, we do not recognize these pre signed waivers. H eighty seven fixes that I think it's supposed to be s eighty seven, just for the record. Fixes that so that in circumstances where there is a valid waiver, the person can be delivered back to the demanding state through this expedited process. Turning to the language of the bill found in today's calendar, Section one amends thirteen VSA forty nine fifty five by extending to ninety days the time it takes a person to be held by the holding state while awaiting the formal extradition process to be completed. Section two amends thirteen VSA forty nine fifty seven. The amendment shortens the amount of time. The holding state may request an extension to the time provided in thirteen BSA forty nine fifty five from sixty to thirty days. When reading the two sections together, current law allows for a maximum time in custody of the holding state for ninety days, and the amendment extends it to a hundred and twenty days. Section three, thirteen BSA forty nine sixty seven. Currently, the only waiver of extradition proceedings recognized in Vermont is one in which the accused signs a waiver in front of a Vermont judge. The amendment in this section recognizes the waiver of extradition previously signed by the accused in the demanding state as valid in Vermont. It directs a waiver to be treated as if the fugitive had signed a waiver in accordance with the procedures in Vermont. While the waiver is presumed valid, the fugitive may challenge whether the waiver is valid. But if the court finds that the waiver is valid, it may proceed as if the person had consented to return to the demanding state. Section four amends thirteen VSA five zero four three. This section amends the hearing process for the purpose of determining the lawfulness of the arrest. The amendment reflect reflects the extended period of holding allowed by section one, ninety days. Additionally, if the court is considering releasing the accused on bail, the court shall consider the evidence that the accused has fled justice to Vermont from another state when determining the risk of flight from prosecution. Section five, the effective date. This this act shall take will take effect on passage and will not affect extraditions in process at the time of enact enactment. The committee vote, in house judiciary was eleven zero zero. We ask for your support. We also heard, team lead legislative council, office of legislative council, director of policy, legislative affairs, attorney general's office, general counsel, governor's office, legislator slate of attorney, Vermont Department of State's attorneys and sheriffs, supervising attorney, defender general's office. I know I'm almost done. Assistant attorney general, attorney general's office, supervising attorney, appellate division, office of defender general, chief superior judge, burnout Vermont judiciary. And in closing, if anybody has any questions, the member from South Burlington will be more than happy to answer any questions. [Member from Newport City]: Thank you. [Chair]: The question is shall the house propose to the senate to amend the bill as recommended by the committee on judiciary. Are you ready for the question? Member from cap No. Are you ready for the question? If so, all those in favor, please say aye. All those oppose, please say nay. The eyes appear to have it. The eyes do have it and you have proposed to the Senate to amend the bill. Now the question is, shall the bill be read a third time? Are you ready for that question? If so, all those in favor, please say aye. All those opposed, please say nay. The eyes appear to have it. The eyes do have it. And third reading is ordered. Members, the final bill on our action calendar today is Senate Bill forty four, which is an act relating to authorization to enter into certain immigration agreements. The bill was referred to the committee on judiciary, which recommends that the bill ought to pass in concurrence. The member from Williston, representative Arsenal, will speak for the committee. Please listen to the second reading of the bill. [Speaker 3 ]: S forty four, an act relating to authorization to enter into to enter into certain immigration agreements. [Chair]: Member from Williston. [Speaker 8 ]: Madam Speaker, before the body is s forty four, an act relating to authorization to enter into certain immigration agreements, which can be found on the judiciary committee page on the general assembly website. You'll notice this is the same version that passed the Senate. No amendments are being offered by your judiciary committee. As the title suggests, this bill concerns the statute twenty VSA forty six fifty two which details how the state may enter into certain types of agreements with Federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement or ICE. The agreements to which this law refers are included in two federal statutes. The first is eight USC thirteen fifty seven g, which permits ICE to enter into agreements with state and local law enforcement agencies. These agreements allow ICE to delegate some of its immigration officer functions to state and local law enforcement officers under ICE's direction and oversight. The second federal statute included in s forty four is nineteen USC fourteen o one I, which similarly permits ICE to cross designate state and local law enforcement officers to investigate and enforce customs laws. Once trained, these local officers have the authority to enforce US customs laws and to perform the duties of ICE special agents. Current Vermont law permits only the governor, after consulting with the attorney general, to enter into immigration agreements with ICE. However, Vermont law also currently allows an exception to the governor's sole authority to enter into these agreements. In the case of a declaration of a state or national emergency where there are threats to public safety of Vermonters, a state, county, or municipal law enforcement agency is permitted to enter into these agreements without the approval or authorization of the governor. S forty four eliminates this exception and keeps the governor as the sole authority in Vermont to enter into these ICE delegation of authority agreements. We heard from the following witnesses, the executive director of the Vermont Criminal Justice Council, the director of policy and legislative affairs at the attorney general's office, general counsel for the governor's office, the advocacy director of the ACLU of Vermont, and legislative counsel from the office of legislative counsel. Testimony on this bill was favorable, and our committee voted unanimously eleven zero in support of s forty four. We hope the body will concur. [Chair]: The question is, shall the bill be read a third time? Are you ready for the question? If so, all those in favor, please say aye. All those opposed, please say nay. The eyes appear to have it. The eyes do have it. And third reading is ordered. Members that completes the orders of the day. Members, we will now read a house concurrent resolution that the House and Senate adopted pursuant to the consent calendar. HCR one twenty six is a house concurrent resolution congratulating the twenty twenty four spirit of the ADA award winners. Please listen to the reading of the resolution. [Speaker 9 ]: Whereas the state of Vermont is strongly committed to providing equal opportunities for all individuals regardless of disability, age, color, gender, national origin, race, religion or sexual orientation. And whereas one of Vermonters of all abilities are afforded the opportunity to contribute their personal gifts, skills and talents to the workforce, there is an enduring benefit from for all from individual collective and economic perspectives. And whereas annually, the governor's committee on the employment of people with disabilities honors selected businesses and nonprofit organizations that epitomize the spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act as recipients of the spirit of the A D A award. And whereas the criteria for Vermont business or nonprofit organization to be selected for this special award are creating an accessibility recruitment and hiring process, incorporating on the job accommodations for employees, offering accessible physical structures to ensure success for all employees and implementing an overall employee's employment strategy that includes the hiring of individuals with disabilities. And whereas the twenty twenty four spirit of the ADA award winners and their home communities are worth repeating are worth repeating, the St. Albans, Butterfly Bakery, Berry, Onion River Animal Hospital, Berlin, Vine Sanctuary, Springfield, Bradford, Hannaford Bradford, Club Demonstration Services, Colchester, Lamoille Valley Veterinary Services, Hyde Park, Shaw's Supermarket, Manchester Center, Wheelpad l three c, Wilmington, Windsor County Youth Services, Procter'sville, and Rhino Foods Burlington. And whereas Rhino Foods was especially honored as the twenty twenty four recipient [Member from Berry City/Representative Peter Anthony]: of [Speaker 9 ]: the David Sagge Memorial Spirit of the ADA award. And whereas each of these award recipients deserve special recognition for their active participation in the employment of Vermonters with disabilities. Now therefore, be it resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives that the General Assembly congratulates the twenty twenty four spirit of the ADA award winners and be it further resolved that the secretary of state be directed to send a copy of this resolution to each spirit of the ADA award recipient and to the governor's committee on the employment of people with disabilities. [Chair]: Are there any announcements, member, from Waterbury? [Speaker 10 ]: Thank you, madam speaker. We just heard we just heard a resolution honoring the spirit of ADA awards and the recipients of those awards in our community. The inclusion of all people with disabilities among us all in the community really enriches each and every one of us and all of our communities as they participate in many activities and just frankly live their lives among us in the communities. And one of the things that is particularly important is a welcoming environment and an employment opportunity, an opportunity where people can develop relationships just like we all do, among, colleagues and coworkers and the opportunity be to be part of a community within your work environment. And employers all around the state have done this for over four decades now, and people with disabilities have been welcomed into a wide variety of different employment situations. And I feel particularly, pleased this afternoon to recognize the recipients of those awards. And part of the things that help us in recognizing these employers is that they create an environment for individuals with disabilities to be employed within their business locations that relies on being accepted, something that we we all want to be accepted and to be valued in our workplaces, and that is not any different for individuals with disabilities. And often this happens through, assistance of some of our nonprofits, but it also happens through the assistance of coworkers and, people's supervisors and, customers who come, into those businesses and get to know, individuals. And this reliance on being accepted members of our communities is something that employers particularly, embrace. And so I really welcome and, hope the body welcomes these employers today. And I would now like to turn, yield the floor to the chair of, house commerce. [Chair]: The member from Waterbury yields to the member from Coventry. [Speaker 11 ]: So, Madam Speaker, your House Committee on Commerce and Economic Development, when we talk about workforce, we wanna make sure that, all Vermonters have the ability to, work in the state And, we're so happy to have, these businesses that provide a working a great working environment, for our, Vermonters with disabilities. I've had the opportunity to hire some people with disabilities in my business as well. I have found them to be some of the best employees that I've ever had. They're always on time for work. They're always cheerful. They always do a great job. And even when they're sick, they wanna be it. They wanna be, coming to work. So, it's it's really special, that these businesses are taking it, a step further and and looking for, employees that can enrich, their customer experience as well. And so, madam speaker, if you would welcome Rose Lucente and, all of the recipients of the, ADA spirit award that are here today, and thank them for, the service that they're providing for our Vermonters. [Chair]: Will the guest of the member from Coventry please rise and be recognized? Are there any announcements, member, from Whitingham? [Speaker 12 ]: Thank you, madam speaker. I believe my guest may have scooted, but I'm going to introduce them anyway. I have some visitors with me today from the Vermont Village School, a homeschool group in Windham County. They describe themselves as a ever expanding multigenerational village of twenty families and individuals, including our very own Paige Oscar. Please welcome them to the people's house. [Chair]: Will the guest member from Whitingham please rise and be recognized? Are there any further announcements? Members, the chair oh, actually, we'll go to the member from Newport City first. [Member from Newport City]: Madam speaker, the member from Chittenton recently approached me this morning, and he asked if I would provide a public service announcement to the body. Apparently the member was unable to find anybody in the body willing to give this announcement. So it fell on me, Madam Speaker. And with your permission, I would like to read verbatim a member's message. Do I have your permission, madam speaker? [Chair]: You may. [Member from Newport City]: Thank you, madam speaker. So madam speaker, this is from the desk of the esteemed member from Chittenden. And the and these are his words, madam speaker. In the honor of the member from Chittenden, the town, not the county, who apparently has garnered an undeserved reputation for all things related to the game of chance. I wish to remind members that this Friday is the deadline for the all important adjournment pool entries in the house clerk's office. Please see Chris or Teresa to get your entries in. Proceeds benefit the Vermont football, or a food bank, Excuse me. I could have said basketball, but anyways, and it's signed your best friend from Chittenton. Thank you, madam speaker. [Chair]: Are there any further announcements? Members, the chair has two, committee appointments to announce. The first is the following members are appointed to the joint public pension oversight committee. The member from Brattleboro, representative Kornheiser, the member from Vergennes, representative Byron, and the member from Saint Albans Town, representative Dickinson. Second, the member from Coventry, representative Marquette is appointed to to to the petroleum cleanup fund advisory committee. With that, are there any further announcements? Member from Essex. [Speaker 9 ]: Thank you, madam speaker. Just a quick reminder to members of the women's caucus. Please check your emails for details about the dinner tonight. [Chair]: Are there any further announcements? Seeing none. Member from Poltenay, can you please offer us a motion to adjourn until Thursday, May eight at one PM? [Speaker 8 ]: Madam speaker, I make a motion to spot a stand in adjournment until Thursday, May eight two thousand twenty five at one PM. [Chair]: 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. The eyes appear to have it. The eyes do have [Member from Berry City/Representative Peter Anthony]: it, [Chair]: and this body stands in

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SmartTranscript of House Session: 2025-05-07-1:00 p.m.

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