Vermont Legislature SmartTranscripts:

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: Will the house please come to order and members kindly take their seats? Good morning. Good Members, in lieu of a devotional today, will you please join me in a moment of silence? Members and guests, will you please rise as pages Siobhan Siobhan Merman of Waterbury and Duda Hare of Stafford lead us in the pledge of allegiance.

[Page Siobhan Merman]: I pledge allegiance to the flag of The United States Of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God with liberty.

[Unidentified Reading Clerk/Staff]: Thank you.

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: Members, we have 23 house bills for introduction today. With that, member from Pulte. Can you please offer us a motion to suspend our rules to introduce bills by number only?

[Representative Patricia McCoy (Poultney)]: Madam speaker, I make a motion to suspend rules in order to introduce bills by number only.

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: The member from Pulte moves that we suspend 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 six thirty eight. To human services. Age six thirty nine. To commerce and economic development. Age six forty. To education.

[Unidentified Reading Clerk/Staff]: Age six forty one.

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: To health care.

[Unidentified Reading Clerk/Staff]: Age six forty two.

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: To judiciary.

[Unidentified Reading Clerk/Staff]: Age six forty three.

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: To ways and means.

[Unidentified Reading Clerk/Staff]: H six forty four.

[Unidentified Reading Clerk/Staff]: To health care. H six forty five.

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: To government operations and military affairs.

[Unidentified Reading Clerk/Staff]: H six forty six.

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: To government operations and military affairs. H six forty seven. To government operations and military affairs.

[Unidentified Reading Clerk/Staff]: H six forty eight.

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: To commerce and economic development. Age six forty nine. To commerce and economic development. Age six fifty. To commerce and economic development.

[Unidentified Reading Clerk/Staff]: Age six fifty one.

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: To energy and digital infrastructure.

[Unidentified Reading Clerk/Staff]: Age six fifty two.

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: To environment.

[Unidentified Reading Clerk/Staff]: Age six fifty three.

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: To government operations and military affairs.

[Unidentified Reading Clerk/Staff]: Age six fifty four.

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: To government operations and military affairs.

[Unidentified Reading Clerk/Staff]: Age six fifty five.

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: To government operations and military affairs.

[Unidentified Reading Clerk/Staff]: Age six fifty six.

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: To government operations and military affairs.

[Unidentified Reading Clerk/Staff]: H six fifty seven.

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: To human services. H 658. To human services.

[Unidentified Reading Clerk/Staff]: H 659.

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: To human services.

[Unidentified Reading Clerk/Staff]: And h 660.

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: To human services.

[Representative Larry Labor (Orleans County/Derby area)]: Are

[Representative Conor Casey (Montpelier)]: there

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: any announcements? Member from Milton.

[Representative Leland Morgan (Milton)]: Madam speaker, today is a special day from one of the members from Milton. It is his birthday, and I know we're not supposed to reference names, but his name may rhyme with Taylor. Thank you.

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: Happy birthday, member. Member from Derby.

[Representative Larry Labor (Orleans County/Derby area)]: Thank you, madam speaker. I'm loud enough. They can I'm sure they can hear me. Thank you, madam speaker.

[Unidentified Reading Clerk/Staff]: I've

[Representative Larry Labor (Orleans County/Derby area)]: been a farmer my whole life. I have served on my local school board for fifteen years, and I unfortunately found found the need to run for another three. But today, our rise to recognize the Farm to School early childhood awareness is school nutrition day at the State House. Farm to School brings local food foods and agriculture into the classroom, enabling students to engage with food system topics in a unique and enriching ways. Farm to School connects students with curriculum, the cafeteria, and their communities through relationship with local foods and farmers. Simultaneously, Farm to School opens up a new stable institutional markets for our farmers. This group is also here to celebrate five years of universal school meals. That's one thousand days as of last Friday. One thousand days of kids having access to free breakfast and lunch at school. Every day, one thousand days of no stigma in the lunchroom. Less stress for families and kids showing up well fed and ready to learn. Here in the balcony, we have students, school administrators, child nutrition professional, farmers, and community organize organizers helping us celebrate school nutrition, farm to school, and early childhood awareness day. Also seated behind me is one of the leaders, senator Bobby Starr, who before was representative Bobby Starr from the town of Troy. And he championed this issue and started it when he was on his school board many years before it started statewide. Bobby Star has always been a champion for agriculture and for children and for keeping our kids fed. And so I would like to recognize these people and give them a great welcome. Thank you.

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: Will the guests, the member from Derby, the former member please rise and be recognized? Member from Westminster.

[Representative Michelle Bos-Lun (Westminster)]: Thank you madam speaker. On behalf of the member from Putney and myself, there are guests in the chamber I'd like to introduce today. The Garvey family are visiting Montpelier and will be in the state house this week. Kara and Helen live in Dummerston and Sean Garvey lives in California. They lost Scott Garvey, Sean and Kara's brother, and Helen's son last July in an officer involved shooting in Putney. The family helped with development of legislation that became six h six thirteen. Please welcome them to the chamber.

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: Will the guest, the member from Westminster, please rise and be recognized. Member from Mount Hillier.

[Representative Conor Casey (Montpelier)]: Madam speaker, the first working Vermonters caucus meeting will be held, tomorrow at noon in Room 11. We'll be doing just a roundtable discussion with all the state labor organizations here in updates. Thank you.

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: Member from Fairfax.

[Representative James Gregoire (Fairfax)]: Thank you, madam speaker. As many of us, I'm sure, have seen the article that Vermont ranks last in economic momentum, I wanna take a moment to invite everybody to the first caucus meeting of the caucus for Vermont's economy on Friday. We would love to see as many individuals as possible who can fit into Room 10 at twelve on Friday. If you have any questions about the new caucus or what the priorities we are thinking about, please feel free to reach out to myself, the rep from Shelburne, the rep from Burlington, and then the rep for from Weston. Thank you.

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: Are there any further announcements? Member from Cambridge.

[Representative Lucy Boyden (Cambridge)]: Thank you, madam speaker. Tomorrow is Wednesday, and the rural caucus will meet from eight to 08:45 in Room 10 and on Zoom. We plan to have a caucus discussion and hear from the Department of Housing and Community Development on strengthening Vermont's rural technical assistance system. All are welcome. And, madam speaker, if you don't receive rural caucus emails from me and would like to, please let me know.

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: Are there any further announcements? Seeing none. Orders of the day. Members, we will begin with house bill 28, which is an act relating to including an affirmation option and oath requirements in titles one through 10 of the Vermont statutes annotated. Please listen to the third reading of the bill.

[House Clerk BetsyAnn Wrask]: Page 28, an act relating to including an affirmation option in oath requirements in titles one through 10 of the Vermont statutes annotated.

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: 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 ayes appear to have it, The ayes do have it and you have passed the bill. The final bill on our action calendar today is house bill four zero nine which is an act relating to the procedures for bail revocation prior to third reading. The member from Brattleboro, representative Goodnow offers an amendment that is printed in today's calendar. Member from Brattleboro.

[Representative Ian Goodnow (Brattleboro)]: Thank you madam speaker. Before the body is a very minor amendment to h four zero nine, changing the title of the bill from an act relating to the procedures for bail revocation to an act relating to the appeals of orders denying bail revocation. And as you'll remember from my full report on Friday, this is a much more accurate sort of representation of what this bill is doing. So, madam speaker, we took a straw poll in your committee on judiciary with a vote of seven zero four. I think I got it right this time, and we'd ask for the for your support.

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: The question is, shall the bill be amended as offered by the member from Brattleboro? 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 amended the bill. Please listen to the third reading of the bill.

[House Clerk BetsyAnn Wrask]: H four zero nine, an act relating to the procedures for bail revocation.

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: 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 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 Essex Junction.

[Representative Lori Houghton (Essex Junction)]: Madam speaker, house Democrats will not be caucusing today.

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: Member from Polkney.

[Representative Patricia McCoy (Poultney)]: Madam speaker, house Republicans will not be caucusing today.

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: Member from Burlington.

[Representative Brian Cina (Burlington)]: Madam speaker, house progressives will be caucusing. Senator Tanya Vehovski will be facilitating, and, the meeting will start at noon in Room 44.

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: Are there any further announcements? The chair has two, just a reminder, excuse me, that following adjournment we will have our house photo be taken so please stay in your seats. We will be doing that immediately after we gavel out and then following the photo, we will start a caucus of the whole to hear the respect in the workplace training. And that is immediately again following the photo. So please stay in the chamber. Thank you for your help with that. Are there any further announcements? Member from Essex Junction?

[Representative Michelle Bos-Lun (Westminster)]: Madam speaker, should we be clearing our desks of everything for the photo?

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: Thank you. Members, as a reminder, make sure that everything is off of your desk for the photos. Thank you. Are there any further announcements? Seeing none, member from Pultely, can you please offer us a motion to adjourn until Wednesday, January 4 apologies. Member from Burlington.

[Representative Carol Ode (Burlington)]: Sorry for the delay, madam speaker. I'd also like to remind members to that we should all have our microphones in the right position, but I don't know what that is because it'll look awkward if there's some up and some down.

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: So we'll let the photographer help us. Alright.

[Representative Larry Labor (Orleans County/Derby area)]: Thank you.

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: Any further announcements? Seeing none. Member from Pulte, can you please offer us a motion to adjourn until Wednesday, January 14 at 3PM?

[Representative Patricia McCoy (Poultney)]: Madam speaker, I make a motion this body stand in adjournment until Wednesday, 01/14/2026 at 3PM.

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: The member from Pulte moves that we adjourn until Wednesday, January 14 at 3PM. 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 this body stands in adjournment until tomorrow at 3PM.