Vermont Legislature SmartTranscripts:

[Representative Lisa Hango]: Good

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: afternoon everyone and welcome to the Caucus of the Hall. We'll be hearing a presentation on the history of the Vermont National Guard and the election of the adjutant general. Presenting this afternoon will be representatives Birong and Hango and I will turn it over to them. Thank you.

[Representative Matthew Birong]: Thank you, madam speaker. Thank you members for hanging out with us and being with us for this presentation. We're going to go into a little bit of a light history like an as to why we do this practice as a charge and duty of the general assembly. Briefly on history, this was put into statute as a practice and charging duty of the general assembly to elect the adjutant general just after the war of eighteen twelve. So this is a long standing practice here in Vermont. It wasn't always unique to us. Other states did have this practice up until just recently the past few years. South Carolina also engaged in electing their adjutant general with the same function and practice, but they, like all the other states and territories, have now shifted to a gubernatorial appointment. Now with that, I just wanna speak for this practice being unique in a positive outcome of that. The the relationships that can develop through this with the National Guard, with the leadership of the air wing and the army side wouldn't necessarily be as open and functional in my opinion if we did not have this direction engagement in this practice with our guard. So that's just a little history and some context with it. I think this is a very valuable tool for us for the relationship with that organization. So with that, like the speakers said, we do have some handouts if you want to follow along with paper copy and we of course have the screens. So with that, we will open up and get the presentation underway. So Vermont National Guard, the election of the adjutant general. Next slide, please. The role of the general assembly, I mean it is to elect the adjutant general biennially every two years. We as a general assembly legislature receive an annual report on complaints of sexual assault and harassment within the National Guard. We also oversee the death benefit death benefits that would be payable should someone pass in the line of duty. And, also, we oversee the appropriations and state funding that supports the National Guard at the state level.

[Representative Lisa Hango]: The role of the governor. The governor is the commander in chief of the National Guard. He has significant control over the organizational structure of the National Guard, approves the adjutant general's appointment of high level officers, ensures the National Guard conforms to federal regulations and any system of drill discipline, administration, and instruction prescribed by the US Armed Forces and approves the creation and design of unique metals.

[Representative Matthew Birong]: Next slide please. So the Vermont National Grole Guard, the role of the Adjutant General itself. Their duties include being the commanding officer of the Vermont Army and National Guard, this includes the air wing, as well as all the other military departments and military components of the state. The adjutant general issues, science transmits orders of the governor executing the laws of Vermont and The United States. The adjutant general adopts all necessary rules for the government of the National Guard and they're also responsible for the maintenance administrative filing of all war records. So having a repository and a warehouse of all records that are relevant to their charge and duty. And if you go to the next slide please, we have a chart here which is essentially a breakdown of the two branches of military, how they intersect as National Guard within our state, and then some other subdivisions that they oversee and operate in conjunction with state government. Next slide please.

[Representative Lisa Hango]: Now getting to the business at hand, the election of the adjutant general. Each state and US territory has an adjutant general that leads its national guard. Typically, adjutant generals are selected by the state's governor. Vermont is the only state, as you heard earlier, whose adjutant general is still elected by the legislature. And this is from the statute 20 VSA section three sixty three, the general assembly shall biennially elect an adjutant and inspector general for a term of two years. The adjutant general shall be granted the rank of a major general within the state. Next slide, please. The adjutant general as of very recently did not have any qualifications for that position. Currently, the qualifications in statute to be eligible for election to serve as adjutant general are stated as follows. An individual shall have attained the rank of colonel o six or above, be a current member of the US army, the US air force, the US army reserve, the US air force reserve, the army national guard, or the air national guard, be a graduate of a senior service college, and be eligible for federal recognition. Next slide, please. The adjutant general is elected in the second year of each biennium. That was recently changed by this legislature two bienniums ago when we adjusted to the second year of the biennium from the first year of the biennium. Those of you were who were here back in 2022, I believe it was, will recall that as new members, we were all coming in in January, and seven weeks later, we had to elect the head of our Vermont National Guard. And many of us were unfamiliar with the process, the qualifications, or the reason for doing that. So at one point in time in 2022, I believe it was, we switched to a second year of the biennium election, and that's where we stand today. And the statute says at 10:00 and thirty minutes, four noon on the seventh Thursday of the second year of the biennial session, the senate and house of representatives shall meet in joint assembly and proceed therein to elect the adjutant inspector general. And this biennium's election should fall on Thursday, 02/19/2026 once the house clerk sets that date. And in conclusion, many of you have asked how you learn more about the candidates. Representative Birong and myself are available at any time to speak with any of you. If you would like to speak to us, we have on our committee webpage government operations and military affairs, the biographies of both candidates with their contact information. And also yesterday, we held a joint hearing with senate government operations, which is on our YouTube channel, And it was at 01:00 yesterday afternoon. So you're welcome to view that as well. The two candidates presented to us and answered questions from both committees. And if there are any questions now, we're happy to take them. Oh, representative Burrows.

[Representative Elizabeth Burrows]: Thank you. I wondered whether, is two years a typical term for this position? And do you know whether, like, whether it is so that each each legislature can reaffirm that person? I'm just wondering about that time frame. Thank you.

[Representative Lisa Hango]: I'm not personally aware of how many other states due to your elections. Mike. Sorry. I'm I'm not personally aware of how many other states do biennial elections, but it makes sense for us because we are, as you said, elected every two years also, as well as our governor. And in other states, they might fall within the governor's term. I would have to look that up or defer to counsel if she knows. Now no answer, but we could certainly find that out for you. Welcome.

[Representative Matthew Birong]: So at a point of clarification from our illustrious clerk, the legislature sets the date of the joint assembly by adopting a joint resolution. So that is how we set that one up. Thank you, madam clerk. But, yeah, the vast majority are now appointments by governors, so there's really no date certain to their start or termination. Yeah. Any other questions from members? Okay. So, yeah, the candidates will be around the building. You know, looking to meet up with members. Ask them. Be free to ask them any questions you want. Oh, yes.

[Representative Lisa Hango]: Thanks.

[Unidentified Member]: Are there questions that you recommend that we ask them?

[Representative Matthew Birong]: I mean, publicly, sure. I mean, you just ask them about what their vision for the organization is, things of that nature. Right? Like, I mean, they we have a very large and active footprint with both the army side and the air side here. So I think you can ask, like, two distinctly different veins of questions because although they are both Vermont National Guard, they operate in different roles. Right? So I would I would look at it in that way when you're developing questions to ask for them. Like, the it might not necessarily be a universal question. You might need to break up the questions differently pertaining to the army side and the air side. That would be my biggest overarching suggestion to members.

[Representative Lisa Hango]: I might wanna add to that. Also, if you're asking questions individually, you might wanna think about some of the things your constituents are particularly interested in, things you heard from your constituents about, well, what does the guard do in certain circumstances? So that might be helpful if people have approached you about questions about the guard and you really didn't know the answer.

[Unidentified Member]: I remember, I think when I first came in, there were very specific pressing issues about the guard that were very much in the news, and I've seen less of that lately, which seems good. But I'm curious if there are other sort of pressing issues that we might wanna be mindful of.

[Representative Lisa Hango]: A number of folks who have already questioned the candidates, including at the National Guard and Veterans Affairs Caucus meeting yesterday morning and the joint hearing yesterday afternoon have asked about those specific questions when we came in, was around 2019. Correct? So yes. And they've been completely frank about with their answers and very helpful and very encouraging that things are on a really good path and, we can be really proud of the progress that the guard has made in terms of shifting culture and, addressing the issues that were present several years ago, eight years ago. But feel free to ask them any questions you would like because they will be very forthright with their answers. Representative Shai.

[Representative Robin Scheu]: Thanks. Did you already talk about the voting process? Are there gonna be nominations? Is like we do trustees? Are there nominations? And it's a secret ballot. So

[Representative Lisa Hango]: Yes.

[Representative Robin Scheu]: And who does the nominations? Is it floor members? Anyway, could you just Yes. Remind us

[Representative Elizabeth Burrows]: what that works, how that is? Thanks.

[Representative Lisa Hango]: Yes. So members will nominate and second the individuals and it'll be a process just like when we elect trustees. So, it'll be a paper ballot and I don't know what else you would like to know about that process. Yes. So the ballots will be counted just as normal. Is that correct, madam clerk? Thank you. It's been a while since we've had a contested election, which we're really grateful to the speaker for organizing this caucus of the whole because many members have never been through this process before. And for me, it's all a blur because it was a week after I came into this building. So I don't really remember it well. Representative Lipski?

[Representative Jed Lipsky]: Yes. Thank you, representatives. We is the adjutant general and the inspector general one in the same? Because we have not had other candidates for the inspector general.

[Representative Matthew Birong]: That yeah. That's correct. Remember, it is it is an extension of the existing title. This adjective in general is just sort of shorthand for it. But, yes, that is the total title in statute.

[Representative Lisa Hango]: Representative Kimball.

[Representative Charles Kimbell]: Thank you. Is your committee and its capacity or government operations going to be making any kind of recommendation? Or do you anticipate a recommendation coming from the caucus, not the political caucus, but the one focused around that as to a particular candidate?

[Representative Lisa Hango]: You can

[Representative Matthew Birong]: answer the

[Representative Lisa Hango]: committee questions.

[Representative Matthew Birong]: I'll I'll speak to the committee of jurisdiction. Yes. No. We are not gonna make a recommendation. What we did was we provided a venue yesterday for the candidates candidates to come, make their case. We ask questions, but the committee is not moving forward with a recommendation, nor am I personally as the chair. This is open democracy within the chamber.

[Representative Lisa Hango]: And ditto for the caucus. We presented the forum for them to speak, and individual caucus members are welcome to make their own decisions. I, as a co chair and I'm not gonna speak for my other two co chairs, but I as a co chair am not going to make a recommendation. I will say that we have two very qualified individuals who are candidates and that is something that we're really grateful to have tightened up, modernized the statutes so that we do have qualified candidates to choose from.

[Representative Matthew Birong]: All right. Seeing no further hands. Yes, please consider us an open resource for any questions about the process or how to get in touch with the candidates but your mailboxes should have literature from them with contact information. Don't be shy. This is a very unique charge in duty, as I stated before, and it is something that we should take very seriously and do our due diligence with. And I really appreciate everyone's time. And with that, I guess that's a wrap.

[Representative Lisa Hango]: Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: Alright. That concludes our caucus. Clerk could take us offline. Just a reminder for members that copies are available on the table and we will send this presentation out in the next

[Representative Lisa Hango]: all