Meetings
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[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: Will the house please come to order and members kindly take their seats? Good morning. The devotional today will be led by representative Anne Donahue of Northfield.
[Unidentified Member from Burlington]: Good
[Representative Anne B. Donahue]: morning. Good morning. A friend sent me a copy of this prayer written by Mark Sandlin of the Presbyterian Church of the Covenant in Greensboro, North Carolina. And it struck me as particularly appropriate for today in its echoes of the messages of moral leadership of reverend Martin Luther King Junior, whom we honored yesterday. Reverend Sandlin gave credit for the parallels taken from the prayer of Saint Francis, and it's titled, a prayer for the kind of peace that doesn't behave. Good and querying god, we were taught to pray for peace, for calm, for things to settle down. And honestly, sometimes that's what we want too. But love keeps showing up right where things are messy, right where nothing is settled, right where silence would be easier. Love keeps reminding us that peace isn't the same thing as quiet, and harmony isn't faithful if it only works for the people already comfortable. So today, we pray a little differently. Where there is hatred, don't let us rush past it with nice words or nervous smiles. Help us stay. Help us tell the truth. Help us refuse to look away. Let love disturb us. Where there is injury, teach us how to tend wounds gently And also how to ask why those wounds keep happening over and over again. Let love disturb us. Where there is despair, give us hope that doesn't finish. Hope that doesn't disappear when things get awkward or costly, hope that stays. And where there is darkness, give us light, not the kind that makes everything feel better, but the kind that shows us what we'd rather not see. Let love disturb us. Where we've grown numb, shake us awake. Where we've gone along to get along, interrupt us. Where tradition matters more to us than actual human lives, and we benefit from that, even quietly, don't let us pretend we don't notice. Love keeps whispering and sometimes shouting that gentleness isn't weakness, that kindness isn't passivity, and that silence is not peace. Because peace without justice isn't peace. It's just harm with better manners. Let love disturb us. Disturb our comfort, disturb the excuses we make so that we can sleep at night. Disturb the ways we call convenience faith. Mess with our calendars. Mess with our money. Mess with the tables where we decide who gets a seat and who doesn't. Let love disturb us. Help us want more than being understood. Help us want understanding. Help us want more than being liked. Help us want to love in ways that actually cost us something. Not just talking about justice, but practicing it with our bodies, with our choices, with our lives. Move us closer to those pushed to the edges. Teach us how to love without fixing, without saving, without standing at a safe distance. Make us channels not just of peace, but of disruption. Let love disturb us until love refuses to settle for the world as it is. Amen.
[Page Elsie Kitter]: Please
[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: rise as page Elsie Kitter of Saint Jonesbury leads us in the pledge of allegiance.
[Representative Michael Marcotte]: I
[Page Elsie Kitter]: pledge allegiance to the flag of The United States Of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: Members, we have 10 house bills for introduction today. The first is house bill seven seventeen. It's an act relating to the residential and commercial building energy standards and the adoption of a residential building code introduced by representative Campbell of Saint Johnsbury. Please listen to the first reading of the bill.
[Reading Clerk]: H seven seventeen, an act relating to the residential and commercial building energy standards and the adoption of a residential building code.
[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: Now the bill has been read the first time and is referred to the committee on energy and digital infrastructure. House bill seven eighteen is an act relating to building energy efficiency introduced by representative Campbell of Saint Johnsbury. Please listen to the first reading of the bill.
[Reading Clerk]: H seven eighteen, an act relating to building energy efficiency.
[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: Now the bill has been read the first time and is referred to the committee on energy and digital infrastructure. House bill seven nineteen is an act relating to hospital collaboration in state action immunity introduced by representative Canfield of Fairhaven and others. Please listen to the first reading of the bill.
[Reading Clerk]: Age seven nineteen, an act relating to hospital collaboration and state action immunity.
[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: Now the bill has been read the first time and is referred to the committee on health care. House bill seven twenty is an act relating to cloud computing public utility act introduced by representatives Priestley of Bradford and Sylvia of Dover. Please listen to the first reading of the bill.
[Reading Clerk]: H seven twenty, an act relating to the cloud computing public utility act.
[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: Now the bill has been read the first time and is referred to the committee on energy and digital infrastructure. House bill seven twenty one is a act relating to juvenile proceedings, criminal procedures, and forensic facilities for criminal justice involved individuals introduced by representatives Burditt of West Rutland and McCoy of Pulte. Please listen to the first reading of the bill.
[Reading Clerk]: H seven twenty one, an act relating to juvenile proceedings, criminal procedures, and forensic facilities for criminal justice involved individuals.
[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: Now the bill has been read the first time and is referred to the committee on judiciary. Next is house bill seven twenty two, which is an act relating to authorizing municipalities to regulate the surface water use of public waters used as drinking water supplies introduced by representatives Boutin of Barrie City and Wazee Zach of Barrie City. Please listen to the first reading of the bill.
[Reading Clerk]: H seven twenty two, an act relating to authorizing municipalities to regulate the surface water use of public waters used as drinking water supplies.
[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: Now the bill has been read the first time and is referred to the committee on environment. Excuse me. House Bill seven twenty three is an act relating to posting of land introduced by representative Esme of Guilford and others. Please listen to the first reading of the bill.
[Reading Clerk]: H seven twenty three, an act relating to posting of land.
[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: Now the bill has been read the first time and is referred to the committee on environment. House Bill seven twenty four is an act relating to administration of involuntary psychiatric medication and emergency circumstances introduced by representative Canfield of Fair Haven and others. Please listen to the first reading of the bill.
[Reading Clerk]: H seven twenty four, an act relating to administration of involuntary psychiatric medication in emergency circumstances.
[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: Now the bill has been read the first time and is referred to the committee on human services. Next is house bill seven twenty five, which is an act relating to the state labor relations act introduced by representative Logan of Burlington. Please listen to the first reading of the bill.
[Reading Clerk]: H seven twenty five, an act relating to the state labor relations act.
[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: Now the bill has been read the first time and is referred to the committee on general and housing. And finally, house bill seven twenty six, which is an act relating to flexible working arrangements introduced by representative Cooper of Burlington. Please listen to the first reading of the bill.
[Reading Clerk]: H seven twenty six, an act relating to flexible working arrangements.
[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: Now the bill has been read the first time and is referred to the committee on general and housing. Members, we have a bill on the notice calendar requiring referral to a money committee pursuant to house rule 35 a. House bill six forty eight is an act relating to banking, insurance, and securities affecting the revenue of the state. The bills referred to the committee on ways and means. Are there any announcements? Member from Bradford.
[Representative Monique Priestley]: Madam speaker, I have guests in the balcony today for I don't think anybody in this body knows. I have and I've always had scoliosis and have spent the last four years getting treatment for that every single week. My chiropractor takes a interest every time I am on the table getting adjusted in what we do here. And so when I suggested he come and get introduced, the whole the whole family family wanted to come. So doctor Michael Summers and his wife Victoria, they're business owners in Chittenden and Lemoyle Counties and they homeschool their two daughters who are with them Charlotte and Maeve. Can you please help me welcome them?
[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: Will the guests of the member from Bradford please rise and be recognized? Member from Georgia.
[Unidentified Member from Georgia]: Thanks, madam speaker. I wanna, remind the group that this afternoon there'll be an ice cream social up in the cafeteria. It starts at 04:00. All kinds of ice cream and everybody is welcome. The sponsor of the social is a group called Capital Ministries. Everybody's welcome. No pressure, just ice cream. So we hope you can make it. Starts at four and might be open a little bit sooner, but definitely by four. So hope to see you there.
[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: Member from Milton. House speaker, please help me in welcoming to the people's house today, a constituent, which happens to be one of my besties, Mary Alice. Well, thank you. Will the guest of the member from Milton please rise and be recognized? Member from Cambridge.
[Representative Lucy Boyden]: Thank you, madam speaker. The rural caucus will meet tomorrow morning, Wednesday, from eight to 08:45 in Room 10 and on Zoom. We will be hearing from the Vermont League of Cities and Towns, and Let's Build Homes. All are welcome.
[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: Member from Burlington.
[Unidentified Member from Burlington]: Madam speaker, the working Vermonters caucus will meet tomorrow noon in Room 11. Pretty sure there's gonna be some pizza. Also, if anybody would like updates and summaries of those meetings and you are not getting emails from the caucus, please just reach out to me via email and I'll add you to that list. Thank you.
[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: Are there any further announcements? Member from Williston.
[Unidentified Member from Williston]: Thank you. I would like to welcome a special guest from the wonderful and unnecessarily occupied state of Minnesota, my dad.
[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: Will the guest of the member from Wilson please rise and be recognized? Are there any further announcements? Member from Coventry.
[Representative Michael Marcotte]: Thank you, madam speaker. Madam speaker, today, I have a constituent from Coventry visiting State House. First time that he's been here. He he and his family moved to Coventry a number of years ago. He immediately began volunteering at our school and volunteering for other positions in town. He finally ran for the school board. He now chairs the school board, and he also is chair of the North country North Country Supervisory Union. Please, help me welcome, Pranit Menon who sit is behind me in the gallery.
[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: For the guest, the member from Coventry, please rise and be recognized. Are there any further announcements? Seeing none, orders of the day. Members, we will begin with house bill 84 which is an act relating to allowing telehealth appointments to be recorded with patient and provider consent. Please listen to the third reading of the bill.
[Reading Clerk]: H 84, an act relating to allowing telehealth appointments to be recorded with patient and provider consent.
[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, the final bill on our action calendar today is house bill five thirty four, which is an act relating to community action agencies. Please listen to the third reading of the bill.
[Reading Clerk]: Page five thirty four, an act relating to community action agencies.
[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 Wilkhardt.
[Unidentified Member (Older Vermonters Caucus)]: Thank you, madam speaker. The older Vermonters caucus will meet tomorrow in Room 10. We will be hearing from Tanya Vanderlin from UVM Medical Center who will discuss age friendly health systems and the role of community health supports in meeting the needs of Vermonters. So we will also serve lunch. Thanks. Tomorrow at noon.
[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: Are there any further announcements? Member from Essex Junction. Madam speaker, house democrats will caucus in Room 11, ten minutes after adjournment. Member from Polkney.
[Representative Patricia McCoy]: Madam speaker, house Republicans will caucus here in the chamber immediately following adjournment.
[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: Member from Burlington.
[Representative Brian Cina]: Madam speaker, house progressives will, caucus at noon in Room 44, and our focus will be on artificial intelligence with an emphasis on health care, labor, and human rights. We'll be joined by the Neurorites Foundation, a US five zero one c three nonprofit organization dedicated to shaping the future of brain science and innovation, a future where neurotechnologies are leveraged for social good and safeguarded from misuse, and we'll also be joined by AFT Vermont and others.
[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: Are there any further announcements? Members, the chair has one. Just a reminder that, even though I'll be asking the member from Pulteney for motion to adjourn until 3PM tomorrow, We will need you back in the chamber later today for the joint assembly to hear the governor's budget address. So please be in your seats at 12:45. 12:45. Are there any further announcements? Seeing oh, member from Essex.
[Unidentified Member from Essex]: Thank you, madam speaker. Just wanted to alert people to an opportunity tomorrow at 12:30 in the Cedar Creek Room. There will be a press conference related to a slate of immigration, protections bills. There will be, advocates like the ACLU, Migrant Justice Vermont, Asylum Assistance Project, and others present. Are
[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: there any further announcements? Seeing none. Member from Pulte, can you please offer us a motion to adjourn until Wednesday, January 21 at 3PM?
[Representative Patricia McCoy]: Adam speaker, I make a motion this body stand in adjournment until Wednesday, 01/21/2026 at 3PM.
[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: You have heard the motion. Are you ready for the question? If so, all those in favor, please say 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.