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. The devotional today will be led by representative Tom Charlton of Chester.

[Representative Thomas "Tom" Charlton]: Alright. Ready, set, go. I am told that the characteristic of fine art that sets it apart from other art is that it poses a question. It asks the questions behind all of our answers. It evokes a response intentionally. If I were to ask you to meet me by the painting, this was a little obvious, but where would you go? Most of you would go to the Cedar Creek Room because it's rather conspicuous. And if you've taken the tour, which most of you have at least once, you are told that Julian Scott painted this magnificent painting. Julian was a Vermonter who entered service at the age of 15 and who was too small to be useful for anything else, they gave him a fife and eventually a drum. It was also the duty of the musicians in battle to retrieve the wounded and the dying from the battlefield. They were the the medics that went on to the field and brought them back. At the battle of Lee's Mills, which was an artillery battle, it was entrenched confederate artillery and siege artillery, not just infantry. He was, come he was given the medal of honor. He was the youngest still is the youngest American ever given the medal of honor for crossing into the battle zone repeatedly and bringing out the injured, the wounded. He saw the dead, the dying, the missing limbs, the agony, the fear, the blood. He was 16. This is not what we hope our 16 year olds will witness. When he came out of the war, he did. He went to art school. This painting was commissioned eventually, and I want to point out that he was only 26 when he finished that painting. He's 26 years old. And there is a drum in the composition, and that is often pointed out as kind of his symbolic nod to his his role. But the drummer boy is not there. And anybody who has been in combat understands that the 15 year old who went to war was not the man who came back. The question that I have about that painting revolves around the fact that I am now convinced Julian Scott included his self portrait in that painting. You've probably seen me standing there staring at it for the last year. In the lower left hand section of the painting, there is a group of captured confederate soldiers, and in the middle of that group, there is one face that is painted in detail. It's the only face painted in detail that doesn't have a name attached to it in his notes, except that little group of Confederate soldiers is in his notes. None of the other incidental characters, hundreds of them, are in his notes, but that group is. There are two photographs in the room. I invite you to compare them. It looks like a 26 year old, and boy, it looks like Julian Scott, and it looks exactly like Julian Scott would see himself in the mirror from that perspective, and it's the only face that makes eye contact with the viewer. Why? Everything that he had seen before and after the war, and he chooses to paint himself in that grouping of fallen soldiers with that look, and it's that it's the facial expression that intrigues me. It's that look you might give across a conference room table when you know that the two of you are thinking the same thing. There's no way in my mind that an artist of his caliber could have painted his own picture by accident. The question in that piece of art is, what is he thinking? What is it that he's looking at you and thinking that you might also see? I could tell you what I think, and I might, if you're really nice to me. But I think this will be much more effective if you go look him in the eye and figure it out for yourself, because you need more homework. Thank you.

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: Will you please rise as page Liam Chase of Barrytown leads us in the pledge of allegiance.

[Unidentified (multiple speakers assigned to this ID)]: I pledge of allegiance to the flag of The United States Of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible by liberty and justice for all.

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

[Representative Patricia McCoy]: 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 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. H847. To ways and means.

[BetsyAnn Wrask (House Clerk)]: H848. To health care. H eight four nine. To judiciary. H eight fifty. To judiciary. H eight fifty one.

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

[BetsyAnn Wrask (House Clerk)]: H eight fifty two.

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

[BetsyAnn Wrask (House Clerk)]: H eight fifty three.

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: To corrections and institutions.

[BetsyAnn Wrask (House Clerk)]: H eight fifty four.

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

[BetsyAnn Wrask (House Clerk)]: H eight fifty five.

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

[BetsyAnn Wrask (House Clerk)]: H eight fifty six.

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

[BetsyAnn Wrask (House Clerk)]: H eight fifty seven.

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

[BetsyAnn Wrask (House Clerk)]: H eight fifty eight.

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: To general and housing.

[BetsyAnn Wrask (House Clerk)]: H eight fifty nine. To healthcare. H860. To human services. H861. To general and housing. H862.

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: To corrections and institutions.

[BetsyAnn Wrask (House Clerk)]: H863. To transportation. H864. To corrections and institutions. H865.

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

[BetsyAnn Wrask (House Clerk)]: H866. To judiciary. H867. To environment. H868.

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: To agriculture, food resiliency and forestry.

[BetsyAnn Wrask (House Clerk)]: And H869.

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: To education. Members, we also have one senate bill for referral. Senate bill two zero two is an act relating to portable solar energy generation devices. Please listen to the first reading of the bill.

[BetsyAnn Wrask (House Clerk)]: S two zero two, an act relating to portable solar energy generation devices.

[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. Are there any announcements? Member from Berkshire.

[Representative Lisa Hango]: Thank you, madam speaker. Today, we have some guests with us, and I'm pleased to welcome the Governor's Institutes of Vermont to the State House. Their staff, alumni and board members will be in the card room throughout the day today and they'll also be appearing before two committees, education and health care. Their institutes offer our high school students the chance to imagine an exciting future for themselves right here in Vermont. GIV helps hundreds of students learn about educational and career pathways that will allow them to have a positive impact on their communities. This summer, there are eight topics, including medicine, engineering, and the arts. My own children have benefited from these programs, and I hope you will take a moment today to stop by and learn more about the important work they are doing for Vermont's young people. Would you kindly help me welcome them to the people's house?

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: Will the guest and the member from Berkshire please rise and be recognized? Member from Brattleboro.

[Representative Mollie S. Burke]: Thank you, madam speaker. We have another group here today. Transportation for Vermonters or T for VT, the acronym. And since 2017, transportation from Vermonters has been the leading voice for a sustainable, affordable and equitable transportation system for Vermont. They are diverse correlation coalition of individuals, organizations, businesses and institutions committed to working together across sectors to achieve a sustainable transportation system that empowers individual mobility and fosters resilient communities. They are here today to advocate for a well funded, accessible and equitable transportation system for the good of Vermonters, our communities and our climate. They believe that if Vermont organizations and leaders work together to advance policies, plans, and programs that expand mobility choices for all Vermonters, it will improve health, safety, and quality of life, reducing environmental impacts, preventing sprawl, and strengthening the state's economy. Please welcome them.

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: Will the guest of the member from Bridalboro please rise and be recognized? Member from Essex Junction.

[Representative Lori Houghton]: Madam speaker, today in the building is the twenty twenty six class of the Vermont Leadership Institute. VLI was created by the Snelling Center for Government in 1995 and fosters citizen engagement and public service by empowering individuals to make meaningful contributions to the organizations, communities, and Vermont as a whole. Through VLI, participants gain valuable insights into themselves and their leadership potential, developing skills and reflection, systems thinking, and collaborative leadership. Wouldn't be standing here today if it wasn't for VLI. It was a transformative experience with an amazing group of people who supported me in my decision making to run for office. The VLI class will be in the building today. Please take a moment to say hello and help me welcome them to the people's house.

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: Will the guests of the member from Essex Junction please rise and be recognized? Member from Barrytown.

[Representative Francis McFaun]: Thank you madam speaker. It's my pleasure to introduce the Vermont nurses today on their annual advocacy day. The Vermont nurse and nurse practitioners coalition coalition's annual advocacy conference was on Monday, February 2 at the Capitol Plaza. They met for an afternoon of legislative education. They had a legislative breakfast this morning. That goes on till 12:00 today, and I hope you all have a chance to speak to them. This is a joint event with ANA Vermont, ENA Vermont, and the VNPA. With them also are APRNs, nurses, students, and faculty from the Vermont State University, knowledge UVM, they're here as well with them. With them also today are Doctor. Amy Bartles, ANA Vermont Executive Director and Associate Professor at Knowledge. John Hendrickson, ANA Vermont President. Doctor. Betsy Hassen, ANA Vermont Past President. Catherine McFawn Williams, ANA vice ANA Vermont secretary and ANA delegate. Michelle Wade, president of Vermont Nurse Practitioners Association, and Elizabeth Burtt, government affairs liaison for the Emergency Nurses Association. Please recognize all these nurses for their success in this advocacy day, particularly with H two fifty eight Act nine, an act related to prevention of workplace violence in hospitals past last year and for being voted again the most trusted profession for the for the twenty fourth year in a row. Help me welcome these nurses to the State House today. They're seated in the gallery.

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: Will the guest the member from Barrytown please rise and be recognized? Member from South Burlington.

[Representative Martin LaLonde]: Madam Speaker, I move that the committee on judiciary be relieved of House Bill eight forty one which is an act relating to miscellaneous animal welfare procedures and the same be committed to the committee on government operations and military affairs.

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: The member from South Burlington moves that the committee on judiciary be relieved of house Bill eight forty one which is an act relating to miscellaneous animal welfare procedures and that the same be committed to the committee on government operations and military affairs. 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 relieved the committee of judiciary of house bill eight forty one and committed the same to the committee on government operations and military affairs. Are there any further announcements? Member from Bradford.

[Unidentified (multiple speakers assigned to this ID)]: Madam speaker, just a reminder that the rural caucus meets tomorrow at 8AM in Room 10.

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: Member from Waterbury. Madam speaker, I move that house human services be relieved of bill h five thirty six, an act relating to toxic and heavy metals and baby food products, and that the same be committed to the committee on agriculture, food resiliency, and forestry. Thank you. The member from Waterbury moves that the committee on human services be relieved of house bill eight thirty six and that the same be committed to the committee on agriculture, food resiliency, and forestry. Are you ready for the question? Madam speaker, I believe the bill is five thirty six. Five thirty six. Let me do that again. The member from Waterbury moves that the committee on human services be relieved of house bill five thirty six and that the same be committed to the committee on agriculture, food resiliency and forestry. 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 relieved the committee on human services of house bill five thirty six and committed the same to the committee on agriculture, food resiliency and forestry. Are there any further announcements? Member from Brattleboro.

[Representative Emilie Kornheiser]: Madam speaker, I wanted to let members know that the joint fiscal committee is gonna be meeting this Friday at 12:15 to receive a grant for upwards of a $195,000,000 from the US Department of Health and Human Services for participation in

[Unidentified (multiple speakers assigned to this ID)]: the Rural Health Transformation Project.

[Representative Emilie Kornheiser]: Members are invited to attend. It's a more significant grant than we usually receive, and

[Unidentified (multiple speakers assigned to this ID)]: I thought folks might wanna stay informed on its progress.

[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 five forty one which is an act relating to interference with voters and election officials. The bill was committed to the committee on judiciary which recommends that the bill be amended as printed in today's calendar. The member from Brattleboro, representative Goodnow will speak for the committee. Please listen to the second reading of the bill.

[Representative Ian Goodnow]: H five forty one, an act relating to interference with voters and election officials.

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

[Representative Ian Goodnow]: Before the chamber is house judiciary committee's strike all amendment to h five forty one entitled an act relating to interference with voters and election officials. Madam Speaker, this bill proposes to make changes to existing statute while also creating a new criminal statute in Title 17 aimed at targeting those who would interfere with voters, election officials, or the electoral process. Before going through the bill, I'd like to take a moment to discuss what this bill achieves and the balance it strikes. H-five 41 grapples with two fundamental principles of our democracy. First, the right to vote unmolested and unobstructed, and second, the right to free political speech. The activity that is considered in H541 is activity around polling stations, election officials, and voters. We inherently understand that much of that activity generally will be political in nature and thus protected by the First Amendment. Madam Speaker, what was asked of your House Judiciary Committee was how to craft a criminal statute narrowly focused, which both provides a way for the state to prosecute those who would interfere with state elections or voters while not infringing or chilling protected First Amendment rights to political speech. H541 successfully strikes that careful balance. I say state elections, Madam Speaker, because there already exists a federal criminal statute that H five forty one was modeled after with some minor changes. This bill is necessary because the federal statute does not apply to state elections, so H541 will fill that gap. During federal elections, the law will also add protections of voters and election officials through a state remedy. This bill and initiative is strongly supported by the Secretary of State and town clerks. Your committee heard from Vermont election officials who identified real concern for the issues that this bill addresses. Moving on to the bill, Madam Speaker, section one, found on page three forty four of today's calendar, amends 17 VSA nineteen seventy two by removing gendered pronouns and replacing them with the term voter and striking original language related to voter intimidation so as to properly align with the new statute, which is the meat of the bill. Moving to section two, Madam Speaker, H541 proposes to create a new criminal statute entitled Inference with Voters and Election Officials in a newly created 17 VSA 1975, which can also be found on page three forty four of today's calendar. The first part of 17 VSA nineteen seventy five is subsection A, which establishes the state of mind and behavior which would violate the section. It reads, no person shall intentionally or recklessly intimidate, threaten, or coerce, or attempt to intimidate, threaten, or coerce another individual. Now, which individuals and to what ends are laid out in subsections A1 and A2 of the statute? Subsection A1 is for activity entirely related to voters, specifically that one will not intimidate, threaten, or coerce another for the purpose of obstructing another's right to vote, that's A1A, or forcing another to vote or not vote the way

[Representative Thomas "Tom" Charlton]: they choose,

[Representative Ian Goodnow]: A1B. 17 VSA nineteen seventy five A2 relates to the intimidation of a public servant, election official, or public employee for the purpose of obstructing the administration of an election. Section B of the statute, which can be found on page three forty five of today's calendar, creates the penalty for violations of the new statute, up to two years in prison or fined not more than $2,000 Madam Speaker, your committee on judiciary took testimony from a number of stakeholders, including a lead constitutional scholar and the deputy solicitor general of the attorney general's office, both of whom testified that the bill as written now protects the right to vote in a manner that does not infringe or chill free speech rights. The committee also heard from the following witnesses, including the secretary of state, legislative counsel from the Office of Legislative Counsel, the Director of Policy from the Vermont Network Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, the Deputy Secretary of State from the Secretary of State's office, the legislative attorney from the depart Department of State's Attorneys and Sheriffs, a town clerk from the town of Lincoln, the advocacy director for the ACLU of Vermont, the director of elections and campaign finance from the Secretary of State's office, a professor from the Vermont Long Graduate School, the Defender General from the Defender General's office, and the Chief Superior Judge from the Vermont judiciary. Madam Speaker, the bill was reported favorably out of House judiciary on a vote ten zero one and the committee respectfully asks for the house to join us in supporting its passage.

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: The question is shall the bill be amended as recommended by the committee on judiciary? 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. 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. Aye. All those opposed please say nay. The ayes appear to have it. The ayes do have it and third reading is ordered. Members that completes the orders of the day. Are there any announcements? Member from Essex Junction.

[Representative Lori Houghton]: Madam speaker, house Democrats will caucus in Room 11 at 10:45.

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

[Representative Patricia McCoy]: Madam speaker, house republicans will caucus in Room 10, ten minutes after adjournment.

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

[Unidentified (multiple speakers assigned to this ID)]: Madam speaker, house progressives will caucus at noon in Room 41, I think. 44. Next to the healthcare committee. Thank you.

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

[Unidentified member (possibly from Williston)]: Thank you, madam speaker. The older Vermonters caucus will meet tomorrow at noon in Room 10. We'll be having a panel discussion on age specific housing.

[Representative Thomas "Tom" Charlton]: Hope to

[Unidentified member (possibly from Williston)]: see you there.

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: Are there any further announcements? Seeing none, Member from Pulte, can you please offer us a motion to adjourn until Wednesday, February 4 at 03:30PM?

[Representative Patricia McCoy]: Adam speaker, I make a motion this body stand in adjournment until Wednesday, 02/04/2026 at 03:30PM.

[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. 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

[BetsyAnn Wrask (House Clerk)]: tomorrow at

[Representative Jill Krowinski (Speaker of the House)]: three