Vermont Legislature SmartTranscripts:

[Speaker Jill Krowinski]: Will the house please come to order and members kindly take their seats? Good afternoon. The devotional today is gonna be very special. It is will be led by our state house singers. Beautiful. Members earlier today, the committee on ways and means reported favorably on senate bill two fourteen, which is an act relating to the provision of pre kindergarten education geographically isolated school districts. Carrying an appropriation, the bill is referred to the committee on appropriations pursuant to house rule 35A pending its entry on the notice calendar. Members we have a resolution to take up at this time. House resolution 17 is a house resolution affirming that all Vermonters presumed to be competent to communicate and must be provided effective communication resources of their choice. Please listen to the resolution by title only.

[BetsyAnn Wrask (Clerk of the House)]: HR 17, house resolution affirming that all Vermonters are presumed to be competent to communicate and must be provided effective communication resources of their choice.

[Speaker Jill Krowinski]: Now you've heard the reading of the resolution and the same is placed on the calendar for action on the next legislative day pursuant to house rule 12. Members we receive requests to read two house concurrent resolutions that the house and senate adopted pursuant to the consent calendar. The first is HCR two seventy nine which is a house concurrent resolution honoring general assembly head doorkeeper Michael C. Waiter and his wife, sergeant at arms administrative assistant Donahue for their dedicated state public service and extending future best wishes. Please listen to the reading of the resolution.

[House Reading Clerk (name not specified)]: Whereas Mike Waiter was born in Springfield, Massachusetts, attended the public schools in nearby Chicopee, Massachusetts. And in 1973, he entered the US army, serving in the first infantry division prior to his 1976 honorable discharge. And whereas following his military service, Mike Wade or pursued higher education opportunities at the University of Kansas in Manhattan, Kansas, Springfield Technical Community College in Springfield, Massachusetts, and the former Hawthorne College in Antrim, New Hampshire. And whereas for a quarter of a century, Mike Wade or patrolled the highways, investigated crimes, and protected Vermonters as a member of the Vermont State Police, rising at the rank of sergeant. And whereas in '9 in 2006, Mike Wade or embarked on a new career as a general assembly doorkeeper, donning the green jacket that symbolizes his role to facilitate the orderly flow of activities in the statehouse during the legislative session. And whereas his interrelated duties involve controlling chamber access when the House or Senate convene, coordinating the distribution of the still important pink message slips to members, and supervising the eighth grade legislative pages, including teaching them a class on the role and procedures of the general assembly. And in recognition of his superb job performance in 2017, Mike Waiter was designated head doorkeeper. And whereas since 2020, his wife, Donna Waiter, has admirably served as an administrative assistant in the office of sergeant at arms, supporting the office in many ways to ensure it operates with maximum efficiency. And whereas Mike and Donahue waiter have served as extraordinary public servants. Their presence on the state house staff has been invaluable and a delight. And in 2026, they are concluding their respective tenures under the Golden Dome. Now therefore, be it resolved by the House of Representatives in the Senate that the General Assembly honors the General Assembly head doorkeeper, Michael C. Waiter and his wife, sergeant in arms administrative assistant, Donna Waiter, for their dedicated state public service and extends future best wishes. And be it further resolved that the secretary of state be directed to send a copy of this resolution to Mike and Donahue waiter.

[Speaker Jill Krowinski]: Next is h c r two eighty two, which is a house concurrent resolution honoring general assembly doorkeeper Dennis Miles for his superb dedication to serving the general assembly and all Vermonters. Please listen to the reading of the resolution.

[House Reading Clerk (name not specified)]: Whereas as an educator, athletics coach and referee, and community leader, Dennis Miles has contributed significantly to his native Vermont community. And whereas born in Windsor County, Dennis Miles graduated from the former Chester High School and the former Castleton State College and earned a master's degree at Norwich University. And whereas for an impressive forty one years, Dennis Miles was a faculty member in the Northfield School District, primarily as a physical education instructor. And whereas his involvement in youth sports extended well beyond in school classes and to a variety of roles, including coaching basketball and hockey teams in

[BetsyAnn Wrask (Clerk of the House)]: Northfield, umpiring high school baseball contests, and running the length of the soccer pitch as

[House Reading Clerk (name not specified)]: a high school and collegiate referee. And whereas the conclusion of his career as an educator opened the door, literally, to a new vocation as one of the proud green jacketed general assembly doorkeepers, a role he took on at the beginning of the twenty fourteen legislative session. And whereas for the past dozen years, Dennis Miles has been a familiar face in the state house, monitoring the entryways of the house and senate to ensure good order during daily sessions. Working with the eighth grade legislative pages as they scurry around the building and on the floor of each chamber and drawing on his experiences in as an educator, teaching his young charges the fundamentals of Vermont's legislative branch. And whereas Dennis Miles has decided that 2026 will be his final session under the golden dome, Now therefore be it resolved by the house of representatives and the senate, the general assembly honors general assembly doorkeeper, Dennis Miles, for his superb dedication to serving the general assembly in all Vermonters, and be it further resolved that the secretary of state be directed to send a copy of this resolution to Dennis Miles.

[Speaker Jill Krowinski]: Are there any announcements? Member from Northfield.

[Representative Kenneth Goslant (Northfield)]: Thank you, madam speaker. Mike Wadeer. Mike has been a part of the state house for twenty years, and in that time, he had the bright idea of bringing his wife, Donna, along for the last six years. Really sorry about that, Donna. Between the two of them, they are a great partnership of support for the sergeant of arms and the state house. Mike and Donna have been together since high school, and Donahue has seen Mike wear many uniforms during his lifetime of public service. Mike's military and public service career began more than fifty years ago right out of high school. I think now you're at the age you can actually retire.

[BetsyAnn Wrask (Clerk of the House)]: He

[Representative Kenneth Goslant (Northfield)]: served many years in the army. His next career move was became a becoming a state trooper, and just as important, becoming my neighbor. Mike committed the next twenty five years of service as a state trooper. Mike served in many capacities, his favorite being the many friendships he shared with his team. He served in the Rockingham, Middlesex region, and finished his career in the polygraph operator. In his time of service, Donna enjoyed, hard to believe, when Mike's night shift crew would come over for her coffee and muffins in the wee morning hours. Honestly, Donna, you weren't forced into this. Right? Mike's next big step in his career is represent representing the general assembly, wearing the green jacket as head doorkeeper. As head doorkeeper, one of Mike's primary responsibilities is to main re maintain order in the people's house. Sounds easy, but not all of you are as well behaved as I am. Seriously, you are a fantastic mentor and example to all of us who have served under the Golden Dome. There are times his common sense, level head, and experience has caused calmed, tense situations that have arisen here. Imagine that. I know the sergeant of arms relies on Mike for guidance advice. We all know how difficult that experience can be. But in all seriousness, a good laugh is needed. Donna is also the spark plug that adds to that excitement in that area. Mike wants to acknowledge the many people who supported him. His predecessor, Corcoranlius Reid, his amazing mentor, former sergeant at arms, Janet Miller, who put up with him and others for so long. I think she's here today right over there. Hi, Janet. His fellow doorkeepers, law enforcement over there, who have served with him, and to his wife, Donna, seriously, I don't know how you could put up with him for so long, but who has always been a constant and loyal support throughout their journey. To have companionship, marriage, and to be able to live and work together is an amazing accomplishment. You know what they say, behind every great man, there is a Donna. Please join me in thanking Mike and Donna and welcome welcoming their son and daughter-in-law and grandchildren to the Peoples House.

[Speaker Jill Krowinski]: Will the guest member from Northfield please rise and be recognized? Are there any further announcements? Member from Northfield.

[Representative Kenneth Goslant (Northfield)]: Thank you, madam speaker. So much fun. I'll do it again. Denny Miles this time. Oh, how I'd like to roast him. No, seriously, I would. Denny, where do I even begin with you? You've done so much for the community. As a high school teacher, you show patience to spend time on the little things that gives kids confidence, such as myself. Who would you have thought that years later, you would be teaching me again, offering your leadership as a doorkeeper, where you continue to educate me here in the state house? Denny has been an educator for over forty years, but we gotta talk about his coaching. Here are some of his highlights. Officiated soccer from youth through college level. Coached many varsity sports programs for boys, girls soccer, hockey, and basketball. Seriously? Basketball? Just kidding about basketball for all your basketball fans. Championship coach in 1975, making history with a girls state championship basketball team. Anybody that knows anything about Norfield with basketball, it doesn't go hand in hand. Then he also ran the Norfield Youth Hockey Association, known as NAHA, along with his good friend, Reg Tucker. I'll never forget the time my son brought home a paper and said, dad, I want to play hockey. I knew nothing about coaching hockey. I called Denny. He lied to me. Can you believe it? A teacher lied to me. He said, there's nothing to it. Then he went out on the ice with boots on, no skates. I told him, I'm going to go and buy a pair of skates and a stick. Well, the stick and whistle work good, the skates, not so not so much. In my twenty years plus of coaching and helping kids and young adults happened because of you, Miles. In all seriousness, Denny, you made a huge difference in my life by me getting involved with coaching kids. You can do that mentoring, or you still do that mentoring all the pages today, which are up in the balcony right now, and we'll we'll acknowledge them in a minute. Denny, you've been an incredible asset to the doorkeeper team. Part of the job of doorkeepers is to monitor the rooms with legislators, which we know is most difficult with a lot of people, and worked with the pages. Denny became part of the doorkeeper team and used his educational talents to enrich the the page program. Denny has transformed the page program into an educational experience. Denny requires our pages to follow bills in the house and senate, study legislative operations, and just when he was an educate and just as when he was an educator, he also had to throw in one last test at the end of the term. He also quizzes the pages about what they learned about our state government. Often, I would see Denny holding class in the lobby with the pages reminding me of my high high school years. Then he makes things happen. He bribes the governor with coffee hour by Nancy making her amazing pastries, which, by the way, the blueberry bread is excellent. Nancy, I still expect the blueberry bread to be coming here for coffee hours. That would be really nice. Our pages get to meet every high ranking state official, which can be an intimidating experience. But the kids have the confidence and the opportunity to do it because of Denny's wonderful personality. Denny has a painting business with his son, and Nancy has involved, his wife, with overseeing the clerical duties and probably actually checking up on them to make sure they're actually doing their work. In closing, we have all been blessed with Denny here with his gift of education. Please join me in thanking Denny in welcoming his family, his wife of fifty seven years, Nancy, their children, and many of his former pages, which also I'd like to recognize up up up in the in the balcony. And that's it. Thank you.

[Speaker Jill Krowinski]: Will the guests of the member from Northfield please rise and be recognized? Are there any further announcements? I know those are hard to beat. Member from Burlington.

[Unknown Member from Burlington]: I'm not going to try to beat those announcements because I can't but I have a really important one. I'd like to take a moment to invite all of y'all to participate in a diaper and wipes drive happening right here in the State House lobby next Wednesday, May 13. So go ahead and mark your calendars right now. This drive is supporting Vermont military families through the Vermont National Guard Family Readiness Program, and the need is real and very timely. Right now, we have both air guard and army personnel deployed with a larger army unit scheduled to deploy in June. Many of these services service members are parents of young children and their families at home are managing everything on their own often with tighter budgets and one less set of hands. The most needed items are diapers and newborn through size four and baby wipes. Everything direct collected will go directly to Vermont military families through the family readiness team. It's a simple tangible way for us to show up for Vermonters who are serving in our country and the families who are supporting them at home. These families are holding it together at home so that others can serve and a box of diapers is a small thing, but it says very loudly that they are not forgotten. I've said this before and I will say it again, service to country is a family sacrifice and this is one small way we can honor that. So please start purchasing diapers, newborn through size four and baby wipes, and bring them to the State House next Wednesday. Thanks.

[Speaker Jill Krowinski]: Member from Williston.

[Unknown Member from Williston]: Thank you, madam speaker. I'd like to welcome a guest today. It's wonderful to have her visiting here over Mother's Day weekend, but also I think important for me to note that our work here is not just theoretical. She knows very well that families were traumatized, thousands of students had their school interrupted, businesses were devastated, and the entire Minneapolis area from where she is visiting is now engaged in a long painful recovery effort that should only be caused by a natural disaster, not a man made one. Thank you for welcoming her.

[Speaker Jill Krowinski]: Will the guest member from Williston please rise and be recognized? Member from Brattleboro.

[Representative Emilie Kornheiser (Brattleboro)]: Madam speaker, could representative Dobrovich and the rest of and the Ways and Means Committee join me in the will of the house during our next break to hear the amendment?

[Speaker Jill Krowinski]: Are there any further announcements? Member from Bradford.

[Representative Monique Priestley (Bradford)]: Madam speaker, happy nurses week. American Nurses Association Vermont nurses are here today participating in a national report for duty rally advocating for access to health care, health care worker safety, nursing workforce development, and a healthy environment. Amy Martin, executive director, John Hendrickson, president, Courtney Borland, vice president, Kate Williams, secretary, and Erin Martone are here. May you please, help me welcome them.

[Speaker Jill Krowinski]: Will the guest of the member from Bradford please rise and be recognized. Member from Waterbury.

[Representative Theresa Wood (Waterbury)]: Thank you madam speaker. Today I'm excited to welcome some folks from Champlain Community Services here. If you don't know about Champlain Community Services, it's an organization that serves people with developmental and intellectual disabilities. It is located in the Old Fort Ethan Allen in Colchester, and they are often cited as one of the best places to work in the state of Vermont. So today, we have with us Ashley Young, Eva Sailor, Matthew McClintic, Lisa Molliend, and Delana Norton. Please welcome them. They're sitting in the balcony.

[Speaker Jill Krowinski]: Will the guest member from Waterbury please rise and be recognized? Are there any further announcements? Seeing none, orders of the day. Members at this time we will recess So committees whatever committees are left that need to hear amendments can do that. I don't suspect that will take much time. So the house will stand in recess until the fall of the gebble at approximately 2PM. The house will stand in recess.