January 8, 2020
IN TODAY’S FINAL READING…
Sen. Tim Ashe says he’s running for lieutenant governor, the fight over the paid leave heads to conference committee and climate protesters gear up for Gov. Phil Scott’s State of the State address.
THE TOP TAKE
The Legislature’s opening days have been swallowed up in a cascade of political news that shows no sign of slowing down. “It’s like somebody threw a ping pong ball into a room full of mousetraps,” said Rep. Warren Kitzmiller, D-Montpelier.
On Tuesday, VTDigger reported that Lt. Gov. David Zuckerman would seek the Democratic nomination for governor. Wednesday morning, Seven Days broke the news that Senate President Pro Tem Tim Ashe, D/P-Chittenden, is running for lieutenant governor as a Democrat — assuming, of course, that the reports about Zuckerman are correct.
The rest of the day was full of rampant speculation about who else might run for lieutenant governor, and what other political dominos might be next to fall.
Former House speaker Shap Smith told VTDigger he was considering a bid for LG, and would make an announcement on Friday. State Sen. Debbie Ingram, D-Chittenden, is seriously considering a run, and said she would make a decision next week.
A newcomer to elective politics, Assistant Attorney General Molly Gray, said, “I intend to run, but I’m not prepared to make a formal announcement.” The 35-year-old Gray was a staffer on Peter Welch’s initial campaign for Congress in 2006 and served in his office before going to work for the International Red Cross.
Some rumored hopefuls have dismissed speculation. Senate Majority Leader Becca Balint, D-Windham, said she would run for re-election and is interested in succeeding Ashe as pro tem. (She would be the first female pro tem in Vermont history.) Christine Hallquist, Dem nominee for governor in 2018, said she is not running.
The lieutenant governorship may also attract significant Republican interest. Sen. Corey Parent, R-Franklin, is considering a bid. Former House majority leader Don Turner, who ran for LG in 2018, could not be reached for comment.
Ashe’s decision creates an opening in the six-person Chittenden County Senate delegation, and Ingram may create a second. That, in turn, could create openings in the House or on Burlington City Council if those officeholders try to move up.
Meanwhile, Zuckerman, the ping pong ball in Kitzmiller’s scenario, is sticking to his guns: No announcement until Monday. It’s gonna be pretty weird if he doesn’t run.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
— A sex work decriminalization bill is off to a rough start. Vermont’s Human Trafficking Victim Services Director Kiera Krier, Attorney General TJ Donovan and the victim advocacy group Vermont Network have come out against it. “This does not dignify women,” Krier warned House Judiciary Committee members Wednesday, “It dignifies the industry.” – Grace Elletson
— Rep. Lucy Rogers, D-Waterville, is ready for the blowback. She’s asking her colleagues to support legislation that would give them eight hours of pay a week during the off-session. Rogers said lawmakers take on work outside of the legislative session and deserve compensation for it. – Grace Elletson
— The paid leave bill is moving to conference committee as a group of Democrats and Progressives attempt to derail the compromise legislation. “The idea this can’t be fixed is fearmongering,” said Rep. Tom Stevens, D-Waterbury, in response to concerns the bill has been so watered down that it is “doomed to fail.”
— Later on in a workers caucus meeting, Sen. Chris Pearson, P/D-Burlington, gave a pronounced eye roll to Stevens’ desire to make the bill more progressive. “You can’t just ignore the funding stuff,” Pearson said. “A tax on workers is not … progressive.” – Grace Elletson
— A “ruckus raising” climate protest is being organized for Thursday outside of the Statehouse before Gov. Phil Scott’s State of the State address. Attendees are being asked to bring “pots, pans, wooden spoons and any other noisemakers.” Protestors may also attempt to disrupt Scott’s speech, said Dan Batten, a member of Extinction Rebellion. – Grace Elletson
— The Senate Committee on Economic Development, Housing and General Affairs is heading out on a field trip. The committee is holding a hearing on housing in Burlington Thursday morning with nearly 20 people from the public and private sector signed up to speak. – Anne Wallace Allen
— Sen. Bobby Starr, D-Essex-Orleans, is determined to get almond beverages out of the supermarket milk cooler this year. A bill that would prevent non-dairy beverages from being labeled as “milk” is a priority for Starr, chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee and a longtime dairy farmer. “It’s not right to deceive people,” he said. – Anne Wallace Allen
— House Speaker Mitzi Johnson took a break from her official duties to play trains with 3-year-old Nolan Zammuto of Colchester. Nolan’s mother Shayla is field manager and volunteer coordinator for Let’s Grow Kids. “I didn’t have child care today, so I brought Nolan to work,” she said. “It’s great that the Statehouse is kid-friendly.” Johnson keeps a box of toys in her office for such occasions. – John Walters
— House lawmakers in the Education and Ways & Means committees met this morning for a joint hearing on a long-awaited education funding report. The study authors argue the state’s existing methods for counting poor students and English-language learners are “historical artifacts” that haven’t changed in over 20 years. “That’s the best, nicest terminology I can use for them,” University of Vermont researcher Tammy Kolbe told lawmakers. “We could find no evidence that they were empirically derived.” – Lola Duffort
— James Baker, interim commissioner of the Vermont Department of Corrections, testified in committee for the first time since taking the job. He said he was still getting up to speed. Sen. Joe Benning, the Senate Institutions chair, offered Baker an invitation to come back and visit on day 119 of his tenure, to debrief on what he learned in the position. – Alan Keays
REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK
Senate Judiciary Committee members voted Wednesday to support a veto override of the medical monitoring bill — the two dissenters in a 3-2 vote were Sen. Alice Nitka, D-Windsor, and Sen. Joe Benning, R-Caledonia.
The legislation would expand legal remedies for toxic industrial pollution. Gov. Phil Scott struck down the bill in June over concerns that it could place legal and insurance burdens on the state’s businesses. VTDigger’s Kit Norton talked with Grace Elletson about why the move is important.
GE: How did the committee come to this decision?
KN: What’s interesting is that there was a recent federal court decision in late December which set precedent for folks to cover medical monitoring as a legal remedy. And so the committee discussed whether they should just have this court decision stand and not pass any legislation or to go forward with a veto override. The majority of the committee was in favor of an override.
GE: Was this surprising to you?
KN: No this wasn’t too surprising. The committee chair, Sen. Dick Sears, D-Bennington, was a co-sponsor of the original legislation. It came about as a result of contamination PFAS in Bennington, the district he represents.
GE: What’s next for the bill?
KN: It will go to the full Senate, where it needs 20 votes to head to the House for an override. Senate leaders need to flip one vote from last year — and are confident they can do that. House leadership believes they’d likely have the 100 votes needed for an override if it gets there.
