IN JAN. 15’s FINAL READING…
The Statehouse is squeezed for space, negotiations on the paid family leave bill are on the rocks and lawmakers recognized Homelessness Day.
THE TOP TAKE
On Wednesday morning in a packed, overheated room, a House committee received a report on how to fix two big issues in the Statehouse: overcrowding and poor ventilation.
Last year the Legislature requested a study of available space, which was done by Freeman French Freeman, a Burlington architectural firm. “There is no wasted space in the building. We are at capacity,” Freeman president Jesse Beck told the House Corrections and Institutions Committee. Options to create new space, he added, were “very limited.”
The report presents four flexible plans for rejiggering available space. They range in cost from $75,000 to $119,000, and would provide only modest relief. Longer term, Beck said, there’s a need for space beyond the current footprint — additions to the building itself or even a sizable new building that would house most legislative functions, leaving the Statehouse itself as a place for tourism, ceremonial activities and House and Senate floor sessions.
Freeman’s report dealt only with the current Statehouse. Priorities for additional space include more places for non-committee meetings, larger quarters for the Capitol Police, a more functional office for the Senate President Pro Tempore, and room for a new HVAC system to provide better ventilation and temperature and humidity control.
Where could the space be found? Possibilities include the coat room inside the main entrance, the legislative lounge on the first floor, and the cafeteria (outside of lunch hour).
Another idea, likely to be shot down in a hurry, is to double-up Senate committees. Each has its own room, but half meet in the morning and half in the afternoon.
Among the more feasible ideas: Create movable glass partitions in the cafeteria to create meeting spaces for the morning and afternoon; use the main-floor coat room as either a committee room or a new office for the Sergeant-at-Arms and police; and shift the legislative lounge to smaller quarters.
One underused location that’s off limits due to accessibility concerns: The Marble Palace, the grand, capacious men’s restroom in the basement. Too bad; repurposing it would be a nice little blow against the patriarchy.
Today’s hearing was only the first step in a lengthy process; nothing is likely to be done anytime soon. The Legislature is never more deliberate than when its own interests are in play. – John Walters
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
— After a round of tense negotiations, House and Senate lawmakers came to an agreement on a paid leave plan. The plan will include 24 consecutive weeks of parental leave for two-parent households and will lower the income eligibility threshold to $7,400, down from $11,400.
Under the previous plan, 60,000 Vermonters would not be eligible, but they would still have to pay the .20% income tax. Now, more Vermonters will benefit from the program, but Rep. Tom Stevens, D-Waterbury, said he doesn’t know how many are still ineligible.
Stevens said he expects the first committee conference meeting on the minimum wage bill will be held early next week. A finite date won’t be set until negotiations on paid leave get wrapped up – Grace Elletson
— Representatives for media organizations continued their push Wednesday to keep the inspection of public documents free in the wake of a Supreme Court ruling that said the government can only charge if copies of records are requested.
Wendy Mays, executive director of the Vermont Association of Broadcasters, and Mike Donoghue of the Vermont Press Association suggested saving money through better management of records and online access. – Mark Johnson
— Migrant Justice announced in a Statehouse press conference that it settled a years-long discrimination lawsuit with the Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles for sharing information with ICE officials, particularly about Latino applicants.
“It is not enough to just fight back against the federal government,” ACLU staff attorney Lia Ernst said. “We must also take the fight to state and local policies and practices that have turned the state into a cog in the federal government’s deportation machine.” – Ellie French
— Next week, Senate Education expects to receive a bill on Gov. Phil Scott’s after-school program. Baruth says it’s “not very meaty,” since all it does is set up a task force, so it’s expected to move quickly. – John Walters
— The House Human Services Committee is considering signing on to an interstate compact that would make it easier for children to be adopted by family members who live out of state. If Vermont signs on, it would become the 14th state to do so. The compact will go into effect federally once 35 states endorse it. – Grace Elletson
— A crowd of about 100 people held a vigil Wednesday afternoon to mark Homelessness Day. A group of Founder’s Memorial School students attended with a banner that wrapped the front of the crowd that read “Founder’s Memorial School says end homelessness.”
During a morning discussion, Stephen Marshall, an advocate with the Chittenden County Homeless Alliance, urged lawmakers to support legislation that would give free IDs to the homeless to help them secure a hotel room and jobs. – Grace Elletson
REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK
VTDigger reporter Mike Dougherty came upon an interesting sight today while covering the Statehouse — a group of reenactors called the Green Mountain Boys, dressed in historical Army regalia complete with musket guns, were visiting to raise a commemorative flag on the Golden Dome’s flagpole.
It’s a yearly tradition that happens every Jan. 15. Grace Elletson caught up with Dougherty to hear more about what he saw and why the reenactors made a visit to the state capitol.
GE: So tell me what you saw today?
MD: I happened to run into a group of historical reenactors who were getting ready to help hoist the Green Mountain Boys commemorative flag in front of the Statehouse. I didn’t know this was happening today — I was going over to attend back-to-back committee hearings that I was photographing — and I happened to see this group of men in historical military clothes and thought “Huh, something must be happening here.”
They were standing with David Schutz, the state curator, so I asked him what this was all about. And he pointed out to me that raising the commemorative flag now happens every year on this date because of a law that was passed by Rep. Maida Townsend in 2018. And the purpose is to commemorate the anniversary, Jan. 15, of Vermont declaring independence in 1777.
GE: Who were these guys?
They told me that they were portraying Col. Seth Warner’s extra continental regiment. Which was more commonly known as the Green Mountain Boys. They originally were, one reenactor said, thought to be a terrorist group but became an Army regiment. So this particular group is based in central Vermont. They said they have 58 members and they mainly do military portrayals in the summertime.
