Everybody knew that today was a big day under the golden dome, as the House would try to override Gov. Phil Scott’s veto of H.107, a bill establishing a mandatory paid family leave program.
All morning, the Statehouse cafeteria was abuzz with speculation, much of it half-baked and uninformed. There was steady traffic around the office of House Speaker Mitzi Johnson, D-South Hero, and plenty of ad hoc meetings in the hallway outside.
“It’s like Election Day,” said House Majority Leader Jill Krowinski, D-Burlington. “You’ve done all your work to lead up to this day.”
There was plenty of activity, but not the last-minute lobbying you might expect. “Everything that can be done, has been done,” said Maggie Lenz, lobbyist with Leonine Public Affairs. Her firm represented the Main Street Alliance, which opposed the bill as too much of a compromise.
For Krowinski and House Minority Leader Pattie McCoy, R-Poultney, the day was less about arm-twisting than cat-herding. “I’m making sure everyone is here,” said Krowinski. “About half the building is sick right now. Several members are not feeling well. One member changed a flight time to be here.”
McCoy had two members coming off surgery — Reps. Anne Donahue, R-Northfield, and Lynn Dickinson, R-St. Albans Town. Dickinson had a thick patch over one eye due to cataract surgery, and left the building shortly after casting her vote.
The House came to order at 1 p.m. As the roll call proceeded, the chamber was uncharacteristically quiet; usually, House votes are punctuated by a fair bit of coughing. Not this time. Reporters and observers listened closely and kept their own tallies.
One of the unofficial tabulators was lobbyist and former state representative Patti Komline, who stood near the balcony entrance. Sen. Corey Parent, R-Franklin, leaned in, and the two of them briefly conferred. A bit later, Komline made a gesture toward Parent that appeared to indicate the override was dead.
It came around the time when Rep. Linda Joy Sullivan, D-Bennington, voted “No.” Earlier this week, Sullivan had declared herself undecided. If she’d gone the other way, the override would have won.
When the Democrats and Progressives won enough seats in the 2018 election to secure a supermajority, legislative leaders cautioned against overreach. Throughout the session, leadership has tried to avoid direct showdowns with Scott.
The paid leave override vote proved their point. Overriding a veto is devilishly difficult. — John Walters
ALSO IN FINAL READING: House fails to override governor’s veto of paid leave and the cannabis bill advances to House Appropriations, committee news, a reporter’s Q&A with Rep. Tom Stevens, calendar, Statehouse cafeteria menu and more news bites from our Statehouse reporting crew.
