This story was updated at 2:35 p.m.
Rep. Matt Trieber, D-Rockingham, is resigning his seat in the Legislature. He made the announcement on the House floor Tuesday morning, citing conflicts with his job as a youth counselor for the state of Vermont.
Trieber said his precise resignation day is not set, but it’ll be later this week or sometime next week.
Trieber was appointed to the House in 2011 by then-Gov. Peter Shumlin. He replaced Michael Obuchowski, who resigned to take a position in Shumlin’s cabinet. During his five terms, Trieber became a valuable member of House leadership, serving for several years on the budget-writing House Appropriations Committee.
“In the past, I was a temporary employee of the state,” Trieber said. “I’m now full time, and it became clear that I’d have to take a leave of absence for the rest of the session.”
That was unacceptable to Trieber, who’s a transition counselor with the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation in Springfield. His clients are high school students with disabilities. “I meet with them and figure out how to prepare them for whatever they want to do after graduation,” he said. “I was facing the prospect of them being without transition counseling for the majority of their senior year.”
Several members praised Trieber in remarks on the House floor, and immediately afterward he was surrounded by colleagues wishing him well. Rep. Jessica Brumsted, D-Shelburne, said that when she was a newcomer to the building, Trieber helped her navigate the intricacies of the state budget.
House Majority Leader Jill Krowinski, D-Burlington, praised Trieber as a valuable contributor in the Democratic caucus and the Statehouse in general. “He helps bring people together, and asks the tough questions,” Krowinski said. “He will be missed.”
Trieber noted that serving in the Statehouse changed the direction of his life. “I came here with a background in science,” he said. “Working on the Human Services Committee, I developed a passion for helping people. I never would have imagined 10 years ago that I’d be leaving [the House] for a career in social services.”
The local Democratic committee will nominate up to three people and forward the names to Gov. Phil Scott, who likely will follow the Vermont tradition of filling vacancies with a member of the same party.
