House Democrats were in a festive mood as they held a fundraiser Thursday night at the Vermont College of Fine Arts in Montpelier. Earlier in the day, they’d seen one of their top priorities — the Global Warming Solutions Act — win approval by an impressive 105-37 margin. The vote seemed to dispel the lingering aftereffects of the failed Feb. 5 vote to override Gov. Phil Scott’s paid family leave veto.
At least 200 lawmakers, former lawmakers, candidates and lobbyists gathered in College Hall’s chapel, a large open space dominated by an ornately decorated pipe organ. But the evening’s tunes were political, not musical.
Terje Anderson, chair of the Vermont Democratic Party, kicked off the event with a promise to elect more Democrats to the Legislature and take back the governor’s office. “Every penny raised tonight goes into our grassroots campaign,” Anderson said. “We’re going to have field offices and organizers on the ground all over the state.”
Anderson’s remark was tailored with state law in mind. Individual lawmakers are forbidden from seeking or accepting lobbyist donations during a legislative session. And no sitting lawmaker said a word about or any such thing. There was no quid pro quo, at least not in so many words.
“We make very sure that no lawmakers ask lobbyists to come, participate or donate,” said House Speaker Mitzi Johnson, D-South Hero, in a Friday interview. “We’re very careful about the law.”
When asked if the event raises an appearance of insider dealing, she said, “I don’t think it happens in the direct way we hear about at the federal level. I don’t see that happening on either side in Vermont.”
The soiree was a lucrative event. Party executive director Scott McNeil estimated the night’s takings at $30,000. Donors included lobbyists, unions, state representatives, and the presidential campaigns of Sen. Bernie Sanders and former New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg. Sanders was represented by two campaign staffers at a table strewn with buttons, bumper stickers and other paraphernalia. Bloomberg’s presence took the form of a giant gray-and-black banner dominated by a picture of the unsmiling candidate.
No one was willing to disclose the size of their donations, even though the specifics will come out in due time on the party’s campaign finance reports.
Remarks from the podium were big on the party’s agenda and calls for victory, but there were no direct requests for money. The headline speaker, U.S. Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vt., focused on the national scene.
“We’re fighting against a new normal,” Welch said. “President Trump is like a feral creature who understands there is power in division. There is power in division, but there is no future in division.” By contrast, Welch praised the civility of Vermont politics.
The highlight of the evening was a rare public appearance by former House Speaker Michael Obuchowski, who has battled health problems in recent years. “Obie” received a warm welcome as he limped to the podium and spoke with some obvious effort.
He bemoaned the loss of civility and respect in politics, and recalled a moment when those values were absent from Vermont: the civil unions debate of 2000. “I will always salute those who voted ‘yes’ even though they knew it was the end of their political careers,” he said. Obuchowski did not mention the political cost to himself; when the Democrats lost their majority in that year’s election, his tenure as speaker came to an end.
Obuchowski then turned to an unexpected subject: the rising rate of police-involved deaths in Vermont. “We must use less than deadly means and de-escalation techniques,” he said. “Deadly force is not the way to solve problems.” He called on lawmakers and officeholders to “pass legislation and enact policies that will prevent us from taking lives.”
When asked why he spoke on that particular issue, Obuchowski offered a simple reply. “The humanity of it,” he said.
After the speeches were done, Obuchowski sat on the edge of the stage and accepted greetings from a parade of well-wishers.
Several candidates for statewide office were acknowledged from the podium, including gubernatorial hopeful Rebecca Holcombe and three women running for lieutenant governor: Assistant Attorney General Molly Gray, 2018 gubernatorial candidate Brenda Siegel and Sen. Deborah Ingram, D-Chittenden.
Lively conversations filled the room. The crowd thinned out slowly, as many were reluctant to venture into a very chilly night. Spirits were lifted, and the party’s coffers were significantly fattened. Within the bounds of the law.
