— During the Senate’s full caucus Zoom call Monday, a particularly impressive echo dominated the phone line for the first 15 minutes.
Pro Tem Tim Ashe, D/P Chittenden, joked that it reminded him of the 1980 parody film Airplane! when one of the pilots pretends to be announcing a baseball lineup over the loudspeaker.
“Now batting Minnie Miñoso,” Ashe said, his voice reverberating in the ether.
– Kit Norton
— In the full caucus, Sens. Ginny Lyons, D-Chittenden; Michael Sirotkin, D-Chittenden; and Jeanette White, D-Windham, gave updates on the emergency COVID-19 legislation that is in respective committees.
Lyons said her Health and Welfare committee was in agreement with the House panels on human services and health care on the omnibus medical legislation.
“The bill is ready to go,” she said.
Sirotkin said ditto for his committee’s bill to expand unemployment insurance eligibility. But White said there were still some issues on her bills on emergency election practices and the open meeting law.
Senate Gov Ops was scheduled to meet at 6:30 p.m. with its House equivalent on the line to hammer out an agreement on the remaining issues — mandating the meetings of local officials to be recorded and a question over whether in these times of social distancing candidates should be required to receive a certain number of signatures to have their names on the ballot.
– Kit Norton
— In the evening, leaders of Vermont colleges spoke to members of the Legislature’s Joint Rules Committee, saying they are expecting both immediate financial losses and long-term hits stemming from the COVID-19 crisis.
Most students have left campuses across the state, as colleges have ramped up online learning for the rest of the semester.
Both Norwich University President Richard Schneider and the chancellor of the Vermont State Colleges, Jeb Spaulding, said they expected refunding students’ room and board would cost around $5 million.
UVM President Suresh Garimella said he also expects the university’s finances will be “deeply affected” and pointed to the fact that the university has had to cancel six out of its eight in-person visiting days for prospective students this spring, which are critical for encouraging enrollment.
– Xander Landen
— Michael Schirling, the commissioner of the Department of Public Safety, told Joint Rules that the supply chain for personal protective equipment — masks in particular — is, so far, keeping pace Vermont’s demand.
Schirling reported that the state currently has 78,000 N-95 respirator masks, and 82,000 surgical masks, and that the state is sourcing them “from every possible location.”
He added that the state is also buying ventilators “by the dozen as long as they’re available,” and that the state expects to receive 150 in the next few weeks.
– Xander Landen
— When the Senate returns for a quick strike voting mission Tuesday to pass coronavirus legislation, it will also be approving a joint resolution to allow committees to remotely approve bills. There has also been discussion about possibly approving a rules change to allow the upper chamber vote on measures without meeting.
It was a mixed response from senators Monday with some arguing there could be constitutional issues and any decision should not be rushed into before everything is understood. Others advocated that the chamber pass a limited measure along the lines of “The Senate may vote remotely during the COVID-19 state of emergency.”
– Kit Norton
— In the morning, the House Rules Committee began working to give House panels, as well as the full chamber of 150 lawmakers, the ability to vote remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The proposed rule changes will be voted on Wednesday, when the House returns. The rules committee will also propose a resolution declaring a legislative emergency.
During the meeting, House Speaker Mitzi Johnson, D-South Hero, said that in the coming weeks, the chamber will need to focus on legislation that is essential to addressing the pandemic.
She also said that state funds will be limited, and will need to be prioritized for COVID-19 measures.
“Money’s evaporating, so anything that takes substantial money has got to go to COVID-19 and in supporting first, the health of Vermonters, and saving lives, and second to supporting individuals that are at risk of losing everything,” Johnson said.
– Xander Landen
— The usual horde of Statehouse journalists will not be in the golden dome on Tuesday or Wednesday.
Based on the CDC recommendation of social distancing, Ashe and Johnson have asked that no more than one reporter from each bureau of VTDigger, VPR, AP, Seven Days, WPTZ, WCAX and WVNY/WFFF be in the building at any time.
Access to the Senate floor will be limited to no more than two reporters, one online/print and one TV, and will be determined by a pool draw.
On Wednesday, for the House vote, there will be no more than four reporters — at least one print/online, one TV and one photographer — again determined by pool draw.
– Kit Norton
