U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., along with eight of his Senate colleagues, affixed their names this week to a resolution honoring the career of retiring quarterback Tom Brady, formerly of the New England Patriots.
All of New England’s senators signed on to the measure — which actually included the words, “Whereas Tom Brady, commonly known as “TB12” or “the GOAT” — with one notable exception: Vermont’s own independently minded Sen. Bernie Sanders.
Was the senator still feeling burned by Brady’s trade to the Bucs? Is he — gasp — a Giants fan?
Always in pursuit of the hardest hitting journalism, yours truly sent a Very Serious Inquiry to Team Sanders. (The things I do for my treasured Final Readers! Now feels like a good time to remind you that VTDigger is a nonprofit news outlet sustained by generous donations.)
Sanders’ communications director, Mike Casca, responded by saying Sanders is a very busy man and, perhaps, has better things to do.
“Sen. Sanders is right now focused on fighting for the needs of America’s working class and taking on the greed of those who wield so much power over the economic and political life of our nation, including billionaires who saw their wealth increase during the pandemic by some $2 trillion while thousands of workers died trying to feed their families,” Casca said via email.
An unnamed Capitol Hill source quipped that Sanders’ absence from the resolution will be “deflating” for Brady.
— Sarah Mearhoff
IN THE KNOW
Rep. Paul Martin, R-Franklin, who was elected to the House in 2020, has resigned.
In a resignation letter, which was read on the House floor Thursday, Martin wrote that “the workload and level of commitment required to effectively serve has proven to be far too much for me to balance while running my real estate company in the beautiful city of St. Albans.”
Gov. Phil Scott is expected to appoint a replacement. He typically draws from a list of candidates provided by the local party of the outgoing member.
— Riley Robinson
The Senate is gearing up to return to the Statehouse in person March 8, after the Legislature reconvenes following its weeklong Town Meeting Day break.
Both legislative chambers began the session remotely in January, but the House returned to Montpelier in a hybrid format three weeks later. Save for leadership occasionally coming into the building, senators have been legislating completely virtually since March 2020.
The Senate Rules Committee took no formal action Thursday, but Senate President Pro Tempore Becca Balint, D-Windham, told the five-member panel that the chamber’s committee chairs and party leaders had come to an informal consensus to return to Montpelier after the recess.
If the current decline in Covid cases continues apace, the pro tem suggested, the rules committee could meet early the week before Town Meeting Day to formalize the decision.
Separately, the House voted on Thursday to extend its current hybrid work model until March 8.
— Lola Duffort and Riley Robinson
A bill that keeps in place looser regulations on Vermont’s health care system is nearing a final vote in the Senate.
If approved, the bill would keep in place Act 6, a set of relaxed health care regulations lawmakers first adopted in the early days of the pandemic. The House already OK’d this most recent extension. The Senate is expected to expedite the vote so that the provisions would not lapse when the law is scheduled to expire in March.
Senators slightly amended the bill to ask the Green Mountain Care Board to consider the “extraordinary labor costs” facing hospitals in this year’s budget review process.
That addition is an important win for the Vermont Association of Hospitals and Health Systems, the lobbying organization for Vermont’s 14 medical centers. Hospital administrators have long complained about the difficulties of responding to the pandemic with what it views as razor-thin margins set by the Green Mountain Care Board.
The bill is expected to reach Gov. Phil Scott’s desk before the end of the month.
— Liora Engel-Smith
ON THE MOVE
A bill to create a statewide registry of rental units passed the Senate on Thursday by a vote of 20-9. Gov. Phil Scott vetoed a similar proposal last year. Sen. Michael Sirotkin, D-Chittenden, who sponsored S.210, has said legislators are still working out a compromise with the administration.
— Riley Robinson
The House gave final approval Thursday to S.30, a bill that would tighten firearm background checks and ban guns from hospitals. Following the 91-53 vote, the bill next heads to the desk of Gov. Phil Scott, who has not said whether he’ll sign or veto it.
It’s not clear whether the Legislature could summon enough votes — two-thirds of each chamber — to override a veto.
The Senate cleared that hurdle last week with a vote of 21-9 in favor of the bill. An earlier House vote of 97-49 suggested that supporters were within reach of a veto-proof majority. But Thursday’s 91-53 vote indicated otherwise.
“I would be extraordinarily delighted if the governor didn’t veto it,” Rep. William Notte, D-Rutland, said. “But if he does, then it’s up to those of us who feel very strongly about this bill to try and convince enough of our colleagues that an override is the right thing to do.”
— Ethan Weinstein
The House passed H.477 Thursday afternoon by voice vote, without discussion. The bill would protect employees’ ability to take time off from work and attend court proceedings if they are seeking a protective order or if they are the victim of an alleged crime or a victim’s family member.
— Riley Robinson
THE FIFTH FLOOR
Gov. Phil Scott has vetoed a bill to establish a statewide registry of residential contractors, arguing H.157 is unnecessary and would put the state’s smaller operators at a disadvantage.
“This bill favors larger and more established businesses at the expense of small, entry-level businesses by imposing, by law, specific contract and insurance requirements that many of the smaller businesses will not be able to meet,” Scott wrote in his veto letter to lawmakers.
Perhaps not coincidentally, the Republican governor’s announcement landed in reporters’ inboxes just as champions of the bill were wrapping up a press conference urging him to sign the bill.
— Lola Duffort
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
There were birthday shoutouts in both the House and the Senate today.
Sen. Phil Baruth, D/P-Chittenden, was not present for his nod on the virtual Senate floor.
In the House, birthday honoree Rep. Henry Pearl, D-Danville, got a toast from Rep. John O’Brien, D-Tunbridge, who said: “He could’ve used this as his campaign slogan: I spent my whole life in the barn. Now I just want to spend a little time in the House.”
— Riley Robinson
WHAT’S FOR LUNCH
As I’m writing this, the chef has yet to respond to my query about Friday’s cafeteria menu. I’ll go back to pestering in person. Don’t fret, cafeteria stans — we haven’t forgotten about you.
— Riley Robinson
WHAT’S ON TAP
FRIDAY, FEB. 11
9:30 a.m. — Senate Judiciary gets an update on court system reopening and security.
1 p.m. — Senate Government Operations takes testimony on S. 155, which would create an Agency of Public Safety.
1:15 p.m. — House Human Services hears testimony on the Opioid Settlement Bill.
WHAT WE’RE READING
With winter less predictable, Hanover officials make “heart-wrenching decision” to end a community tradition (New Hampshire Public Radio)
Burlington mayor wades into Vermont’s discussion of qualified immunity (VTDigger)
Vermont Conversation: The mother-son Olympic connection of Barbara Ann Cochran & Ryan Cochran-Siegle (Vermont Conversation)
