The Senate Committee on Government Operations is discussing whether to set specific qualifications, normally the province of state law rather than the Constitution.
Vermont State Police, who are investigating the death, said their preliminary investigation showed no indication that Bennington police used physical force on the man.
The 237 Vermonters who died of an accidental opioid overdose include dozens who ingested gabapentin, an anti-seizure drug that health officials flagged for the first time this week.
“There is a problem with the way that sheriffs are doing their jobs in our state,” said Sen. Ruth Hardy, D-Addison, a sponsor of the bill. “We need to do something besides a study.”
Community leaders say Rutland Forward played a key role in last week’s local elections, in which all nine of the political action committee’s candidates won.
The resort is envisioned as a three-season destination in New England, featuring 130 hotel rooms plus a high-end restaurant and spa, and would create up to 150 jobs.
The legislation, S.75, proposes giving civilian boards the authority to manage police departments, much like selectboards, town managers and police chiefs do. Bennington’s town manager says the bill has “gone too far.”
In a campaign season that cast a spotlight on Rutland’s rising crime, lack of housing and population decline, Doenges unseated three-term mayor David Allaire on Tuesday, according to unofficial city election results.
The violation resulted in the dismissal last month of a child sexual assault case, and concerns over the responsibility of prosecutors to share with defendants evidence that the state holds.
Investigators say Vincent Annunziata’s former employer, Vermont Butcher Shop, alleges he stole about $15,000 over a six-month period.