At her fingertips this biennium will be a historic, veto-proof Democratic House majority. But she will also have to contend with a large crop of rookie lawmakers and tighter budget constraints.
The lieutenant governor has made her experience a central part of her pitch to voters in this year’s Democratic congressional primary. Critics ask what she’s done for Vermont.
The opening for lieutenant governor comes as incumbent Lt. Gov. Molly Gray vies for Vermont’s lone seat in the U.S. House.
Two months into the legislative session, House Speaker Jill Krowinski and Senate President Pro Tempore Becca Balint have strengthened communications between both chambers and with Republican Gov. Phil Scott as the state deals with the Covid-19 crisis and an ailing economy.
Sen. Becca Balint will be sworn in Jan. 6 as the 82nd Senate president pro tempore, the first woman and the first openly gay person to hold the position in Vermont’s history.
Krowinski will be part of a historic all-female leadership team in the Legislature, joining Senate President Pro Tem-elect Becca Balint and Lt. Gov.-elect Molly Gray.
State representatives will not gather in-person on Jan. 6 and instead will hold a mostly remote opening day of the Legislature.
House Speaker Mitzi Johnson still trailed her opponent by 23 votes after a recount, and Rep. Jill Krowinski, D-Burlington, is now the only Democrat in the speaker’s race.
Rep. Jill Krowinski, D-Burlington, now has an apparent edge in her bid to lead the Statehouse's lower chamber.
We encourage our partisan colleagues to search among their midst for a transparent consensus builder with the wisdom to recognize how important it is for the Legislature to focus deeply on the issues driving inequity in Vermont.
With the increasing infection rate, Vermont lawmakers seem more likely to reconvene virtually, rather than in-person, when the legislative session begins in January.
Some Democrats say they would support permanently expanding the vote-by-mail system. Others say the move could be prohibitively expensive.
Rep. Charlie Kimbell, D-Woodstock, has joined the group of lawmakers seeking to lead the House as speaker. Rep. Cynthia Browning, who lost her independent run for reelection, is also considering a run.
Majority Leader Jill Krowinski and Sarah Copeland Hanzas, chair of the Government Operations Committee, plan to put their names forward if the speaker fails in her recount bid.