Tuesday, January 12, 2021
Updated at 3:55 p.m.
Some Republican legislators in Vermont are calling for the resignation of the Trump-loving leaders of the state's GOP if they can’t support removing the president from office.
Lawmakers overwhelmingly passed a joint resolution last week calling for Donald Trump to resign or be removed from office by his cabinet or Congress for his role in inciting the violent insurrection at the U.S. Capital.
The move followed Gov. Phil Scott’s demand for Trump’s removal for “fanning the flames” that led to the mob storming Congress in a failed attempt to overturn the results of the presidential election.
The VTGOP released a statement last week condemning the violence. But it did not acknowledge Trump's role in inciting it, call for him to resign or be removed, or even acknowledge his electoral loss. Party officials need to do all of these things if they claim to represent Vermont Republicans, said Rep. Scott Beck (R-St. Johnsbury).
“I have had some pointed comments at VTGOP leadership, and I have said to them, ‘If you cannot cross these bridges, I think it’s time for you to move on,'” Beck told Seven Days on Tuesday.
Some Republican legislators in Vermont are calling for the resignation of the Trump-loving leaders of the state's GOP if they can’t support removing the president from office.
Lawmakers overwhelmingly passed a joint resolution last week calling for Donald Trump to resign or be removed from office by his cabinet or Congress for his role in inciting the violent insurrection at the U.S. Capital.
The move followed Gov. Phil Scott’s demand for Trump’s removal for “fanning the flames” that led to the mob storming Congress in a failed attempt to overturn the results of the presidential election.
The VTGOP released a statement last week condemning the violence. But it did not acknowledge Trump's role in inciting it, call for him to resign or be removed, or even acknowledge his electoral loss. Party officials need to do all of these things if they claim to represent Vermont Republicans, said Rep. Scott Beck (R-St. Johnsbury).
“I have had some pointed comments at VTGOP leadership, and I have said to them, ‘If you cannot cross these bridges, I think it’s time for you to move on,'” Beck told Seven Days on Tuesday.
Tags: Deb Billado , VTGOP , Scott Beck , Ann Donahue , Corey Parent , Web Only , Image
Monday, January 11, 2021
Vermont law enforcement officials are bracing for armed protesters at the Statehouse after the FBI warned of demonstrations in all state capitals between January 16 and January 20, the day of president-elect Joe Biden's inauguration.
Law enforcement agencies — including Vermont State Police, Montpelier Police, Capitol Police and Vermont National Guard forces— are in close coordination “to monitor the threat stream” based on the “national chatter” since a violent mob of pro-President Donald Trump extremists stormed the U.S. Capitol, state Public Safety Commissioner Mike Schirling said Monday.
He declined, however, to describe the specific steps being taken to prepare for the prospect, noting that it’s still unclear what might develop. “We’re planning for a variety of potential eventualities," he said, but no specific threats have emerged.
While “we’re all feeling concern and unease as a result of what we saw last week,” Schirling said, Vermonters are used to working out their differences peacefully. Given the volatility of the political climate, however, Schirling suggested people who do come out to protest in coming days consider leaving their firearms at home.
While he said it’s “not my place to tell people where and when to protest,” he added it “makes sense to rethink the timing” of an anticipated January 17th armed rally, given recent events. “Think twice about whether this is the particular time you choose to bring a weapon to a protest, even if it is a Second Amendment issue,” Schirling said.
Law enforcement agencies — including Vermont State Police, Montpelier Police, Capitol Police and Vermont National Guard forces— are in close coordination “to monitor the threat stream” based on the “national chatter” since a violent mob of pro-President Donald Trump extremists stormed the U.S. Capitol, state Public Safety Commissioner Mike Schirling said Monday.
He declined, however, to describe the specific steps being taken to prepare for the prospect, noting that it’s still unclear what might develop. “We’re planning for a variety of potential eventualities," he said, but no specific threats have emerged.
While “we’re all feeling concern and unease as a result of what we saw last week,” Schirling said, Vermonters are used to working out their differences peacefully. Given the volatility of the political climate, however, Schirling suggested people who do come out to protest in coming days consider leaving their firearms at home.
While he said it’s “not my place to tell people where and when to protest,” he added it “makes sense to rethink the timing” of an anticipated January 17th armed rally, given recent events. “Think twice about whether this is the particular time you choose to bring a weapon to a protest, even if it is a Second Amendment issue,” Schirling said.
Tags: armed protest , Trump , police , inauguration , Statehouse , Web Only , Image
Friday, January 8, 2021
Associated Press
U.S. Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and others ducking for cover as rioters swarmed the U.S. Capitol
Vermont senators overwhelmingly joined their House colleagues Friday in approving a resolution calling for President Donald Trump to immediately resign from office or be removed from power.
The Senate’s 29-1 vote on the joint resolution follows its passage in the House Thursday afternoon by a 130-16 vote.
Senators did not debate the merits of the measure, but afterward, echoing comments she made the previous evening, Senate President Pro Tempore Becca Balint (D-Windham) issued a statement asserting that lawmakers’ oaths to defend the constitution obliged them to act.
“Regardless of party, we share a clear and public commitment to the rule of law, to the people, and to the ideals of this great state, which were violated by the President and the extremists who attacked the Capitol,” Balint said.
The resolution notes that Trump addressed supporters on Wednesday, “urging them to go to the U.S. Capitol in support of his false claim that he won the 2020 presidential election” before they "violently stormed the building, attacking police officers, ransacking offices, terrorizing the members of Congress, and forcing the stoppage of the certification of President-elect Biden’s electoral victory.”
The Senate’s 29-1 vote on the joint resolution follows its passage in the House Thursday afternoon by a 130-16 vote.
Senators did not debate the merits of the measure, but afterward, echoing comments she made the previous evening, Senate President Pro Tempore Becca Balint (D-Windham) issued a statement asserting that lawmakers’ oaths to defend the constitution obliged them to act.
“Regardless of party, we share a clear and public commitment to the rule of law, to the people, and to the ideals of this great state, which were violated by the President and the extremists who attacked the Capitol,” Balint said.
The resolution notes that Trump addressed supporters on Wednesday, “urging them to go to the U.S. Capitol in support of his false claim that he won the 2020 presidential election” before they "violently stormed the building, attacking police officers, ransacking offices, terrorizing the members of Congress, and forcing the stoppage of the certification of President-elect Biden’s electoral victory.”
Tags: Vermont sentate , Trump , riot , election , Web Only , Image
Wednesday, January 6, 2021
Vermont lawmakers booted up a new legislative session Wednesday, heartened to elect a historic all-female leadership team but also humbled by the challenges posed by a pandemic forcing them to draft laws in isolation.
Two-thirds of the 30-member Senate convened in person in the Statehouse Wednesday morning, while the 150-member House of Representatives met remotely, with just a handful of lawmakers gathering in the House chamber.
Among their first acts as legislative bodies, each elected a woman to lead them — a first for the state and a cause for celebration. As expected, the Senate elected Sen. Becca Balint (D-Windham) as its president pro tempore, succeeding Tim Ashe, who did not seek reelection in order to pursue a losing bid for lieutenant governor.
And House members elected Rep. Jill Krowinski (D-Burlington) as speaker, replacing Mitzi Johnson, who narrowly lost reelection in November.
“I’m excited to see this all-female leadership team,” Rep. Selene Colburn (P- Burlington) said. “It feels like a very different landscape.”
And yet the need for lawmakers to continue to meet remotely weighed on many minds.
“The form of our work right now is not ideal,” Balint said in her opening remarks to her colleagues. “We can feel isolated, cut off from each other. And we know we cannot do our best work in isolation.”
Balint had signaled before Wednesday that the pandemic will continue to be the Senate's main priority, and that remote meeting constraints would force lawmakers to scale back aspirations for complex legislation like major Act 250 reform.
She stressed that lawmakers must remain vigilant and focused on helping Vermonters weather the ravages of the pandemic.
“The entire country is weary from the pandemic, but the virus doesn’t care,” Balint said. “We must continue to address the disease caused by the health emergency and the fear and doubt that our constituents feel.”
Sen. Brian Collamore (R-Rutland) praised the choice of Balint as pro tem, calling her thoughtful, fair and funny, with a “good-natured outlook” that senators deeply appreciate.
Balint was first elected to the Senate in 2014 and since 2017 has served a majority leader.
“If you’re having a bad day, running into Sen. Balint can change that quickly," Collamore said.
Due to its smaller size, the Senate was able to hold its inaugural session with only limited protocol changes. Senators were sworn in in groups. They spread out around the chamber. Access for the media and special guests was limited. And plexiglass guards were installed at the rear of the chamber to create a barrier between senators and the few members of the media and public allowed in.
The Statehouse has been largely unused since last March, and it showed. Chairs removed from committee rooms were stacked up in hallways. The cafeteria remained dark.
The building had a new feature: heat-sensing scanners that check people for fevers at the entrance.
Sen. Joe Benning (R-Caledonia) quipped that that center of the normally technology-free chamber, where Senate Secretary John Bloomer and his assistant sat surrounded by computers, huge screens and cameras live-streaming the proceedings, made it “look like the bridge on the Starship Enterprise."
Unlike the Senate, the House’s opening ceremonies needed to be almost entirely remote.
Standing at the rostrum in a nearly empty chamber behind a plastic partition, a masked Krowinski made clear that the House will remain laser-focused this year on pandemic-related issues, declaring the start of the “coronavirus recovery session.”
“We gather here for a session like no other,” the new speaker told her colleagues. “The echoes of the Statehouse are quiet. The hallways of the capitol are still. Yet our work begins now, at the fall of the gavel.”
Krowinski, who was appointed to the House in 2012 by then-governor Peter Shumlin and went on to become majority leader in 2017, said the pandemic has demonstrated the large gaps in essentials such as broadband, childcare, housing and mental health.
“We’ve seen too many Vermonters struggling to balance their needs,” she said. “The responsibility before all of us is to provide our constituents with the support they need right now.”
The House also voted to give itself the authority to continue meeting remotely for at least the next two months, and elected a new clerk to replace outgoing parliamentarian Bill MaGill. BestyAnn Wrask, a Waterbury resident and member of the legislative counsel team, will now help ensure that representatives are following the House’s arcane rules and procedures.
The Senate also passed a slate of new rules to ensure that in future health emergencies, committees can meet remotely — under strict rules for public notice and access — without having to meet in person to pass such rules, as they did last year.
Colburn, the first female leader of the House Progressive caucus, said while it is noteworthy that all legislative leaders are either women or, in the case of Sen. Randy Brock (R-Franklin), people of color, much work remains to be done to improve inclusion through state government.
Brock said he was pleased to be named minority leader for a caucus that has grown from six to seven this year, and he hoped to use that position to ensure vigorous policy debates continue to take place.
“I take this position very seriously and want to serve my constituents with the dignity and the respect this office deserves,” said Terenzini, whose wife, Jessica, and 4-month-old son Grant were on hand to witness his swearing in.
Yet Terenzini, whose father Tom Terenzini is a Republican representative from Rutland, acknowledged the remote meeting requirements of his first session will make it tougher for all freshman lawmakers to get up to speed.
“I have a lot of learning to do quickly, and unfortunately, in the first few months at least, it’s going to be by Zoom rather than making relationships with my colleagues and being able to have those discussions and conversations in the hallways and the cafeteria of this great building."
Two-thirds of the 30-member Senate convened in person in the Statehouse Wednesday morning, while the 150-member House of Representatives met remotely, with just a handful of lawmakers gathering in the House chamber.
Among their first acts as legislative bodies, each elected a woman to lead them — a first for the state and a cause for celebration. As expected, the Senate elected Sen. Becca Balint (D-Windham) as its president pro tempore, succeeding Tim Ashe, who did not seek reelection in order to pursue a losing bid for lieutenant governor.
And House members elected Rep. Jill Krowinski (D-Burlington) as speaker, replacing Mitzi Johnson, who narrowly lost reelection in November.
“I’m excited to see this all-female leadership team,” Rep. Selene Colburn (P- Burlington) said. “It feels like a very different landscape.”
And yet the need for lawmakers to continue to meet remotely weighed on many minds.
“The form of our work right now is not ideal,” Balint said in her opening remarks to her colleagues. “We can feel isolated, cut off from each other. And we know we cannot do our best work in isolation.”
Balint had signaled before Wednesday that the pandemic will continue to be the Senate's main priority, and that remote meeting constraints would force lawmakers to scale back aspirations for complex legislation like major Act 250 reform.
She stressed that lawmakers must remain vigilant and focused on helping Vermonters weather the ravages of the pandemic.
“The entire country is weary from the pandemic, but the virus doesn’t care,” Balint said. “We must continue to address the disease caused by the health emergency and the fear and doubt that our constituents feel.”
Sen. Brian Collamore (R-Rutland) praised the choice of Balint as pro tem, calling her thoughtful, fair and funny, with a “good-natured outlook” that senators deeply appreciate.
Balint was first elected to the Senate in 2014 and since 2017 has served a majority leader.
“If you’re having a bad day, running into Sen. Balint can change that quickly," Collamore said.
Due to its smaller size, the Senate was able to hold its inaugural session with only limited protocol changes. Senators were sworn in in groups. They spread out around the chamber. Access for the media and special guests was limited. And plexiglass guards were installed at the rear of the chamber to create a barrier between senators and the few members of the media and public allowed in.
The Statehouse has been largely unused since last March, and it showed. Chairs removed from committee rooms were stacked up in hallways. The cafeteria remained dark.
The building had a new feature: heat-sensing scanners that check people for fevers at the entrance.
Sen. Joe Benning (R-Caledonia) quipped that that center of the normally technology-free chamber, where Senate Secretary John Bloomer and his assistant sat surrounded by computers, huge screens and cameras live-streaming the proceedings, made it “look like the bridge on the Starship Enterprise."
Unlike the Senate, the House’s opening ceremonies needed to be almost entirely remote.
Standing at the rostrum in a nearly empty chamber behind a plastic partition, a masked Krowinski made clear that the House will remain laser-focused this year on pandemic-related issues, declaring the start of the “coronavirus recovery session.”
“We gather here for a session like no other,” the new speaker told her colleagues. “The echoes of the Statehouse are quiet. The hallways of the capitol are still. Yet our work begins now, at the fall of the gavel.”
Krowinski, who was appointed to the House in 2012 by then-governor Peter Shumlin and went on to become majority leader in 2017, said the pandemic has demonstrated the large gaps in essentials such as broadband, childcare, housing and mental health.
“We’ve seen too many Vermonters struggling to balance their needs,” she said. “The responsibility before all of us is to provide our constituents with the support they need right now.”
The House also voted to give itself the authority to continue meeting remotely for at least the next two months, and elected a new clerk to replace outgoing parliamentarian Bill MaGill. BestyAnn Wrask, a Waterbury resident and member of the legislative counsel team, will now help ensure that representatives are following the House’s arcane rules and procedures.
The Senate also passed a slate of new rules to ensure that in future health emergencies, committees can meet remotely — under strict rules for public notice and access — without having to meet in person to pass such rules, as they did last year.
Colburn, the first female leader of the House Progressive caucus, said while it is noteworthy that all legislative leaders are either women or, in the case of Sen. Randy Brock (R-Franklin), people of color, much work remains to be done to improve inclusion through state government.
Brock said he was pleased to be named minority leader for a caucus that has grown from six to seven this year, and he hoped to use that position to ensure vigorous policy debates continue to take place.
"This gives me an opportunity to help marshal our forces and our voices and to make sure that we will contribute to the conversation and continue to add value," Brock said.
Despite the restrictions of the Zoom sessions, freshly minted Sen. Josh Terenzini (R-Rutland) said he was overwhelmed with excitement in anticipation of the work ahead. “I take this position very seriously and want to serve my constituents with the dignity and the respect this office deserves,” said Terenzini, whose wife, Jessica, and 4-month-old son Grant were on hand to witness his swearing in.
Yet Terenzini, whose father Tom Terenzini is a Republican representative from Rutland, acknowledged the remote meeting requirements of his first session will make it tougher for all freshman lawmakers to get up to speed.
“I have a lot of learning to do quickly, and unfortunately, in the first few months at least, it’s going to be by Zoom rather than making relationships with my colleagues and being able to have those discussions and conversations in the hallways and the cafeteria of this great building."
Tags: Becca Balint , Jill Krowinski , Web Only , Image , Slideshow
Tuesday, January 5, 2021
Screenshot ©️ Seven Days
Member of the Vermont House of Representatives practicing remote voting Tuesday
House members on videoconference forgot to mute themselves, talked over one another, struggled to use voting software and endured a dull humming sound from someone’s faulty microphone.
“I don’t even know what I’m doing here!” Rep. Robert Helm (R-Fair Haven) declared in exasperation at one point. “Am I recorded as voting yes?”
The 1 p.m. practice session was staged precisely to help lawmakers and Statehouse staff work out any glitches in remote voting procedures and clear out any cobwebs that some acknowledged had gathered since the previous session ended in September.
Helm and his colleagues weren’t voting on real legislation. Rather, he was expressing befuddlement about whether his vote on a pretend bill — dubbed H.R. XYZ — was being properly registered.
Tags: General Assembly , remote voting , coronavirus , Montpeculiar , Web Only , Image
Thursday, December 17, 2020
Vermont House leaders moved Thursday to allow the chamber to meet remotely for at least the first two months of the 2021 legislative session. They also agreed to ditch plans for an in-person opening day ceremony at the Barre Municipal Auditorium.
The moves are the latest in a constantly evolving discussion about whether the legislature will be able to resume normal operations at some point next year, and come as the number of new coronavirus cases in Vermont remain at worrisome levels.
The state reported 136 new cases Thursday, bringing this month's total to more than 1,700.
The moves are the latest in a constantly evolving discussion about whether the legislature will be able to resume normal operations at some point next year, and come as the number of new coronavirus cases in Vermont remain at worrisome levels.
The state reported 136 new cases Thursday, bringing this month's total to more than 1,700.
Tags: Vermont , legislature , Statehouse , remote , Web Only , Image
Tuesday, December 1, 2020
File: Paul Heintz ©️ Seven Days
Lawmakers observing social distancing protocols in the Vermont Senate chamber in March
A recent rise in COVID-19 cases in Vermont has prompted state legislators to defer plans to hold at least a portion of the 2021 legislative session in person.
Members of the House Rules Committee voted last week for the chamber to meet remotely through January, and Senate leaders indicated on Tuesday that they would follow suit.
During a meeting of the legislature's Joint Rules Committee, which includes leaders of both bodies, lawmakers also agreed on Tuesday to scale back some of the opening ceremonies that typically mark the start of the two-year biennium — including the swearing-in of constitutional officers and the governor's inaugural address.
Though many details have yet to be worked out, the House currently plans to convene on January 6 at the Barre Municipal Auditorium. Legislators will be sworn in, elect a new speaker and clerk, and approve the rules of the House. The venue was chosen because it is among the largest in the state and can safely accommodate all 150 members of the House, even while social distancing. Nevertheless, members will be given the opportunity to participate remotely, outgoing House Speaker Mitzi Johnson (D-South Hero) said at Tuesday's meeting.
The 30-member Senate plans to meet in person at the Statehouse on the same day, according to outgoing Senate President Pro Tempore Tim Ashe (D/P-Chittenden). Members will cycle through the Senate chamber to be sworn in and to elect their own officers.
Tags: Vermont , legislature , Statehouse , remote , Barre Auditorium , Web Only , Image
Monday, November 23, 2020
Vermont Senate Republicans have chosen Sen. Randy Brock (R/D-Franklin) to lead the caucus during the upcoming biennium.
The unanimous vote last Thursday means that Sen. Joe Benning (R-Caledonia), who’s served as minority leader for seven of the last eight years, will hand over control on January 6, after new legislators are sworn in. Republicans gained one seat in November’s elections, growing the caucus to seven in the 30-member Senate.
Brock said his goal in the position is “to continue having our voices be part of the debate.
“One of the beauties of the Senate in Vermont is that we talk, and we listen to each other,” Brock said. “We don’t always agree, but we’re never disagreeable. And I think that is really a testament to how the body works. We do in fact deliberate, and ideas from all sides are typically welcomed.”
The unanimous vote last Thursday means that Sen. Joe Benning (R-Caledonia), who’s served as minority leader for seven of the last eight years, will hand over control on January 6, after new legislators are sworn in. Republicans gained one seat in November’s elections, growing the caucus to seven in the 30-member Senate.
Brock said his goal in the position is “to continue having our voices be part of the debate.
“One of the beauties of the Senate in Vermont is that we talk, and we listen to each other,” Brock said. “We don’t always agree, but we’re never disagreeable. And I think that is really a testament to how the body works. We do in fact deliberate, and ideas from all sides are typically welcomed.”
Tags: Randy Brock , Joe Benning , Web Only , Image
Sunday, November 22, 2020
File: Jeb Wallace-Brodeur
Sen. Becca Balint
Democratic Vermont senators on Sunday chose women for key leadership posts for the upcoming legislative session, a historic shift that was celebrated by senators and tempered by the daunting task before them.
During a caucus vote Sunday morning, Sen. Becca Balint (D-Windham) won nomination to be Senate president pro tempore. If confirmed in January, the mother of two from Brattleboro would be the first woman and the first openly gay lawmaker to hold the post.
Balint, 47, said little about those firsts and instead focused on the challenges ahead, for which she said she and her colleagues will need to “bring our A games” to address the “Herculean task” ahead.
“Our top priority this session will be to mitigate the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, while also trying to shift the system and policies to better address Vermonters’ needs going forward,” Balint said.
Balint will succeed Senate President Pro Tempore Tim Ashe (D/P- Chittenden), who did not seek reelection to the Senate and ran unsuccessfully for lieutenant governor. Her nomination had been assured for weeks.
Sen. Phil Baruth (D/P-Chittenden) said Balint was “absolutely the best candidate for the job,” praising her “warmth, energy and strategic intelligence.”
Balint's bid for pro tem opened up her job as majority leader, a position that often is an indicator of upward political mobility. It was less clear prior to Sunday how that contest would shake out.
Sen. Chris Pearson (P/D- Chittenden) had expressed interest in the post and lined up several supporters. But he identifies as a Progressive first and a Democrat second. That set off some grumbling in the caucus about whether it was wise to have him leading the Democrats.
"I think it's very important to have a Democrat as the majority leader," Sen. Alison Clarkson (D-Windsor) told Seven Days as she rounded up votes to be leader herself last week. "This is the majority party."
Sen. Brian Campion (D-Bennington) had also expressed interest, and had the support of his seatmate, Sen. Dick Sears (D-Bennington), and others. But when Campion withdrew last week, Democrats who wanted a party loyalist coalesced around Clarkson, 65.
The Harvard University-educated mother of two and former Broadway theater producer urged her colleagues to think of the nation’s motto, e pluribus unum — out of many, one — as the “formula for our success” in state government
“My job will be listening to each of you, your needs and priorities, to coordinate those with our work to help our caucus advance our policy priorities and shared vision,” Clarkson said after her unanimous selection. “Together we can accomplish great things.”
Sen. Dick McCormack (D-Windsor) praised Clarkson’s organizational skills, natural leadership and relentless energy, likening her to the “Energizer bunny.”
“Alison is a very present personality,” McCormack said. “In any room where she is, eyes turn to Alison.”
The third woman chosen Sunday for a leadership post was Sen. Cheryl Hooker (D/P-Rutland), who was named whip. Sen. Ruth Hardy (D-Addison) recalled with awe how Hooker, 70, traveled to Montpelier in a blizzard after helping her husband through a medical crisis.
“Having someone who is calm and fair and good-humored as our assistant majority leader, I think, is incredibly important,” she said.
Senators also opted to keep some institutional knowledge handy by leaving Sen. Dick Mazza (D-Grand Isle) in a key leadership role on the Committee on Committees.
The influential three-member panel makes committee assignments. The two other members will be the pro tem, Balint, and the new lieutenant governor, Democrat Molly Gray.
Sen. Anthony Pollina (P/D-Washington), noting that House Democrats had selected a woman, Rep. Jill Krowinski (D-Burlington), to be speaker, hailed the changes.
“It’s really a new day, and a new form of leadership,” Pollina said. I’m really looking forward to being part of a Senate and a legislature that is primarily directed by women.”
During a caucus vote Sunday morning, Sen. Becca Balint (D-Windham) won nomination to be Senate president pro tempore. If confirmed in January, the mother of two from Brattleboro would be the first woman and the first openly gay lawmaker to hold the post.
Balint, 47, said little about those firsts and instead focused on the challenges ahead, for which she said she and her colleagues will need to “bring our A games” to address the “Herculean task” ahead.
“Our top priority this session will be to mitigate the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, while also trying to shift the system and policies to better address Vermonters’ needs going forward,” Balint said.
Balint will succeed Senate President Pro Tempore Tim Ashe (D/P- Chittenden), who did not seek reelection to the Senate and ran unsuccessfully for lieutenant governor. Her nomination had been assured for weeks.
Sen. Phil Baruth (D/P-Chittenden) said Balint was “absolutely the best candidate for the job,” praising her “warmth, energy and strategic intelligence.”
Balint's bid for pro tem opened up her job as majority leader, a position that often is an indicator of upward political mobility. It was less clear prior to Sunday how that contest would shake out.
Sen. Chris Pearson (P/D- Chittenden) had expressed interest in the post and lined up several supporters. But he identifies as a Progressive first and a Democrat second. That set off some grumbling in the caucus about whether it was wise to have him leading the Democrats.
"I think it's very important to have a Democrat as the majority leader," Sen. Alison Clarkson (D-Windsor) told Seven Days as she rounded up votes to be leader herself last week. "This is the majority party."
Sen. Brian Campion (D-Bennington) had also expressed interest, and had the support of his seatmate, Sen. Dick Sears (D-Bennington), and others. But when Campion withdrew last week, Democrats who wanted a party loyalist coalesced around Clarkson, 65.
The Harvard University-educated mother of two and former Broadway theater producer urged her colleagues to think of the nation’s motto, e pluribus unum — out of many, one — as the “formula for our success” in state government
“My job will be listening to each of you, your needs and priorities, to coordinate those with our work to help our caucus advance our policy priorities and shared vision,” Clarkson said after her unanimous selection. “Together we can accomplish great things.”
Sen. Dick McCormack (D-Windsor) praised Clarkson’s organizational skills, natural leadership and relentless energy, likening her to the “Energizer bunny.”
“Alison is a very present personality,” McCormack said. “In any room where she is, eyes turn to Alison.”
The third woman chosen Sunday for a leadership post was Sen. Cheryl Hooker (D/P-Rutland), who was named whip. Sen. Ruth Hardy (D-Addison) recalled with awe how Hooker, 70, traveled to Montpelier in a blizzard after helping her husband through a medical crisis.
“Having someone who is calm and fair and good-humored as our assistant majority leader, I think, is incredibly important,” she said.
Senators also opted to keep some institutional knowledge handy by leaving Sen. Dick Mazza (D-Grand Isle) in a key leadership role on the Committee on Committees.
The influential three-member panel makes committee assignments. The two other members will be the pro tem, Balint, and the new lieutenant governor, Democrat Molly Gray.
Sen. Anthony Pollina (P/D-Washington), noting that House Democrats had selected a woman, Rep. Jill Krowinski (D-Burlington), to be speaker, hailed the changes.
“It’s really a new day, and a new form of leadership,” Pollina said. I’m really looking forward to being part of a Senate and a legislature that is primarily directed by women.”
Correction, November 24, 2020: Anthony Pollina's party affiliation was incorrect in a previous version of this story.
Tags: becca balint , cheryl hooker , Alison Clarkson , Dick Mazza , Senate , Web Only , Image
Friday, November 20, 2020
A recount Friday confirmed that Vermont House Speaker Mitzi Johnson (D-South Hero) has lost the seat she’s held for 18 years to Republican Michael Morgan of Milton in the highest profile upset this election cycle.
The result heralds a new beginning for the House, as Majority Leader Jill Krowinski (D-Burlington) is poised to become the chamber’s next speaker. Johnson has held the speakership for the last four years.
Official election results for the two-seat Grand Isle-Chittenden district showed Johnson in third place, 20 votes short of Morgan’s 2,627 votes. Morgan's margin of victory increased by one vote after Friday's eight-hour recount at the North Hero Community Hall, according to results from Grand Isle County Clerk Susan Bohannon.
Morgan’s uncle, Rep. Leland Morgan (R-Milton), was the top vote-getter with 2,778 votes after the recount, an increase of two votes; Democrat Andy Julow earned 2,405, one vote more than before the recount.
Despite her loss, Johnson said this election’s record-breaking turnout earned her more votes than ever before. She said the coronavirus pandemic prevented her from running a typical campaign. For one, she didn’t knock on doors in the district, which usually afforded her the chance to hear from voters directly — and clear up any misconceptions about her record.
“Had I been able to do that, I easily could have flipped 12 votes,” she said. This year, she had to focus on leading the House through the pandemic.
The result heralds a new beginning for the House, as Majority Leader Jill Krowinski (D-Burlington) is poised to become the chamber’s next speaker. Johnson has held the speakership for the last four years.
Official election results for the two-seat Grand Isle-Chittenden district showed Johnson in third place, 20 votes short of Morgan’s 2,627 votes. Morgan's margin of victory increased by one vote after Friday's eight-hour recount at the North Hero Community Hall, according to results from Grand Isle County Clerk Susan Bohannon.
Morgan’s uncle, Rep. Leland Morgan (R-Milton), was the top vote-getter with 2,778 votes after the recount, an increase of two votes; Democrat Andy Julow earned 2,405, one vote more than before the recount.
Despite her loss, Johnson said this election’s record-breaking turnout earned her more votes than ever before. She said the coronavirus pandemic prevented her from running a typical campaign. For one, she didn’t knock on doors in the district, which usually afforded her the chance to hear from voters directly — and clear up any misconceptions about her record.
“Had I been able to do that, I easily could have flipped 12 votes,” she said. This year, she had to focus on leading the House through the pandemic.
Tags: Mitzi Johnson , Jill Krowinski , Michael Morgan , Leland Morgan , Grand Isle-Chittenden , recount , Web Only , Image