Podcasts about vermont house

Vermont became the first state in the county to legally recognize same-sex partnerships 25 years ago. Former Rep. Bill Lippert, the only openly gay member of the Vermont House, gave an impassioned speech urging his colleagues to pass the measure. Lippert's remarks are widely seen as a turning point in the debate.

This week marks the 25th anniversary of the historic passage of the civil unions law in Vermont. On April 25, 2000, after a remarkable four-month marathon of public hearings, legislative maneuvering, protests, counter-demonstrations and statewide soul-searching, the Vermont House of Representatives voted 79-68 to pass the civil unions bill, the most sweeping grant of rights to gay couples in the nation. The law allowed same sex couples to form civil unions, the legal equivalent of heterosexual marriage. Gov. Howard Dean signed it into law the next day.Rep. Bill Lippert was the lone openly gay Vermont legislator in 2000 and led the fight for passage of civil unions and later same-sex marriage. I was a reporter covering these historic events for Mother Jones. Lippert invited me onto the House floor moments after civil unions passed in 2000 to interview him and other supporters of the bill. I described how Lippert made a beeline across the House floor to thank Rep. Bill Fyfe, an 84-year-old former jail warden and Republican state representative from Newport City. His wife was in the hospital, and Fyfe was due to have surgery the following day. But he made sure to be in the Statehouse to cast his vote for civil unions.I asked Fyfe why he had voted for the bill. He looked at me through his thick glasses and his eyes began to water. “Because he's one of my better friends here,” he said, motioning to Lippert. “And there were two ladies who were my next-door neighbors for many years …” He broke into a soft sob. “They were treated terrible. I'm just glad I could do something to help.”Lippert squeezed Fyfe's shoulder to comfort him, “People can be cruel, Bill,” Lippert said.Vermont's civil unions law passed four months after the Vermont Supreme Court ruled in Baker v. Vermont that gay and lesbian couples were entitled to the same legal rights and benefits of marriage as heterosexual couples. The court ordered the Vermont legislature to craft a law that would satisfy the ruling, either by legalizing same-sex marriage or by creating an equivalent partnership structure. The decision, wrote Chief Justice Jeffrey Amestoy, “is simply a recognition of our common humanity.”Vermont's civil unions law was a tipping point for the national movement for LGBTQ+ rights. In 2009, Vermont became the first state to legalize same-sex marriage through an act of the legislature, overriding a gubernatorial veto to do so.In 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4, in the landmark case Obergefell v. Hodges, that same-sex couples could wed throughout the country. Today, LGBTQ+ rights are under attack. President Donald Trump has targeted transgender people with a slew of executive orders. Hundreds of bills aimed at restricting LGBTQ+ rights have been introduced in state legislatures and in Congress. Many people fear that a conservative U.S. Supreme Court could roll back LGBTQ+ rights, including the right to marry.Bill Lippert was living in Philadelphia when he first visited Vermont in 1972 to hike the Long Trail. He had just come out and recalled that he had trouble finding even one other gay man in the state. Lippert became active in Vermont's small gay rights movement and went on to serve 28 years in the Vermont House of Representatives from 1994 to 2022 as the representative from Hinesburg. He served as chair of the House Judiciary Committee for a decade and then chaired the House Health Care Committee.Lippert, 75, is now retired and working on preserving Vermont LGBTQ+ history, including recounting his own experiences as a gay activist and gay legislator in Vermont.Lippert acknowledged that winning civil unions was viewed by some gay rights advocates — including lead attorney (now federal judge) Beth Robinson — as a defeat.Lippert said that he knew that “this fight for marriage equality in Vermont was going to be the biggest gay rights fight perhaps of our lifetime.” But he said that as a legislator for six years, “I could tell what was achievable and what wasn't. It was clear (that) full marriage equality in the year 2000 was not feasible. It was not going to happen.”Lippert insisted that civil unions “was an important step that brought us ultimately to full marriage equality.” And he was determined to build that bridge.“When civil unions passed, I made a personal commitment to myself that if I could continue to be re-elected, I would stay in the Legislature until we achieved full marriage equality, and that happened in 2009,” he said.Lippert says that today's political attacks on trans people has a familiar ring. “Trans people are being used as a target because it's the ‘unknown,'” he said. “Gay and lesbian people used to be the scary unknown, but that doesn't work anymore in the same way.”I asked Lippert what concerns him most today. “The taking away of our basic democratic rights,” he said. “The shocking willingness to detain and deport people who have every right to be here because they've been granted that right.”“I am an optimist by nature, but this is a frightening time, and I've participated in more protests and demonstrations in the last month than I had in the last 10 years,” he said. “And I think it's important that we do that. We deserve to have the country that some of us have fought for … by fighting for civil rights, for LGBTQ+ rights, rights for women, rights for religious freedom.”The passage of civil unions came at a price. Seventeen legislators who supported civil unions in 2000 were defeated in elections the following November as part of the “Take Back Vermont” movement. Lippert takes inspiration from those elected officials.“One of the lessons that I take from civil unions is that there are still people of tremendous personal moral courage and political courage,” Lippert said. He mentioned defeated Republican legislators John Edwards, Marion Milne, Diane Carmolli and Bill Fyfe.“When you're not part of the same ‘despised minority' but you say it's wrong to have discrimination against them, it's wrong to be prejudiced against them — you get attacked as well. And they did so,” he said.“They did the right thing. They chose to stand up,” Lippert said. “That girds my hopefulness.”

New University of Vermont research explores the surprising link between whale pee and healthy ocean ecosystems. Plus, the Vermont House advances legislation that could limit the number of new retail cannabis shops, lawmakers also advance a midyear budget adjustment bill opposed by Gov. Scott, new Social Security rules could make it more difficult to access benefits, and Vermont libraries may see major impacts from federal funding cuts.

Learning how a Bristol tulip farm works, as workers gear up for the spring season. Plus, Vermont House lawmakers advance a midyear budget adjustment opposed by Gov. Scott, Brattleboro town meeting representatives reject a spending plan that would've raised taxes by more than 10 percent, an oral history surrounding the COVID pandemic in Vermont comes out today, and Burlington's new interim police chief takes over.

In an excerpt from a recent episode of Brave Little State, we explore why Vermont relies on just one landfill for its trash disposal while neighboring New Hampshire has half a dozen. Plus, Vermont's Department of Public Service says some $400 million in federal grant money is at risk due to a federal funding freeze, Congresswoman Becca Balint urges Vermont lawmakers to prepare for more potential federal budget cuts, Burlington's Festival of Fools is canceled this year due to funding difficulties, the Vermont House upholds the result of a contested election in Bennington, and adaptive mountain biking gets a boost from a state tourism grant.

John Rodgers is the most interesting man in Vermont politics. And he just may be its future.The Democrat-turned-Republican who just won the race for Vermont's lieutenant governor did something that has not been done since 1815: he became lieutenant governor by defeating the incumbent lieutenant governor in a general election.al election.Rodgers' 6,000 vote victory over sitting Lt. Gov. David Zuckerman, who ran as a Progressive/Democrat, was part of a statewide backlash that ousted numerous Democratic incumbents. Democrats lost 18 seats in the Vermont House and six seats in the Vermont State Senate, thus ending the Democratic supermajority in both chambers that enabled them to override vetoes by Republican Gov. Phil Scott. Scott, who endorsed Rodgers and campaigned with him, emerged as the election's biggest winner.Rodgers' election as lieutenant governor must still be confirmed by the Vermont Legislature in January, since he won with 46 percent of the vote, just shy of the 50 percent required by the Vermont Constitution.John Rodgers' upset win may help explain Donald Trump's victory nationally. While Rodgers is a vocal Trump critic, both politicians tapped into a deep well of economic anxiety among voters who blamed Democrats for being out of touch with the day-to-day financial struggles faced by many people. In Vermont, those economic anxieties are rooted in double-digit spikes in property taxes and health care costs, compounded by a protracted and worsening housing crisis.Rodgers is uncomfortable with the comparison to Trump, but he understands it. "There are a lot of the folks that supported me that are Trump supporters, and there were some people who wouldn't vote for me because I spoke outright that I would never support Trump because I value honesty, and the man is totally dishonest ... He's lied, cheated and stolen his way through his entire life, and I can't understand why people cling to him other than the fact that he's not a career politician, and people are so fed up with what's happened in Washington over the last 20 years."The voter disillusionment that Rodgers channeled was best captured by Sen. Bernie Sanders, who issued a scathing indictment of the Democratic party following the 2024 election: “It should come as no great surprise that a Democratic Party which has abandoned working class people would find that the working class has abandoned them.”John Rodgers said much the same thing throughout his winning campaign. “I think the Democrats in the legislature have lost their way and no longer are taking care of the working class people in Vermont,” he told The Vermont Conversation.John Rodgers, 59, is new on the statewide political scene but he is a familiar face in Montpelier. He has served in the Vermont State House for 16 years, half in the House and half in the Senate. In 2018, he ran unsuccessfully for governor as a Democratic write-in candidate. He is known for being fiercely independent, often to the frustration of his former Democratic colleagues. Democrat Becca Balint, when she was Vermont Senate majority leader, said of Rodgers, "He sometimes votes with us, he sometimes doesn't, and sometimes we don't know until we get on the floor."Rodgers lives on the 500-acre farm in West Glover where he grew up. He balances his work in Montpelier with making a living as a stone mason, running a construction company, and growing hemp and cannabis on his farm. He has spoken candidly about his experience growing up poor and the continuing struggles of working class people in Vermont.Rodgers said that changing parties was a big risk. “I didn't put myself on a glide path in a Democratic state by switching parties to the Republican Party in a presidential year when Donald Trump was running in a state that Kamala Harris won ... It really gives me hope that there are enough Vermonters that are still independently minded that they can pick a person from any party if the message is right.”Asked whether being a Republican in Trump's Republican Party — which has espoused anti-immigrant, anti-abortion, anti-LGBTQ and pro-insurrection views — was comfortable, Rodgers replied, “Absolutely not. It is terribly hard for me to carry the R beside my name because of national Republican politics. But when I look here in the state, and I look at Phil Scott, and I look at a lot of the moderate Republicans that I worked with for years when I was in the State House and the folks that are new since I left, they are speaking up for working class Vermonters. And so I do not buy into any party platform.”Rodgers said he is especially concerned by Trump's talk of mass deportation, noting that Vermont's farms would be crippled without the work of undocumented immigrants. "Our economy can no longer run without them."How far is Rodgers willing to go to protect the civil liberties of Vermonters if they are threatened in a new Trump administration?“I'm a bit of a libertarian. I'm willing to go however far as is necessary, absolutely. Bad laws were made to be broken.”Rodgers said he is often asked whether he is interested in running for governor. He replied that he is not sure he would be ready to run for governor in two years should Scott decide not to run for re-election, but “if it's four years, then maybe I've had enough time to have an impact and convince people of who I am and I'm the right person for the job.”Rodgers paused, then added frankly, “When I look at the job of the governor, it's not really that desirable a job. It's super hard. I mean, we never have enough money to go around ... So it would take a lot to convince me that that was the next best thing to do.”Rodgers hopes that his experience in both parties can make him useful in his new role. “When I was a Democrat, the Democrats said, Oh, he's not really a Democrat. Now I'm a Republican (and) there's a bunch of them on the right that say, Oh, he's not really a Republican. But I'm a Vermonter. And what I hope to be is a bridge ... helping in the negotiations between what is perceived as the two sides.”

In this mini episode of ALPS In Brief, our Bar & Affinity Partner Strategist Rio Peterson sits down with Bob Paolini, Executive Director at the Vermont Bar Association to discuss the importance of bar partnerships, how they create value for members, and the pivotal role bars play in the legal community. — Transcript: Rio Laine:  All right. Hello, everybody. This is Rio Laine here, coming to you from ALPS for this installment of kind of a mini In Brief episode that we are doing. And so I am here today with Bob Paolini from the Vermont Bar Association. Hello, Bob. Thanks for joining us.  Bob Paolini:  Good morning, Rio. Thanks for having me.  Rio Laine:  Yeah, it's great to have you here. So you are the executive director of the Vermont Bar Association?  Bob Paolini:  I am,  Rio Laine:  Yeah. Want to tell me a little bit about your background and how you ended up at the bar?  Bob Paolini:  Sure. Well, I'm a lawyer. I practiced in Vermont. I was admitted to the bar in 1973.  Rio Laine:  Wow. Yeah.  Bob Paolini:  I became executive director of the bar in February of 1996.  Rio Laine:  Wow. Yeah.  Bob Paolini:  So I've been in practice for 22 years. During that time, I served in the Vermont House of Representatives for a couple of terms, and then left that position, just went back to practice. And then I saw that this position of ED of the Vermont Bar opened up, and one of the pieces of the qualifications that they were looking for was policymaking work, and I really enjoyed the legislative process when I was a member of the House. It's a part-time legislature. It's really hard to integrate that service with the practice of law at the same time. So I ended up not running for reelection after a couple of terms.  When this position opened up and there was the opportunity to go back into the legislature representing the profession, I applied and I was hired, and I served in that job for 20 years. I left in the spring ... I think it was June of 2016. My successor, who I think you know, Teri Corsones, became executive director. At the beginning she didn't have any legislative experience and I worked part-time with the bar, doing some of that work during our session and helping her get acclimated to that kind of work. And then I stopped doing that.  And then six years later, she left to become Vermont State Court Administrator, so I was asked to come back on an interim basis two years ago this month actually. And after about five months in that position, the board asked me to stay on, which I was happy to do. So, 20 years, six years away, now two years back. That's how I got here.  Rio Laine:  Yeah. Well, that's fantastic. So 22 years kind of in total. Yeah. You obviously really enjoy the bar and working with the bar. What's something that you really like about your work and the Bar Association in general?  Bob Paolini:  We are a small bar, as you know. Maybe we have about 2,300 members of our association. Even though I've had a six-year break, I still know most of those people. Sure, there are a lot of new young lawyers, a lot of lawyers who have moved into Vermont that I don't know, but it's a small group. It's a close-knit group. The staff of six people, half of whom I've hired, half I did not hire, are great. I love working with them. And I really like our board of managers, who really has the welfare of our members at heart. They're really looking to help members improve their practices, improve their lives, and it's just great to work for them and try to represent them.  One of the questions that I was asked in my first interview going back to 1996 was, "Taking this administrative job is going to be so different than practicing law. How do you feel about that?" And I said, "It's not all that different. I mean, yeah, I've got clients now, but now I will have just one client, and that's our profession." And that's worked out for me, and I think for them too.  Rio Laine:  Yeah, that's a really interesting way to think about it, too. I was wondering about the board, and would you say that it's really important to have a board that is invested in the welfare of your members? Would you say that that is a requirement to running things well?  Bob Paolini:  That's a requirement, yes. Yeah, it is. We need the direction. In our case, we have 17 voices, all of whom are in different types of practice. One of whom is a judge, by the way, because we always have a judge on the board, but they all have different perspectives on what the legal profession is about today.  We meet 11 times a year, and I try to get up to date on, "What are you folks seeing? What should we be addressing? What challenges are new?" So as long as we're all dedicated to helping our members and helping protect the profession, as well as helping to protect the public, I think we're doing the right thing.  Rio Laine:  Yeah. What kinds of things are you hearing from the board or even members about challenges that are coming up that they're having to navigate?  Bob Paolini:  Well, clearly in this current climate, the rule of law is a challenge that we all have to address I think. Respect for the law, respect for the court system is something that I think every state bar needs to address.  In Vermont's case, as I said, we're a small bar, but we are a graying bar. Vermont's surrounded by cities like Boston and New York, not literally surrounded, but we're close to those cities, Hartford, Connecticut, Boston, New York City, places where there are greater opportunities for newly minted lawyers. Asking them to come to Vermont, especially if they have a bunch of education debt, is difficult. So the number of new lawyers we have is diminishing. As the bar ages, we lose to retirement every year a handful or more than a handful of lawyers.  So the shrinking bar is a real challenge I think for us. Actually this morning I engaged in a conversation with our board about the small number of lawyers who were applying for an open judgeship in Vermont, and everybody's concerned about that. There's an email chain going back and forth for the last two hours about what are we going to do about this? How do we get qualified people to be judges? So here's another topic for our board meeting next Friday.  Rio Laine:  Right, absolutely. And it seems that the graying bar situation, I mean, it's something that a lot of the bars are dealing with now. There certainly seems to be a larger number of lawyers transitioning out of practice, retiring, than there is coming in to the profession, absolutely.  Bob Paolini:  Yeah. I don't think Vermont's unique in that respect at all. There's technology challenges, where things went to online filing and different things. That drove some of the older members into retirement. I remember when that started and I would get phone calls or emails from our members saying, "I can't learn this whole new system now. I'm done. December 31st I'm retiring."  So yeah, there's that, there's the pandemic, and how many people that drove out of the profession.  Rio Laine:  Oh, 100%. Because I mean, never mind even the technology adoption required for the pandemic, but also just navigating the entire situation. It's a lot. And if you've been practicing for a long time, it's just easier probably to call it in.  Bob Paolini:  I know. As opposed to relearn everything and start over.  Rio Laine:  Yeah, yeah, exactly. Yeah. Would you say that that's similar to the difficulty getting lawyers to practice in rural areas as well, along the same lines, it's just difficult finding people to fill those gaps?  Bob Paolini:  We are definitely seeing that in some of our more remote places in our state. Our state's not big, but there are counties that are not big, but they only have one or two lawyers. And we know and we try to say to new lawyers, "Look, if you want to make the sacrifice and go there, you're going to be it. You're going to be that town's lawyer." It's sort of like thinking back 50 years or more, the local town lawyer, there are towns that that local town lawyer has passed away or has retired, and there's nobody there to take over.  So yeah, we're trying to match those new lawyers with the senior lawyers, I have them spend some time together, and then one retires and one takes over that. But it's a challenge, again, because of college and law school debt, and the fact that salaries are not that high in those rural communities.  Rio Laine:  Yeah, yeah. Fair enough. And for the new members that you do have coming in, are you finding that they're looking for more from the bar than maybe the members that are aging out, they're looking for different types of engagement? Are you finding you're having to adapt or navigate that?  Bob Paolini:  They are definitely looking for something different. And I have to give credit to our Young Lawyers Division because they're great about reaching out, not only to newly minted lawyers, but to law students. And we have one law school in the state, so working with that law school and trying to integrate those folks into the bar.  Yes, their needs now are very different than what I experienced when I started. There was that whole process back then. There's one judge, now retired, who used to say that when he started his first year was carrying the briefcase for his partner. Going to court, just sitting there, but doing that for a year or whatever. That doesn't happen anymore. People don't have the resources to do that like they used to. So there's part of that education, that apprenticeship thing if you want, that's now missing.  Rio Laine:  Got it. Got it. That kind of mentorship piece. Yeah. And I've heard that that is a challenge for young lawyers, and I mean, you're getting into this new profession, it really helps to have some guidance and having to go without makes things much more difficult than they need to be.  Yeah. Yeah. There's definitely lots of things that are needing to be rethought and navigated, but that's always the way it is. There's always going to be something that is a challenge, and then we have to figure it out together, so yeah.  Bob Paolini:  Which makes this position so much fun to be in.  Rio Laine:  Yes, yes.  Bob Paolini:  You got to meet those challenges, there are new things every day. Really, there are new things every day.  Rio Laine:  Yeah. Do you like solving problems?  Bob Paolini:  I do like solving problems. Yeah.  Rio Laine:  Yeah. Yeah, that's fantastic. I think that's a really good way to think about it too, is rising to those challenges every day. And it makes you really a good person to be leading the bar then, because members will need to know that they have somebody who has their interests at heart and wants to help them navigate those things.  Bob Paolini:  Right. right.  Rio Laine:  Yeah. I also love a job that's different every day too. Yeah, it's fantastic. S  I want to shift a little bit and talk a little bit about partnerships. Now, I know that the Vermont Bar has partnerships with different vendors, different groups and organizations, kind of like ALPS, for example. How do those partnerships impact the bar or your memberships? Do you feel like they support the Bar Association?  Bob Paolini:  Well, let's talk about ALPS first.  Rio Laine:  Yeah, okay. Yeah.  Bob Paolini:  ALPS has been a great partner, and I think our most important partner since I started working at the bar 28 ... 6 years, whatever it is, 1996. Since 28 years ago.  This company has always reached out to the Vermont Bar Association and offered help, offered education, offered support. And frankly, even now, if I'm faced with an issue or a question, I call somebody at ALPS and say, "Have you seen this anywhere else? How did that state deal with it? Are there resources there that I can steal from there to help us deal with it?" Yeah, it's been excellent.  Rio Laine:  That's wonderful.  Bob Paolini:  It's been an excellent rapport with this company.  Rio Laine:  Wonderful. Oh, that's really fantastic. And obviously we want that to continue because it's important to us that we're able to support you.  Bob Paolini:  We have working relationships with other associations. I mean, I work closely in Vermont with the Vermont Bankers Association, with the Vermont Realtors Association, with the Teachers Union, in terms of public education and some of the legislative stuff that we need to do that we need support from these other groups that are affected. So we have lots of different partnerships, but the relationship with ALPS is different because they support educating the profession, protecting the profession, and making sure that we have what we need to have in order to not make mistakes.  Rio Laine:  Right, right. Yes. Oh, wonderful. I love to hear that. I guess in a general sense, what types of things do you look for in other partners, other strategic or vendor partners? Is it a willingness to offer that support, to collaborate?  Bob Paolini:  Yeah, it's one thing to endorse a business or a service and tell our members, "Yeah, we've endorsed them. Go contact them." The difference between just doing that and working with a partner such as ALPS, is that we do more than that, and ALPS does more than that. ALPS comes to Vermont and runs classes for us. They provide us information that we probably wouldn't otherwise have. They've helped us with our new lawyers.  We run an incubator program where we bring in lawyers who really want to go out on their own, sometimes right out of law school. And ALPS has a program that helps them get their first-year insurance. And we actually have this incubator program where we meet with these folks in terms of staff conversations once a week for an hour, an hour and a half. And ALPS has appeared remotely at those meetings and answered questions about insurance, and letters of engagement, and just lots of little helpful hints.  Yeah, I think we can't do that on our own. We don't have that expertise. We're a small group of seven employees at our office. But yeah, ALPS really has filled in with the needs that we really probably couldn't meet us in any other way.  Rio Laine:  Oh, that's fantastic. That makes me really happy to hear that. And no pressure because we're at the ALPS office or anything, but oh, that's fantastic. Oh, well, yeah. I'm really, really happy to hear that.  I guess we'll have just a couple more minutes and we'll wrap things up, but what do you see on the horizon for the bar? What are you looking forward to? What's coming down the pipeline? What do you anticipate? Anything really.  Bob Paolini:  Oh, I think we need to look ... I'm not going to be doing this forever.  Rio Laine:  What?  Bob Paolini:  I'm not.  Rio Laine:  I don't know.  Bob Paolini:  So I think we need to ... Let me start over. We have a staff of seven and four of us have been there for 15 years or more. So I think internally we need to prepare for some changes. Not only my position, but my associate executive director's position, a legal services coordinator, and another staff member who does our CLEs, who you know, Laura  Rio Laine:  Laura? Laura, yeah.  Bob Paolini:  Laura, yes. There's a lot of us there that are in sort of almost retirement mode. Of course, I came back from retirement, as I like to say, the board unretired me two years ago. But yeah, I think we need to, and we already have started to prepare succession plans and transition plans.  Yeah, so that's going to be just an internal challenge to our staffing, and it doesn't really affect the profession. It's going to involve the board more in terms of a little bit of management as opposed to just setting policy. They're going to be faced with the challenges of making certain decisions, maybe restructuring, maybe not, but certainly having to hire my successor and then he or she needs to overlap with these other folks who are looking towards retirement. Yeah, so I think we've got some challenges internally.  Rio Laine:  Yeah. A little bit of organizational change. Yeah. Yeah. And that's definitely the way it goes, right?  Bob Paolini:  Exactly.  Rio Laine:  Yeah. If you're not changing, you're not evolving.  Bob Paolini:  [inaudible 00:18:57].  Rio Laine:  Yeah, exactly. Yeah. Wonderful. Well, thank you so much, Bob. Thanks for taking the time to sit down and chat with me. Really appreciate getting to [inaudible 00:19:05].  Bob Paolini:  Thanks for having me. It's great to be here again.  Rio Laine:  Yes. Well, we're so excited to have you, and we are going to be enjoying our Bar Leaders Retreat the next few days. So yeah, looking forward to get to chat with you more.  Bob Paolini:  I'm sure you will.  Rio Laine:  Yeah, yeah. Great.  Bob Paolini:  Yeah, me too. Thank you.  Rio Laine:  Yeah, thank you so much. All right, everybody that wraps it up for today. You will hear from me later more.   

Guest List:Carter Neubieser, Member of the Burlington City Council Josh Wronski, Executive Director of the Vermont Progressive PartyIan Goodnow, Newly Elected Member of the Vermont House of Representatives from BrattleboroRev. Joan Javier-Duval, Tri-Chair the Vermont Poor People's Campaign Rev. Walter Brownridge, Priest at Christ Episcopal Church in Montpelier

Send us a textDebbie Reynolds, “The Data Diva” talks to Monique Priestley, State of Vermont House of Representatives (Privacy Advocate). We discuss Monique's involvement in Vermont privacy bills and advocacy efforts, emphasizing the significance of the bill and the need for continued advocacy in the privacy space. Monique details the arduous journey of the Kids Code and Data Privacy bill through the State Senate, citing industry pressure and last-minute negotiations that led to unexpected changes in the bill's version. We talk about the complexities of regulation, focusing on the challenges faced at the U/S. State and federal levels.We also discuss the shifting dynamics of consumer privacy and the impact of lobbying efforts on legislative measures to safeguard consumer rights. We emphasize the critical need for raising public awareness and providing education on data privacy issues, expressing concerns about the dissemination of misinformation and fear-mongering tactics used by lobbyists to thwart consumer protection bills. Monique stresses the significance of having industry experts testify and provides assistance in countering arguments and misinformation related to policy issues.The conversation also touches on the pressing need for stronger privacy legislation at both state and federal levels, particularly in response to recent data breaches affecting a large number of Americans. We express concerns about the challenges of managing privacy issues on a state level and the potential impact of a weak federal law on consumer protection. Additionally, we emphasize the importance of creating solutions for individuals affected by data breaches and the need for broader education on privacy issues. We also explore the intricate relationship between AI legislation and data privacy, underscoring the crucial need for data protection regulations as a foundational step before enacting AI bills.Monique stresses the significance of public awareness, data minimization, and the protection of both consumers and businesses, expressing the need for storytelling testimony to support their cause. We touch upon developing a playbook to assist other U.S. states in implementing similar protections and the collaborative efforts with advocacy groups and other states to advance their cause. The conversation also highlights the potential impact of their efforts on a state-by-state basis, the intention to create a playbook detailing the legislative process and common amendment requests, and her hope for Data Privacy in the future.Support the show

Vermont Public hosted a debate on Wednesday with candidates for lieutenant governor of Vermont.Incumbent Lieutenant Governor David Zuckerman, a Progressive-Democrat from Hinesburg, is an organic farmer and former member of the Vermont House and Senate. His challenger is Republican John Rodgers of West Glover, also a former member of the Vermont House and Senate. Rodgers runs a stoneworking and excavation business and hemp and cannabis farm.During the debate, the candidates agreed on some topics, like banning assault weapons in Vermont, but disagreed on many others, including how to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Vermont. They also discussed which political party best represents working class Vermonters.

Vermont Public's Bob Kinzel shares his big takeaways from yesterday's primary election. Plus, the chair of the Vermont House's tax-writing committee fends of a challenger, the lieutenant governor's race is set, a Black woman has secured a gubernatorial nomination likely for the first time in Vermont, a retired Vermont judge continues efforts to evacuate female judges from Taliban-ruled Afghanistan, and crews are removing a dam in Salisbury to make the area more flood resistant.

A Republican legislator issued an apology to her Democratic colleague in front of the Vermont House of Representatives after a hidden camera caught her pouring glasses of water into his bag on several occasions over five months.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pat McDonald is joined by John Rodgers, the former Vermont House member and State Senator is running for Lieutenant Governor.

Shawn Sweeney, candidate for Vermont House, joins Anthony & Kelly to talk about why he is running to represent the folks of Shelburne and St George.

Brad Ferland is joined in-studio by Elizabeth Brown, a candidate for the Vermont House of Representatives from Waterbury.

Pat McDonald is joined in-studio by David Kelley, Esq., who's running for the Vermont House of Representatives to represent Orleans-4 District. 

A New Hampshire author creates a one-woman stage show to temper the grief of losing a parent to dementia. Plus, Vermont House and Senate leaders try to hash out details of a property tax bill to pay for school budgets despite facing a potential veto, a protest at the Statehouse calls for lower taxes and fewer hunting restrictions, advocates say they'll rally again next legislative session for a bill banning flavored tobacco and vaping products, lawmakers approve legislation revamping how the state responds to natural disasters, and an Upper Valley newspaper moves to nonprofit status to increase donations and keep publishing.

Andrew Brewer, Government Relations Specialist with Downs Rachlin Martin, joins Kurt & Anthony to discuss the Act 250 Bill currently being negotiated between the Vermont House and Senate.

Remembering a beloved New York state forest ranger who was a trailblazer in the LGTBQ outdoors community. Plus, Sen. Bernie Sanders announces he'll seek a fourth term, pro-Palestinian demonstrators at Middlebury College take down their encampments after reaching an agreement with school administrators, UVM begins conduct processes for some students who took similar actions at the Burlington campus, the Vermont House passes a climate superfund act, and Gov. Phil Scott appoints a new state representative.

Civil rights advocates push to add an equal protection clause to the Vermont Constitution. Plus, a COVID-era law that changed Vermont's open meeting statute is set to expire, state recovery officials say last summer's flood victims still need more help despite money raised from special license plate sales, Vermont House lawmakers are moving a bill that gives primary health care providers more flexibility to order tests and procedures and another that bans exposed polystyrene foam in new floating docks, and a poetry festival will replace the canceled Bookstock event in Woodstock.

A lot of the activity in Montpelier is framed around tension between Democrats in the Legislature and Republican Gov. Phil Scott. But policy disagreements between Democrats in the Vermont House and Senate are now dominating the final weeks of the session. In this week's edition of the Capitol Recap, we'll break down why the Senate is rejecting tax increases proposed by the House.

Last week, the Vermont House passed a bill outlawing untraceable ghost guns. What does that mean for Vermonters?

How recent storms and updated federal flood maps are leading some coastal Maine residents to consider flood insurance. Plus, the Vermont Senate approves a proposed equal protection constitutional amendment, the man accused of setting fire to Sen. Bernie Sanders' Burlington office pleads not guilty, the Vermont House passes new regulations for so-called ghost guns, and Norwich University appoints a new president.

Efforts by an organic farmer and men serving time in a Maine prison to grow fresh produce for the incarcerated population there. Plus, Vermont House lawmakers move a bill that will only slightly reduce property taxes this year, a lawsuit is filed over a school district's handling of its budget vote on Town Meeting Day, controlled springtime burns get underway in the Green Mountain National Forest, doctors at UVM are studying new ways to treat rectal cancer, and two Vermonters win coveted Guggenheim fellowships.

The Vermont House wants to set up another decade of major spending on the housing crisis — and tax increases to go with it. Meanwhile, the Senate and Gov. Phil Scott would rather focus on regulatory changes making housing easier to build.

Two Vermont youth reflect on International Transgender Day of Visibility. Plus, The Vermont House approves a state budget proposal, the Senate supports a bill that would create a climate superfund program, Copley Hospital is running out of money, and Emma Mulvaney-Stanak is giving up her House seat to take over as mayor of Burlington.

Democrats in the Vermont House have passed three bills that would raise taxes and fees by $130 million per year, and Republican Gov. Phil Scott is sounding the alarm. We'll break down that dynamic for this week's edition of the Capitol Recap, and share how it could impact local elections in November.

The outgoing mayor of Vermont's largest city reflects on his 12-year tenure. Plus, Vermont House lawmakers approve a bill that would reduce out-of-pocket health care costs for low-income seniors, Addison County's top prosecutor moves the case of a 14-year-old charged with murder to juvenile court–a decision made two days before the Vermont Supreme Court suspended her law license, Rep. Becca Balint officially announces she'll seek a second term in the U.S. House, and thoughts on the Boston Red Sox as the 2024 MLB season gets underway.

A woman from Calais laments rising taxes and fuel costs that led her to sell off land she's lived on for more than three decades. Plus, more on taxes, as Vermont House lawmakers prepare bills that would raise rates for high-income earners and corporations, the Burlington City Council gets pushback after approving rezoning measures they say will create hundreds of new homes, a bill is moved allowing medical cannabis stores to provide special services and products, the Vermont senate backs legislation that lets the state study the possible health benefits of psychedelic drugs, and Vermont companies brace for changes now that the conglomerate that owns Ben & Jerry's has announced it's spinning off its ice cream divisions.

Where Vermont lawmakers stand on calls to investigate the state's recognition process for native tribes. Plus, Vermont House lawmakers move a bill to give people more control over their private web data, Central Vermont Medical Center staff are among the latest health care workers to unionize, Northfield police settle in a case alleging officers used excessive force against a woman with physical disabilities, and prepping for reliable cell phone service on the day of the solar eclipse.

Lawmakers in the Vermont House are poised to vote Wednesday on one of the biggest energy bills of the legislative session. Among other things, it would make every electric utility in Vermont purchase 100% of its power from renewable resources by 2035.

Democrats in the Vermont House have identified more than $250 million in new initiatives to tackle in the next fiscal year, despite warnings from Republican Gov. Phil Scott to keep the budget lean. Now, lawmakers must let some of those priorities go – or find new ways to cover the extra spending, like tax increases.

What it's like experiencing a mammogram for the first time, and why the screening is so important. Plus, fast-tracking changes to Vermont's school funding mechanism, a grant provides financial planning and literacy services to survivors of domestic violence, union membership in Vermont reaches an all-time high, Dartmouth's men's basketball team clears a hurdle toward possible unionization, and a Vermont House bill in would ban the licensing of cannabis cultivation in densely populated areas. And now that Mitch Wertlieb is settling in as the new host of The Frequency, we want to hear your feedback on the show. What's working for you? What doesn't? What do you wish was in the podcast that you're not hearing? Your input helps us make the best show we can – one you'll look forward to hearing every day. So please share your thoughts at thefrequency@vermontpublic.org.

John Grismore, Franklin County Sheriff, joins Kurt & Anthony to discuss the impeachment case against him in the Vermont House.

Relatives of a man who died in a Vermont prison from a fentanyl overdose are frustrated at the pace of the investigation into his death. Plus, the Vermont House considers a ban on a pesticide beekeepers say is killing pollinators, local lawmakers are in the dark about USPS plans to replace the damaged Montpelier post office, efforts to resolve air quality and contamination problems at a farm food center in Rutland near completion, and a Vermonter heads home from Los Angeles with a Grammy Award. And now that Mitch Wertlieb is settling in as the new host of The Frequency, we want to hear your feedback on the show. What's working for you? What doesn't? What do you wish was in the podcast that you're not hearing? Your input helps us make the best show we can – one you'll look forward to hearing every day. So please share your thoughts at thefrequency@vermontpublic.org.

Vermont's farmers and sugarmakers struggle with the cumulative impact of a series of damaging storms. Plus, short-term rental bookings are piling up in advance of April's solar eclipse, a delay in the construction of a state-run cannabis lab, revenues from retail cannabis sales are higher than expected, a family settles a lawsuit against the Green Mountain Union School District, and the Vermont House approves a bill prohibiting racial discrimination based on hair types and styles. And now that Mitch Wertlieb is settling in as the new host of The Frequency, we want to hear your feedback on the show. What's working for you? What doesn't? What do you wish was in the podcast that you're not hearing? Your input helps us make the best show we can – one you'll look forward to hearing every day. So please share your thoughts at thefrequency@vermontpublic.org.

A man whose family settled in Vermont after fleeing war in Bosnia discusses class differences in the U.S. Plus, contention over whether Vermont is on track to meet its first big deadline for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, a Vermont House bill that would allow safe injection sites for drug users, local hospitals resume staff masking requirements, and hopes for lower COVID rates this winter even as a new variant takes hold.

It is that time of the year again, but it is not, cause it is Thanksgiving...cause SOMEONE got us lost on the way to the Rutland Vermont Halloween Party. Still, we know why we are all here this year....again. It is all because of Mephisto and his evil ways. So, what madness are we subjected to this year? According to Wikipedia: Rutland is the only city in and the seat of the county of the same name in Vermont, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total population of 15,807. It is located approximately 65 miles (105 km) north of the Massachusetts state line, 35 miles (56 km) west of New Hampshire state line, and 20 miles (32 km) east of the New York state line. Rutland is the third largest city in the state of Vermont after Burlington and South Burlington. They also suffer from the largest deposits of melted man in the United States. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 7.67 square miles (19.9 km2), of which 7.6 square miles (20 km2) is land and 0.04 square miles (0.10 km2), or 0.52%, is water. Rutland is drained by Otter Creek, Moon Brook, Tenney Brook, East Creek and Mussey Brook. There is also a large number of unexplained dimensional portals. The downtown section contains the Rutland Free Library, the Paramount Theater and Merchant's Row, a restored street dating back to the mid-19th century. 108 buildings in downtown Rutland are listed in the National Register of Historic Places. But when the Juggernaut comes to town, statistics change. At the local level, Rutland is governed by a Mayor and Board of Aldermen. For representation in the Vermont House of Representatives, Rutland is split into four districts. In the Vermont Senate, Rutland is represented by three state senators who serve most of Rutland County. The rest of the town is ruled by fear of rampaging monsters. And of course their is the Rutland Halloween Parade has taken place annually since 1960. In the early 1970s, the Rutland Halloween Parade was used as the setting of a number of superhero comic books, including Batman #237, Justice League of America #103, Freedom Fighters #6, Amazing Adventures #16, Avengers #83, and The Mighty Thor #207. The parade celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2009. It brought friends together through fights. So be sure to visit this lovely town, and keep your eyes out for the Beast...he may still be looking for his skin suit.   Here are the other shows participating this year: Married with Comics - Avengers #83 Ninjas 'n' Bots - Batman #237 Unpacking the Power of Power Pack - Amazing Adventures #16 The Outcasters - Justice League of America #103 Resurrections An Adam Warlock and Thanos Podcast - Thor #207 Coffee & Comics - Generation X #22 We also have some merchandise over at Redbubble. We have a couple of nifty shirts for sale. https://www.redbubble.com/people/jeffrickpresent/?asc=u   You can also subscribe and listen to us on YouTube!  Our show supports the Hero Initiative, Helping Comic Creators in Need.  http://www.heroinitiative.org/ Eighties Action by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3703-eighties-action License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Music: Plucky Daisy by Kevin MacLeod Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/4226-plucky-daisy Licensed under CC BY 4.0: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Walt Freed former speaker of the Vermont House, joins Kurt & Anthony to discuss his tenure in the Legislature and comment on the current state of politics in VT.

A U.S. Supreme Court decision about private school tuition payments violates the Vermont Constitution. House lawmakers were not able to come up with a solution in a bill that was passed recently.

Vermont journalist Sue Halpern reports on national issues for the New Yorker magazine, where she is a staff writer. Her recent reporting has included stories about the 40-year effort to ban abortion pills, the promise and peril of artificial intelligence, and threats to democracy. One topic that she has covered in depth is the effort to subvert elections. She has written about candidates for secretary of state who deny that Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election, attempts by election deniers to access electronic voting systems and the Republican war on voting. Halpern was recently shocked to discover that Vermont is currently considering allowing internet voting, which experts have described as “a security nightmare.” The provision, which is supported by the Office of the Vermont Secretary of State, is tucked into legislation, H.429, that was approved last month by the Vermont House and is now being considered in the Senate. Among those arguing against Vermont's internet voting provision are the watchdog groups Common Cause, Public Citizen, Free Speech for the People and the Brennan Center for Justice.Halpern is the author of seven books, including the best-selling “A Dog Walks into a Nursing Home” and “Four Wings and a Prayer,” which was made into an Emmy-nominated film. She was a columnist for Mother Jones, Ms. Magazine and Smithsonian Magazine, and has written on science, technology and politics for the New York Times Magazine, Rolling Stone, The New Republic and The New York Review of Books. She is a scholar-in-residence at Middlebury College, where she directs the program in narrative journalism. Halpern is also a board member of the Vermont Journalism Trust, the parent organization of VTDigger.Based on her reporting on internet voting, Halpern insisted that “every computer science expert who has looked into internet voting is against it because it is insecure.”Halpern has recently reported on artificial intelligence engines such as ChatGPT. “My biggest concern is that it's going to be used for disinformation and misinformation as we go forward in our very fractured political life,” she said.Halpern's reporting shines a light on the fragile state of democracy in the U.S.“We have people who are trying to undermine the two parts of our public life that are central to the preservation of democracy, and those are public schools and public libraries,” she said. “I'm deeply worried that the people who are trying to maintain this democracy are kind of working on the case a little bit too late, and they're not quite as wily as the people who are trying to undermine it.”

Why two friends developed a card game for people with dementia. Plus, a plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions, the Vermont House approves a controversial gun bill, and Bill Stenger's early release from prison.

This week, lawmakers in the Vermont House and Senate unveiled proposals that try to make the state's zoning ordinances more conducive to new development. That's as Vermont's housing shortage continues.

This week, lawmakers in the Vermont House and Senate unveiled proposals that try to make the state's zoning ordinances more conducive to new development. That's as Vermont's housing shortage continues.

ALSO: Bread and Puppet Theater has acquired a 23-acre property that borders its farm in Glover, enabling the Northeast Kingdom institution to expand in the coming months; The Burlington City Council approved a plan Monday night to redraw its districts; Two years after battling cancer, Rutland Mayor David Allaire is seeking a fourth term in office on a platform that includes public safety and housing.

ALSO: Vermonters split their tickets in a big way Tuesday night, reelecting Republican Gov. Phil Scott by his widest margin yet and handing Democrats commanding, veto-proof super-majorities in the Vermont House and Senate; The 2022 deer archery season is on pace to match the state record, and wild game processing businesses in the state are having trouble keeping up; According to the attorneys who sued the Vermont Department of Corrections, the state agency is not meeting the requirements of a settlement over treatment of incarcerated individuals with hepatitis C.

There are 150 seats in the Vermont House of Representatives up for grabs on Tuesday, but one race in the Northeast Kingdom could be especially consequential.As a result of legislative reapportionment, two incumbent lawmakers — one a Democrat, and one a Republican — are vying to represent Albany, Craftsbury, Glover and Greensboro in the Vermont Statehouse. And the race is raising some important questions about the future of rural Vermont.

For the past two years, Reps. Katherine Sims, D-Craftsbury, and Vicki Strong, R-Albany, have served alongside each other in the Vermont House, jointly representing seven towns in the Northeast Kingdom. But this year, due to redistricting, Sims and Strong are competing for a single seat. It is the only race in the state where an incumbent is guaranteed to lose. Along stretches of Route 14 in Craftsbury, nearly every driveway sports a campaign lawn sign, alternately supporting each candidate: Sims, Strong, Sims, Strong. Past election results suggest this could be a tight race, won by just a handful of votes. “I don't want to wake up the day after and wish that I had talked to one more voter,” Sims said. “And so I'm trying to do everything that I can.” Sims was first elected in 2020, after campaigning almost entirely online due to the Covid-19 pandemic. This year, she's been knocking on voters' doors for hours at a time, three to four days a week. With help from Democratic volunteers, her campaign has knocked on more than a thousand doors, she said.Strong, who described herself as “very much a homebody,” said she's focused much of her  campaigning at community events, such as farmers markets and town parades. Her husband is a local pastor, and their last name is well-known in the local community. “I hope they'll look at my 12 years representing them and say, you know, Vicki's been faithful,” Strong said. “She answers my emails, she cares. She's not, like, a political activist. She's really there to represent me in Montpelier. I hope they'll look at that and vote for me.”

Bruce and Scott, co-hosts of On The Rocks Politica take a break from the campaign scene and digest for listeners the latest in local politics including: The Gardner City Council has two recent determinations of guilty, violating the Massachusetts Open Meeting Law.  Why you should care about these decisions.  Read our August 5, 2022 Article on the MA Attorney General's Decision A play by play of our August 4, 2022 interview with Alan Rousseau(Gardner Clean Air) and Ivan Ussach(Millers River Watershed Council) regarding the Gardner Sludge Landfill expansion.  What are the risks involved? What benefit does this project have for Gardner vs. its neighbors? What you need to know and what are the best alternatives to an expansion?  Listen to our earlier interview from Spring 2022 ‘Sludge in Your Backyard' Read about sludge Landfill Alternatives.  Bruce recounts his thoughts from the campaign trail as he is currently running for the 2nd Worcester District, MA House of Representatives. The whole story here.  Find out More on Bruce's Campaign We congratulate ‘Are We Here Yet?' podcast season four guest Monique Priestley, executive director of the Space on Main in Bradford, VT who won her primary for her own bid for the Vermont House of Representatives.  Find Monique's ‘Are We Here Yet?' podcast episode here Enjoy the latest from On the Rocks Politica!  

One of the big issues facing lawmakers in the final weeks of the session is how to craft legislation that would cut taxes. Gov. Phil Scott outlined his proposal back in January. The House passed its plan last month. And just last week, the Senate adopted their own approach. A key element of the whole debate is if Vermont should tax Social Security benefits, and if so, to what degree.