S.169 – AN ACT RELATING TO FIREARMS PROCEDURES 
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PASSED

in the State House of Representatives
on May 15, 2019, by a vote of
82-58

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Purpose: The principal purpose of this bill is to require a 24 hour waiting period after completion of a background check to purchase a handgun. It also includes provisions allowing residents of other states to transport high capacity magazines into Vermont for the purpose of participating in shooting competitions, and to allow the transfer of legally grandfathered high capacity magazines from one “immediate relative” to another.  

PROPOSITION 5 To Amend the Constitution Regarded Unrestricted Abortions
 

PASSED in the State House of Representatives
on May 7, 2019, by a vote of  106-38

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Purpose: Proposal 5 would amend the Vermont Constitution to say that “an individual’s right to personal reproductive autonomy is central to the liberty and dignity to determine one’s own life course and shall not be denied or infringed unless justified by a compelling state interest achieved by the least restrictive means.”

AN ACT RELATING TO INCREASING THE MINIMUM WAGE – VETO OVERRIDE
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Purpose: To raise the state minimum wage from the current mark $10.96 to $12.55 by 2022, with increases tied to inflation afterward, overriding the Governor’s veto.Analysis: This would increase the minimum wage to $11.75 in 2021 and $12.55 in 2022. Each year afterwards, the minimum wage would be increased by the rate of the inflation, that is, “CPI.”  


As Recorded in the House Journal, Tuesday, February 25, 2020: “Shall the bill pass the failure of the Governor to approve notwithstanding? was decided in the affirmative. Yeas, 100. Nays, 49.” (Read the Journal, p. 349-352.)

Those voting NO believe the negative impacts of increasing the minimum wage (eliminating some low-wage jobs, potential cutbacks in hours for low wage employees, the potential loss of benefits greater than wage increases for workers earning a higher wage, overall decline in economic activity, higher prices for goods and services particularly as they impact Vermonters living on fixed incomes, the impact on healthcare services funded through Medicaid, the impact on child care costs, financial burden on struggling small businesses, and the implications regarding the “benefits cliff”), outweigh the positive impacts.

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NAYS: Burditt(R), Canfield (R), Cupoli (R) , Fagan (R), Harrison (R), Helm (R), McCoy (R), Shaw (R), Sullivan (D), Terenzini (R)

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Sally Achey would have voted NAY.

H.688 – AN ACT RELATING TO ADDRESSING CLIMATE CHANGE PASSED
House of Representatives on February 26, 2020, by a vote of 105-37

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Purpose: The Global Warming Solutions Act (GWSA) mandates that Vermont meet strict carbon emission reduction targets to 26% below 2005 levels by 2025, 40% below 1990 levels by 2030 and 80% below 1990 levels by 2050.
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Analysis: The GWSA would create a Climate Council made up of 22 state government officials and citizen experts to adopt a “Vermont Climate Action Plan” by Dec. 1, 2021. This plan would offer guidance to the Agency of Natural Resources, which would be empowered to create and implement new rules for achieving the emission targets.

S.54 – AN ACT RELATING TO THE REGULATION OF CANNABIS
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Purpose: To create a regulatory framework for the sale and taxation of recreational marijuana.  
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Analysis: This version of S.54 would establish a 20% tax on sale of marijuana (a 14% excise tax plus the existing 6% sales tax).
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It would create a Cannabis Control Board responsible for regulation and licensing and establishes a license for current medical dispensaries to start selling marijuana in 2022. The bill directs the board to prioritize Vermont businesses owned by women and minorities as it considers license applications.
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The bill bans flavored cannabis vapes and sets a cap on the potency of the cannabis to 30% THC and limits the maximum THC content per edible to 50 mg. The bill bans access to cannabis establishments to anyone under the age of 21.

                          PASSED  
in the State House of Representatives
on February 26, 2020, by a vote of     90-54

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S54, commercial cannabis, was approved by the House Feb. 26. The Senate did not concur with the changes made by the House, and a conference committee was established.

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Those voting YES believe Vermont has a moral obligation to accelerate the state’s reduction of carbon emissions, and that the normal democratic process has proven inadequate to the task. They hope the specter of judicial review and the liability of paying attorney’s fees will keep the pressure on the Council, Agency and Legislature into adopting sweeping regulations.
 

YEAS:Canfield (R);   Chesnut-Tangerman (P),  Haas (P), Harrison (R), Jerome (D), Howard (D), Nicoli (D), Norris (I), , Potter (D),

Mandatory Paid Family Leave/Payroll Tax (H.107). Passed 92-52 on April 5, 2019. This would put in place a government-mandated Paid Family Leave program paid for with a new payroll tax on all income up to $132,900. The program would allow an employee to take up to 12 weeks of paid leave for the birth of a child, or 8 weeks for family or personal medical care. Wages above $132,900 would not be covered. A maximum cap on the benefit would be set at $1,334 per week. The payroll tax would be initially set at 0.55%, and the estimated total cost would $76 million annually to start. 

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Veto Sustained 99 to 51

Extracts from the JOURNAL OF THE HOUSE
Feb. 28, 2020  H.926 House bill, entitled: An act relating to changes to Act 250

Thereupon, pending the question, Shall the bill pass?

Rep. Bock of Chester moved that action be postponed one legislative day. The Clerk proceeded to call the roll and the question. 
The bill was decided in the negative
Yeas, 45; Nays, 96.

Rep.Gregoire of Fairfield explained his vote as follows:
  “Madam Speaker: I am disappointed that this body voted against the opportunity to bring the myriad changes to this bill to our constituents during town meeting week. After all, we are here to represent them”.