By Guy Page
The House Government Operations Committee is scheduled to vote Thursday morning on Burlington’s proposed legalization of prostitution.
According to the committee calendar for this week, ‘H746 – An act relating to an amendment to the charter of the City of Burlington’ is scheduled for a ‘Mark-up and vote’ at 9 am, Thursday April 27.
H746 would remove from the Burlington City Charter the municipal power “to restrain and suppress houses of ill fame and disorderly houses, and to punish common prostitutes and persons consorting therewith.”
Critics of H746 say it would give official sanction for legal, unregulated prostitution from the state’s largest city, thus paving the way for similar action for the entire state. Supporters say state law prohibiting prostitution trumps municipal law, so the Burlington charter change is “symbolic.” Their claim might be technically true, provided Burlington police and the progressive-minded Chittenden County State’s Attorney Sarah George opt to fully enforce state law within city limits.
Two bills to legalize prostitution – H268, human trafficking and prostitution, and H630, voluntary engagement in sex work – are currently in the House Judiciary Committee. Several of the Burlington lawmakers – including Judiciary member Barbara Rachelson – sponsoring the city charter change are also sponsors of statewide prostitution repeal bills.
If approved by Government Operations Thursday, H746 could come before the full House as soon as next Tuesday.
Categories: Legislation
We hold out hope that good sense will again bloom in these Green Mountains and that the legislative culture will resurrect consensus REPRESENTATION to replace the present ethos of RULING us unenlightened rabble. Folly-legislation with no consensus, like this, will be foremost on the repeal-consideration list. Wouldn’t you say?
The MAIN problem here is Vincent – MOST Vermonters are unaware of ANY of this insanity. Does YOUR local newspaper report this information out of Montpelier & Burlington? Mine do not. Do they report the out-of-control crime in VT thanks to these idiot’s actions to demonize police? Mine don’t.
SPREAD THE WORD to ALL you friends & family & tell them to spread the word & VOTE.
These lunatics are NOT Vermonters – two-thirds of the legislature are out of state Soros-funded anti-democracy, highly dangerous individuals.
Are we to believe that the legislature will approve Burlington’s decision not to regulate prostitution but will then nix Barre’s decision to regulate which flags it will fly on the city’s own flagpoles? These people have gone nuts!
Seems consistent with the Montpelier mind set. Another step in the overall degradation of the state. Now if we can just figure out how to tax it appropriately that another crapola idea gets funded we can make it a win win.
Just a question of time before the sewer backs up and we wonder what ever happen to the pearl that was once this state.
You know that someone is going to try to teach this course in whatever was Home Economics in your high school or trade school. Just a cottage industry serving the greater good.
This legislature needs to see what has become of once-great California as a crystal ball as to what is happening to Vermont as we gravitate toward their vision of a socialist utopia. The voters are ultimately to blame for the sodom that we have become. Just like in DC politics under democrats, if they were deliberately trying to destroy the greatest society that this planet has ever known, what would they do differently?