By Guy Page
H.740, the fuel dealers’ registry bill, passed out of Senate Natural Resources and Energy this morning by a 3-2 vote.
The bill, titled the Greenhouse Gas Inventory and Registry, is unchanged from the House version and, if passed by the full Senate as expected next week, will go to Gov. Phil Scott’s desk. The Democrat-led committee sought compromises with the two GOP members but, unable to reach agreement, passed the bill out unchanged from the House version.
H.740 establishes a registry for fossil fuel dealers, including heating and transportation fuels. It is a required precursor of the Global Warming Solutions Act, which would create a de facto carbon tax on fuel dealers and spend the revenue on electric heat options, such as fuel pumps, and weatherization.
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Scott sheds little light on Homeland Security Secretary meeting with state police leaders – Open communication with federal officials was the key takeaway from a recent meeting with Homeland Security Secretary Tom Homan during Homan’s visit to Vermont last week, Gov. Phil Scott said at his press conference Wednesday.
Scott provided few details about the back-and-forth discussion that occurred in the closed-door meeting.
Scott said his administration had expected Homan to visit the Swanton border sector and that Vermont Public Safety Commissioner Jennifer Morrison sought a meeting with him following tensions surrounding recent immigration enforcement activity and protests in the state – notably the March 11 raid by ICE on a South Burlington home in search of a man federal officials say committed the crime of assault on a police officer by ramming a vehicle driven by ICE personnel.
“We had heard over the last couple of weeks that he was going to make a visit to the Swanton sector,” Scott said. “Our commissioner had taken it upon herself, with our blessing, to see if she could get a meeting with him just to talk about the issue that we experienced in the last few weeks.”
Scott said the meeting took place and described it as productive, though not necessarily one where both sides agreed on all issues.
“From everything that I’ve heard, it was productive,” Scott said. “I’m not sure that everyone agreed on everything, but at least we’re talking, and I think that’s important.”
The governor declined to discuss details of the meeting because he was not present, but said the discussion focused on recent events, law enforcement response, and how similar situations should be handled in the future.
When asked whether federal officials offered any concessions or policy changes, Scott said none were discussed to his knowledge.
“Not that I’m aware of,” he said. “I think, again, it was a listening session on both sides.”
Asked whether Homan understood the pressure faced by local police departments and protesters during recent demonstrations, Scott said he believed Vermont officials clearly conveyed their concerns.
“I’m sure that the commissioner and others, and the chiefs in South Burlington and Burlington, were very clear about their view of this,” Scott said. “So I’m sure he got it.”
Scott also said Vermont officials learned lessons from the recent protests and would adjust their approach in the future to avoid escalating tensions.
“We learned a lot about engagement at that point,” he said. “We don’t want to make mistakes we may have made in that regard. I wouldn’t say they’re huge mistakes, but we can do better.”
The governor said the administration hopes future demonstrations “wouldn’t get to the level of being violent.”
House Republicans gear up for Act 59 challenge – the House Republican caucus is likely to bring to the House floor next week a move to amend Act 59, the 50% by 2050 permanent land conservation law passed in the previous, Democrat-supermajority legislature.
Seeking to strike while the political irons are hot from the successful repeal of onerous sections of Act 181, some GOP House members – including some in leadership – are pushing hard for removing the word ‘permanent’ from the conservation requirement, which would allow farm and forestland now in the Current Use program to count towards the 50% acreage.
The move is opposed by some House Democrats, who fear it would slow Vermont’s land conservation effort.
Homeschoolers fear H.930 amendment will give schools, DCF undue influence – An amendment by Sen. Martine Gulick to H.930 states that “the superintendent and the Department for Children and Families shall notify the Agency if there are documented and unresolved concerns related to child welfare, educational neglect or truancy involving the student, to the extent allowed by law.”
The language would add an additional layer of state oversight onto the Home Study statute, Retta Dunlap of the Vermont Home Education Network says. She said the proposed language has not been adequately discussed in legislative committees or in stakeholder review.
Diaper Drive for military families – The Vermont Chamber of Commerce, the Vermont Family Readiness Program, and the legislative National Guard and Veterans Affairs caucus are inviting all Vermonter to donate diapers, baby wipes and money at the State House lobby next Wednesday, May 13. Two Guard units are now on deployment, and a major deployment is expected for June. “Donations of diapers and wipes provide essential support, easy financial stress, and bring stability when one parent is away from home,” a Diaper Drive press release states.