By Guy Page
With the help of dozens of Republicans and with the grudging acceptance of progressive Democrats, S.208. the House Thursday removed ICE from the mandatory police masking bill.
Of course, ‘requiring’ ICE to unmask was the point of the whole bill as sponsored by Sen. Tanya Vyhovsky (D/P Chittenden Central) and others.
The Senate dedicated repeated hearings and committee time to passing S.208. Angered by ICE agents wearing masks in the apprehension of Mohsen Mahdawi and others last year, the Senate had ICE in their sights all along. However, House Judiciary voted 6-5 (all five Republicans and Chair Martin LaLonde – a lawyer aware of the federal pre-emption of state laws and the likely, unsuccessful challenge) to remove the reference to federal authorities.
So instead, the House version merely requires local and state police to wear masks, while ICE and other federal authorities may proceed masked.
Democrats opposed the House change, but most voted yes anyway because it was seen as better than nothing. Many Republicans voted no because they oppose mask requirements for all police – state, local or federal.
The bill now faces third and final reading in the House. If approved, it will pass to the Senate, which must decide whether to accept the House version or send it to a conference committee.
The 102-39 roll call vote – requested by Judiciary member Zac Harvey (R-Castleton) was as follows:
YES
Goldman of Rockingham *
Logan of Burlington *
Rachelson of Burlington *
Arsenault of Williston
Austin of Colchester
Bailey of Hyde Park
Bartholomew of Hartland
Bartley of Fairfax
Berbeco of Winooski
Bishop of Colchester
Black of Essex
Bluemle of Burlington
Bos-Lun of Westminster
Boyden of Cambridge
Brady of Williston
Branagan of Georgia
Brigham of St. Albans Town
Brown of Richmond
Burke of Brattleboro
Burkhardt of South Burlington
Burrows of West Windsor
Campbell of St. Johnsbury
Carris Duncan of Whitingham
Casey of Montpelier
Chapin of East Montpelier
Cina of Burlington
Cole of Hartford
Conlon of Cornwall
Cooper of Pownal
Corcoran of Bennington
Critchlow of Colchester
Dodge of Essex
Dolan of Essex Junction
Duke of Burlington
Durfee of Shaftsbury
Eastes of Guilford
Emmons of Springfield
Feltus of Lyndon
Garofano of Essex
Goodnow of Brattleboro
Graning of Jericho
Greer of Bennington
Gregoire of Fairfield
Harple of Glover
Headrick of Burlington
Holcombe of Norwich
Hooper of Randolph
Houghton of Essex Junction
Hoyt of Hartford
Hunter of Manchester
James of Manchester
Kimbell of Woodstock
Kleppner of Burlington
Kornheiser of Brattleboro
Krasnow of South Burlington
Lalley of Shelburne
LaLonde of South Burlington
LaMont of Morristown
Lipsky of Stowe
Long of Milton
Long of Newfane
Lueders of Lincoln
Luneau of St. Albans City
Masland of Thetford
McGill of Bridport
Micklus of Milton
Mihaly of Calais
Minier of South Burlington
Morgan of Milton
Morgan of Milton
Morris of Springfield
Morrissey of Bennington
Morrow of Weston
Mrowicki of Putney
Nigro of Bennington
Noyes of Wolcott
Nugent of South Burlington
O’Brien of Tunbridge
Ode of Burlington
Olson of Starksboro
Pezzo of Colchester
Pouech of Hinesburg
Priestley of Bradford
Satcowitz of Randolph
Scheu of Middlebury
Scully of Burlington
Sheldon of Middlebury
Sibilia of Dover
Southworth of Walden
Squirrell of Underhill
Stevens of Waterbury
Stone of Burlington
Sweeney of Shelburne
Taylor of Mendon
Tomlinson of Winooski
Torre of Moretown
Waszazak of Barre City
Waters Evans of Charlotte
White of Bethel
White of Waitsfield
Wood of Waterbury
Yacovone of Morristown
NO
Burtt of Cabot *
Oliver of Sheldon *
Bosch of Clarendon
Boutin of Barre City
Burditt of West Rutland
Canfield of Fair Haven
Casey of Hubbardton
Charlton of Chester
Coffin of Cavendish
Demar of Enosburgh
Dickinson of St. Albans Town
Dobrovich of Williamstown
Dolgin of St. Johnsbury
Galfetti of Barre Town
Goslant of Northfield
Hango of Berkshire
Harvey of Castleton
Higley of Lowell
Howland of Rutland Town
Kascenska of Burke
Labor of Morgan
Laroche of Franklin
Maguire of Rutland City
Malay of Pittsford
Marcotte of Coventry
McCoy of Poultney
Nelson of Derby
Nielsen of Brandon
North of Ferrisburgh
Page of Newport City
Parsons of Newbury
Pinsonault of Dorset
Powers of Waterford
Pritchard of Pawlet
Quimby of Lyndon
Tagliavia of Corinth
Walker of Swanton
Wells of Brownington
Winter of Ludlow
ABSENT
Birong of Vergennes
Christie of Hartford
Donahue of Northfield
Howard of Rutland City
Keyser of Rutland City
McCann of Montpelier
Soucy of Barre Town
Steady of Milton