Governor Phil Scott today signed a proclamation calling a special session, convening the Legislature on Monday, Nov. 22 for the sole purpose of passing legislation narrowly tailored to grant municipalities the authority to implement time-limited mask mandates, if they choose, according to a statement released by Press Secretary Jason Maulucci.
Governor Scott offered this path forward to legislative leadership as a compromise following their repeated calls for statewide mandates and restrictions, which the Governor does not support at this point in the pandemic. The Vermont League of Cities and Towns also requested this local authority, on behalf of their members.
In a letter sent to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President Pro Tempore of the state Senate on Monday, the Governor outlined his offer. He also reiterated he would not support – and would veto – any additional measures the Legislature sought to pass during this special session.
As the Legislature debates this issue, the Governor and his team will continue to encourage Vermonters to get vaccinated, get their booster shot and – while hospitals continue to be strained – to wear masks indoors, make smart choices about gatherings, stay home when sick and use testing as a tool. The Administration has also taken numerous steps to expand hospital capacity, including adding beds and staff, and has increased efforts to ensure patients have access to life-saving treatments like monoclonal antibodies.
“At this phase in the pandemic, with more than 20 months of experience, broad, top-down mandates and the overuse of executive emergency power is not appropriate and counterproductive to our ultimate path forward, which is getting more people vaccinated and boosted,” said Governor Scott. “COVID-19 is not going away anytime soon, and perhaps could be with us for decades, which is why we need to use the experience and knowledge we’ve gained managing the virus to continue moving forward.”
Categories: State Government
Don’t worry, our “brain trust” will save us !
This will be a nightmare just like school boards. So now, in small towns all around Vermont, the fate of everyone’s freedom will be decided by 5-7 select board members. All of whom we voted into position without ever knowing or needing to know their opinion of covid 19 protocol. Sounds perfectly fair.
Who really cares anymore?
Defy the useful idiots
Scott is a coward. I truly believe he likes the drama he sets up. He doesn’t care about Vermont or Vermonters. “This so called Plandemic may go on for decades”, yeah as long as he is Governor, and Biden and his leftist swamp including Fauci are in office. God help us all!!
OK, Selectboards, City Councils, and School Boards (Municipalities all) – ‘gird up your loins’. Scott and the Legislature (Vermont’s cowardly ‘Deep State’) have just passed the buck on to you.
‘You go down there if you’ve got the nerve’. Little Big Man
Appears the petty tyrants can’t shoulder the liability alone – toss the hot potato to local cities/towns to take the heat and share financial liability. No matter, the cost is still on all taxpayers. We are paying for a special session that will ensure more named defendents – that’s all this is – a shared sham scam.
What financial liability are they sharing? Defendants in what?
Crimes against humanity and violations of civil/constitutional rights.
This special session is about mask mandates. Mind explaining further how this is a crime against humanity and violation of civil/constitutional rights? I’m also very interested in hearing how you think any legal actions will occur. Who do you think is going be to be prosecuting? What does the whole process look like?
Scott may be lead actor in this political theater, but his call for a special session puts balint and krowinski in the cross-hairs of voters.The daily new infection rate has dropped dramatically, and continues to. Scott has said the taxpayer will pick up the tab for “travelers” to staff the unusable ICU beds. He’s made the adjustments to insure hospital capacity. Now come the Dems and Progs, clamoring for a showdown and return to lockdown. He won’t give them that, rightly so. Any vote in this session need to be a roll-call vote, showing voters whom voted to re-institute masks and whatever else libs want. March Town meeting is but a short time away, even Vermont voters have a memory that lasts a few months. The entire legislature is up for re-election in less than a year, get the populace stirred up and who knows what might happen.
This is theatre, designed to distract. Where the ire needs to be directed at is the lack of treatment options available for Vermonter’s that do get SARS-CoV-2. Angry? I’m sure you are. Vermont and Federal policy…er dogma…is Vax, Vax, Vax again. Treatment? well…maybe…monoclonal antibodies….if…you’re sick enough….Other options have been discarded since Donald Trump mentioned them at a press conference.. I’ll remind you pelosi stated April of 2020- “The president is asking people to inject Lysol into their lungs” . Because of that statement, just how many lives were lost? Thousands, no doubt. Scott, Levine, Scott’s cabinet and every member of the legislature owe Vermont a reasoned FACTUAL explanation of continuing this policy, or they must allow alternative treatment to be administered by medical professionals.