Income tax hike coming?/ Horse-trading for committee leadership/ Constitutional amendment for bail reform
By Guy Page
The code of conduct for all certified Vermont police officers now adds emphasis to off-duty behavior, according to a rule approved by the Legislative Committee on Administrative Rules Thursday, January 9.
Police will now be liable for discipline, including censure and possible de-certification, for conduct unbecoming, both on and off duty, if the Council finds they violated (after at least two hearings) the written code of conduct in which officers promise to avoid untruthfulness, discrimination, misuse of official position, domestic violence, unlawful use of force, criminal conduct, sexual misconduct, falsification and misuse of property and evidence, bribes, and cheating on exams.
Previous regulations have not emphasized off-duty conduct as much, Vermont Criminal Justice Council spokesperson Kim McManus said.
The changes in code of conduct need to be “responsive to societal changes and expectations,” McManus said.
The motion to approve the change was made by Sen. Chris Bray (D-Addison), in perhaps his final act as a state senator. Bray was voted out of office in November.
Heard around the building….
The Democratic majority in the Vermont Legislature may try to keep property taxes low by raising income taxes. Their allies in the education establishment are encouraging them to find school funding revenue elsewhere, with the income tax being the largest, most stable likely source.
Vermont’s state tax burden is already the third-highest in the nation, according to a U.S. Census graph. The #1 state, North Dakota, taxes fracked gas extracted from the earth. “We don’t produce enough maple syrup to make much of a difference,” one State House pro-business lobbyist quipped.
Horse-trading for committee chairs, vice-chairs – a GOP member ‘in the know’ said GOP leaders talked with both incumbent Speaker Jill Krowinski and challenger Laura Sibilia about what they would offer for chair and vice-chair positions. Republicans have been mostly shut out of committee leadership, but the credible Sibilia candidacy offered them a rare opportunity to dicker. Result: Two chairs, nine-vice chairs.
Constitutional Amendment for bail reform – A few House Republicans are kicking around the idea of proposing a constitutional amendment that would allow judges to impose bail more liberally (in the traditional sense of the word). Here’s what the Constitution says about bail;
[SECTION XXII.] [Excessive bail shall not be exacted for bailable offences; and all fines shall be moderate.]
[SECTION XXX.] And all prisoners, unless in execution, or committed for capital offences, when the proof is evident or presumption great, shall be bailable by sufficient sureties [unless for capital offences, when the proof is evident or presumption great]: nor shall excessive bail be exacted for bailable offences.
State law and judicial precedent have since added more restrictions based on these clauses. Some Republicans say that their (unprecedented in recent history) five members on the House Judiciary will never be in a better position to tighten Vermont’s bail and conditions of release.
The lengthy amendment process means that any change, if any, will be several years away.
