Paramilitary training camp bill passes committee

Guy Page

3 years ago

by Guy Page and Tim Page

S3, the bill attempting to control paramilitary training camps, passed out of Senate Judiciary this morning. The bill was motivated by the Slate Ridge legal controversy.

The bill passed out unanimously despite concerns about constitutionality raised by Vermont Traditions Coalition firearms policy analyst William Moore, who said it “fails to elaborate what constitutes ‘Unauthorized Military Training’ or what ‘Paramilitary Training’ is in any significant and meaningful way. Attempts at defining this appear within the description of the offenses but in no direct terms are they described in the Definitions Section. The reason this may be impossible is because all the acts of teaching, training, to demonstrate, instruct or practicing referenced are all Constitutionally protected innocent activities on their own.”

“Nothing in this bill will ever result in a conviction of anything that has happened at Slate Ridge,” Moore said.

Bills to watch in the Vermont Legislature’s committee this week include:

H165 – universal free school meals.

H92 – collection of unemployment after quitting job

H126 – 50% conservation of total land area by 2050

H66 – paid family and medical leave

H89 – shield law for abortion, transgender service providers

H158 – expand Bottle Bill

S32 – ranked choice voting in presidential primary

S. 36 – Arrest without warrant for health care worker assault

S. 4 – Juvenile gun control

S. 37 – Protections for abortion and gender-reassignment

S. 56 – Public preschool and other childcare, education changes

Schedule for All Vermont Legislature Committees this week: Click on Committee name for Zoom links. Agenda listings top-line only, not inclusive. Click here to see the complete weekly schedule of all committees on one page. Click here for list of all committees and links to their bills, members and contact information.

House Agriculture, Food Resiliency, and Forestry

H. 165 – Requires public schools to serve free meals

23-0761 – An act relating to miscellaneous agricultural subjects

Vermont Housing and Conservation Coalition Day

House Appropriations

FY24 Budget

House Commerce and Economic Development

H. 10 – Create VEGI oversight board

H. 87 – Access to wages before payday

H. 92 – Unemployment insurance after voluntary separation

H. 55 – Unemployment insurance amendments

H. 76 – Regulating captive insurance companies

House Corrections and Institutions

Governor’s FY24 – FY25 Capital Budget Proposal

H. 102 – Amending the Art in State Buildings Program

Vermont Housing and Conservation Coalition Legislative Day

House Education

H. 179 – Transfer certain responsibilities to Secretary of Education

H. 228 – Requires financial literacy as part of a High School Diploma

H. 181 – Commissions study on the creation of a statewide supervisory union

Act 67 Community Schools Grant

23-0910 – An act relating to tuition and approved independent schools

House Environment and Energy

H. 67 – Household Products Containing Hazardous Substances

H. 126 – 50% conservation by 2050, Community Resilience and Biodiversity Protection

H. 158 – Expands the beverage container redemption system

Vermont Housing and Conservation Coalition Day

House General and Housing

H. 66 – Paid family and medical leave

Public Hearing on Housing

House Government Operations and Military Affairs

H. 180 – Standardizes the opening time of polling places

23-0705 – An act relating to miscellaneous changes to election laws

H. 226 – Defines how candidate information is to be filed with State

H. 127 – Legalize sports betting

23-0908 – Professions and occupations regulated by the Office of Professional Regulation

House Health Care

23-0859 – Extends COVID-19 health care regulatory flexibility

H. 230 – Reduce suicide by reducing “access to lethal means”

Governor’s Proposed FY2024 Budget

Suicide Prevention

House Human Services

Governor’s Proposed FY2024 Budget

H. 190 – Removes the residency requirement from assisted suicide

H. 222 – Expands legal med-assisted treatment for opioid addiction

H. 171 – Amends adult protective services

House Judiciary

H. 40 – Make contraceptive tampering a crime

H. 148 – Raises the marriagable age to 18

H. 227 – Enacts the Vermont Uniform Power of Attorney Act

H. 53 – Driver’s license suspensions

H. 175 – Modernizes the Children and Family Council for Prevention Programs

H. 173 – Expands the statute against manipulating a child for sexual contact

H. 41 – Domestic-/sex-assault cases referred to community justice centers

House Natural Resources, Fish & Wildlife

Not yet published

House Transportation

Governor’s Proposed FY2024 Budget

Art and Transportation Programs/Initiatives – Arts Advocacy Day

House Ways and Means

H. 87 – Access to wages before payday

H. 67 – Manufacturers pay for household hazardous products collection

23-0161 – Defines new categories of nonhomestead property

23-0629 – Imposing a multi-year moratorium on the reappraisal requirement under 32 VSA section 4041s and to create a State appraisal assistance program

Senate Agriculture

23-0138 – Protection from nuisance suits against farming

23-0760 – An act relating to miscellaneous agricultural subjects

Working Lands Enterprise Fund

Senate Appropriations

This agenda has not yet been published

Senate Economic Development, Housing, and General Affairs

Omnibus Housing Bill

Public Hearing on Housing

Senate Education

S. 56 – An act relating to child care and early childhood education

Education Quality Standards