No BLM, Pride flags allowed on Barre City Hall Park flagpole
By Guy Page
Bills decriminalizing prostitution in Burlington and creating a new ‘environmental justice’ bureaucracy were approved by the Vermont House of Representatives yesterday with apparently veto-proof margins.
The House:
- Gave final approval by a 105-33 margin to H746, decriminalizing prostitution in Burlington. The vote was praised by Rep. Kornheiser of Brattleboro as “an affirmation of people’s rights over their own bodies.”
- Gave preliminary approval to S122, Vermont joining an interstate “workaround” of the electoral college through a multi-state “agreement among the states to elect the President by national popular vote.”
- Postponed action until May 5 on S139, giving the State of Vermont a role in the naming of school mascots. It would create a state policy to eliminate the use of discriminatory school branding (such as naming teams after minority groups like Indians, Redskins, etc.) because “all Vermont students should feel safe and welcome while enrolled in a Vermont school.”
- Approved H444, Barre City charter change allowing only U.S., State of Vermont, and POW flags in City Hall Park. The bill resolves a municipal dispute over flying the BLM and other flags in favor of flying only the three approved flags. The bill also creates a local sales tax and makes other municipal changes.
- Gave preliminary approval 109-31 to S148, environmental justice, which creates state Environmental Justice Policy “that no segment of the population of the State should, because of its racial, cultural, or economic makeup, bear a disproportionate share of environmental burdens or be denied an equitable share of environmental benefits,” and an advisory council to oversee the policy.
S148 requires state agencies to collect complaints and prepare and implement a community engagement plan. It also ups the per diem pay for members of the Environmental Justice Advisory Council to $150/day.