The following update on the Special Session of the Vermont Legislature was published by Health Choice Vermont. – Editor
In response to publicized calls for mask mandates, Vermont Governor Phil Scott has enabled a special session on Monday November 22, 2021 so the Vermont legislature can potentially enable the Vermont League of Cities and Towns to work to impose mask mandates on the People.
In a letter to Senate Pro-Tem Balint and House Speaker Krowinsky offering the Special Session, Scott says he is “willing to support legislation that is clearly and narrowly crafted to do the following”:
1- the legislation must be limited to facial covering requirements indoors within a municipality’s jurisdiction (except schools, which shall remain governed by the policies set forth by the local school board) for the specific, and exclusive, purpose of addressing COVID-19.
2-the legislation must allow each municipality to enact, by action of the municipality’s governing body, a mask mandate beginning Monday, November 29, 2021, or upon passage, whichever is earlier.
3-the legislation and authority to impose a local mask mandate shall sunset on April 30, 2022.
4-the statute passed in special session must require the governing body of the municipality to reevaluate and vote to extend or rescind the policy on a month-to-month basis.
Highly vaccinated and mask-compliant Vermont (where all schoolkids are masked regardless of harms), Vermont has one of the highest case rates in the country.
This Special Session will occur the Monday of Thanksgiving week – while normal folks are working to pay high taxes and handling winter heating bills. If passed, the provision being advertised would put power in the hands of Selectboards (who will will have to debate, take Public Comments and have to enforce local mask mandates…)
Here are some concerns:
– how will local mandates be enforced?
– who will be held responsible if and when the mandates hurt people?
– state police power should be reserved only for the most dire public health emergencies and adequately debated which is not happening here – why not?
– we are no longer in an emergency so – why now?
There are many other good reasons why mask mandates should never be enabled. See: “Vote NO on Local Mask Mandates!” for more.
You know what a special session really should be for?? Passing decent health & medical freedom legislation that would stop mandates, and protect people’s rights!!
Use the one-click form right now to send a personalized letter to those who were elected to represent YOU.
You can even edit the letter to add your own perspectives.
Go to: https://www.votervoice.net/HealthChoiceVT/campaigns/87498/respond.