By Guy Page
In an attempt to deflect voter criticism from her Yes vote to double her own pay and add significant new benefits, a Rutland County Democrat House member facing an election challenge has characterized as a ‘false and misleading claim’ that she ‘increased her salary.’
Brandon Rep. Stephanie Jerome’s statements can be seen on a flyer she published, and VDC republished yesterday, and above. So, what’s the truth here?
Rep. Jerome states that ‘my legislative salary has not increased.’ This is factually true, but not for Rep. Jerome’s lack of trying. She and a supermajority of other House members voted May 10, 2023 (see roll call) to effectively double their salaries by 2027 and give themselves a bevy of other attractive financial perks.
Then Gov. Scott vetoed S.39 on May 31, 2023 saying, “it does not seem fair for legislators to insulate themselves from the very costs they are imposing on their constituents by doubling their own future pay.” The Senate balked at an override and the bill died.
But had an override succeeded, S.39 would have gradually increased their salary from the current pay – about $800 a week while in session – to $1210 a week in session.
But that’s not all.
It continued the current practice of generous mileage, meals and lodging reimbursement and added….
- The same health care insurance enjoyed by state employees.
- Non-session ‘adjournment compensation’ equal to one-fifth of session salary for every week not in session’ about $200/week.
- Childcare/eldercare reimbursement “equal to the actual amounts expended by the member for child care, dependent care, or elder care services in this State that is necessary to facilitate the member’s service in the General Assembly,” not to exceed federal guidelines.
VDC estimated at the time that the total package was worth an estimated $52K. Lawmakers are required to sit in session four days a week for about 18 weeks. Most perform legislative duties outside those days, but it’s not required.
The following is a list of every House and Senate member who voted Yes on S.39:
Birong of Vergennes
Bluemle of Burlington
Boyden of Cambridge
Brown of Richmond
Chase of Chester
Chesnut-Tangerman of Middletown Springs
Goldman of Rockingham
Notte of Rutland City
Pouech of Hinesburg
Rachelson of Burlington
Stone of Burlington
Whitman of Bennington
Williams of Barre City
Andriano of Orwell
Anthony of Barre City
Arrison of Weathersfield
Arsenault of Williston
Austin of Colchester
Bartholomew of Hartland
Berbeco of Winooski
Black of Essex
Bongartz of Manchester
Bos-Lun of Westminster
Brady of Williston
Brumsted of Shelburne
Burke of Brattleboro
Burrows of West Windsor
Buss of Woodstock
Campbell of St. Johnsbury
Carpenter of Hyde Park
Carroll of Bennington
Casey of Montpelier
Chapin of East Montpelier
Chase of Colchester
Christie of Hartford
Cina of Burlington
Coffey of Guilford
Cole of Hartford
Conlon of Cornwall
Cordes of Lincoln
Dodge of Essex
Dolan of Essex Junction
Dolan of Waitsfield
Durfee of Shaftsbury
Elder of Starksboro
Emmons of Springfield
Farlice-Rubio of Barnet
Garofano of Essex
Graning of Jericho
Headrick of Burlington
Holcombe of Norwich
Hooper of Burlington
Houghton of Essex Junction
Howard of Rutland City
Hyman of South Burlington
James of Manchester
Jerome of Brandon
Kornheiser of Brattleboro
Krasnow of South Burlington
LaBounty of Lyndon
Lalley of Shelburne
LaLonde of South Burlington
LaMont of Morristown
Lanpher of Vergennes
Logan of Burlington
Long of Newfane
Masland of Thetford
McCann of Montpelier
McCarthy of St. Albans City
McGill of Bridport
Mihaly of Calais
Minier of South Burlington
Morris of Springfield
Mrowicki of Putney
Mulvaney-Stanak of Burlington
Nicoll of Ludlow
Noyes of Wolcott
Nugent of South Burlington
O’Brien of Tunbridge
Ode of Burlington
Pajala of Londonderry
Patt of Worcester
Priestley of Bradford
Rice of Dorset
Satcowitz of Randolph
Scheu of Middlebury
Sheldon of Middlebury
Sibilia of Dover
Sims of Craftsbury
Small of Winooski
Squirrell of Underhill
Stebbins of Burlington
Stevens of Waterbury
Surprenant of Barnard
Taylor of Colchester
Templeman of Brownington
Toleno of Brattleboro
Torre of Moretown
Troiano of Stannard
Waters Evans of Charlotte
White of Bethel
Wood of Waterbury
Baruth of Chittenden-Central
Bray of Addison
Brock of Franklin
Clarkson of Windsor
Cummings of Washington
Gulick of Chittenden-Central
Hardy of Addison
Harrison of Windham
Hashim of Windham
Lyons of Chittenden-Southeast
MacDonald of Orange
McCormack of Windsor
Norris of Franklin
Perchlik of Washington
Vyhovsky of Chittenden-Central
Watson of Washington
Westman of Lamoille
White of Windsor
Wrenner of Chittenden-North