By Michael Bielawski
Highlights from bills under review this week by Vermont Senate committees appear below.
Shots for kids without parental consent? – S.151 (Wednesday, Senate Committee on Health and Welfare) sponsored by Sen. Virginia “Ginny” Lyons (D-Chittenden) would allow a child 12 and older to receive medical prevention by shots for STDs without parental approval.
Specifically, the bill provides that “If a minor 12 years of age or older is suspected to have a sexually transmitted infection and the finding is verified by a licensed physician, the minor may give consent to medical treatment and hospitalization….The consent of the parent or legal guardian of a minor consenting under this section shall not be necessary to authorize care as described in this subsection. The physician shall notify the parent, parents, or legal guardian of the minor if the condition of the minor child requires immediate hospitalization for treatment of the sexually transmitted infection.”
Minors already are allowed to receive abortions and identity counseling without parental notification. Opponents of vaccine mandates are concerned this bill could be construed to allow some other forms of vaccination.
Holocaust in education S. 87 (Tuesday, Senate Committee on Education) Sponsored by Sen. Virginia “Ginny” Lyons of Williston and others, lawmakers will hear legislative counsel Beth St. James talk about “Curriculum Support for S. 87.” The bill is to “require Vermont public schools to include Holocaust education in supervisory union wide curricula for grades six through 12 each year, beginning in the 2024–2025 school year.”
Paid Equity Commission for schools – S. 282 (Wednesday, Senate Committee on Education) sponsored by Sen. Alison Clarkson (D-Windsor) seeks to create an “Education Equity Team Pilot Project.” An Equity Team Commission would choose the project’s participants and support Equity Teams at the supervisory unions and school districts. “Equity teams will focus on antiracism, diversity, equity, and inclusion by reviewing equity-related policies and curriculum and will each receive a stipend of $10,000.00 to support their work.”
Wealth Tax – (Tuesday, Senate Committee on Finance) Joyce Manchester, senior economist and associate fiscal officer for the Joint Fiscal Office, will speak about the new wealth tax proposal. Someone from the Tax Department and Fair Share for Vermont will also speak.
Vermont’s wealth tax has made national headlines including MRCTV called it the “Nation’s 1st Tax on Theoretical Money.” Their article says the bill “would impose a marginal tax ‘surcharge’ of three percent of annual federal adjusted gross income above $500,000. If passed, the tax would be retroactive, meaning that it would apply to income earned in the current year, 2024, as well as in all future years.”
Universal Afterschool? The Vermont State Youth Council will talk to lawmakers, the specific speaker has yet to be determined. On a flier advertising for new members to join the council, there is a picture at the top with its priorities stated, they are “Mental Health, Student Debt, Equity, Climate Change, and Universal Afterschool.”
Online-only public meetings? – S. 55 (Wednesday, Senate Committee on Government Operations) sponsored by Sen. Alison Clarkson of Woodstock and others would “amend the Open Meeting Law to authorize public bodies to meet through electronic means without designating a physical meeting location.”
Not allowing for a physical location for a public meeting has been a concern amid committee testimonies already this year. Lisa Loomis, president of the Vermont Press Association, has expressed such concerns.
Constitutional Amendment to include gender identity – Prop 4 (Tuesday, Senate Committee on Judiciary) sponsored by Sen. Lyons and others would amend the state constitution to say that the State shall not deny equal treatment and respect under the law on account of a person’s race, ethnicity, sex, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin. The word ‘religion’ was included in the list of protected statuses in the original 2019 bill but has since been omitted.
Increased penalties for repeat drug dealers – S. 58 (Friday, Senate Committee on Judiciary) sponsored by Sen. Richard Sears (D-Bennington) would aim to increase penalties for repeat offenders convicted of dealing with certain hard drugs. It states the bill is “to amend the definition of knowingly for purposes of liability in drug offenses; increase penalties for second and subsequent offenses for trafficking,” and more.
Interrogation policies – S. 285 (Friday, Senate Committee on Judiciary) sponsored by Sears would limit police interrogation practices on persons under 20 years old. It “proposes to prohibit the use of threats, physical harm, or deception in the tactics employed by a law enforcement officer or government agent during the custodial interrogation of a person under 20 years of age.”
Reining in prescription drug costs? S. 98 (Friday, Senate Committee on Health and Welfare) sponsored by Sen. Kesha Ram Hinsdale and others would create some controls on drug prices. It would allow “the Green Mountain Care Board to evaluate the costs of certain high-cost prescription drugs and recommend methods for addressing those costs, including setting limits on what Vermonters would be expected to pay for some high-cost drugs.”
Office of New Americans? – S. 194 (Wednesday, Senate Committee on Government Operations) sponsored by Sen. Martine Gulick of Burlington and others would create a new and independent “Office of New Americans.” It’s not clear what this office would do. It states, “This bill proposes to require the Agency of Human Services, the Department of Labor, and the Office of Racial Equity to submit recommendations on the utility and structure of a to-be-created independent Office of New Americans.”