As I write this the weekend before Town
Meeting, I’m looking forward to one of the great New England
traditions where voters can get together in an exercise of direct
democracy to make decisions affecting their local government. It
gives me a chance to talk to constituents and find out what’s on
their minds and get some idea of whether I am doing my job properly
in Montpelier.
Last week saw passage of several bills
as well as a resolution on fossil fuel divestment in the Vermont
House. The resolution, HR.13, calls on the State Treasurer working
with the Vermont Pension Investment Committee (VPIC) to eliminate
coal and ExxonMobil stockholdings from Vermont’s pension funds.
The rationale for the measure included recognition that: climate
change due to human consumption of fossil fuels is real and has
significant negative consequences for our environment; given the
recent bankruptcy of America’s largest coal company and efforts
around the globe to curtail use of coal, investments in fossil fuels
pose a threat to Vermont’s pension funds; and ExxonMobil
specifically has been documented to have misled the public and its
investors and funded climate change denial despite having evidence to
the contrary from its own scientists. While it encourages
divestment, it also recognizes that the pensions belong to the
employees whose money is invested and that they, through the VPIC,
have the ultimate responsibility to divest while taking care to
invest wisely. The resolution passed on a vote of 76 to 57.
On the same day that the resolution was
voted on, a bill that changes the “motor-voter” law, that is, the
ability to register to vote when applying for a driver’s license,
was passed. Today the applicant must choose to register on the form.
This bill, H.458, now provides that the default is to submit a voter
registration application unless the applicant chooses otherwise. Of
course, the applicant must fulfill the requirements of U.S.
citizenship, be a resident of Vermont, have taken or
self-administered the Voter’s Oath, and attest to the veracity of
this information on the form. While many other states continue to
restrict voting privileges by erecting roadblocks to registration,
Vermont continues to embrace the right of every citizen to vote and
encourage them to do so. This bill passed on a voice vote.
Another important
bill that passed was H.749, which allows a friend to file a relief
from abuse request for a minor or for a person who lacks capacity to
protect his or her interests due to psychiatric, intellectual, or
developmental disability. It also allows a minor who is at least 16
years old to file a request on their own behalf if they are currently
or were previously engaged in a sexual or dating relationship with
the defendant. This provides a measure of protection for young people
and vulnerable adults who are in a recognizably abusive relationship
and may be reluctant to file the request themselves. This bill also
passed on a voice vote. H.749 as well as H.458 will now be
considered by the Senate.
I welcome your thoughts and can be
reached by phone (802-233-5238) or by email
(myantachka.dfa@gmail.com).
