The 2017-2018 legislative session is underway. In an unusual
move newly elected Speaker Mitzi Johnson announced house committee assignments
today in what was in years past mostly a day of ceremony and formalities. Perhaps
this early start previews an early adjournment. I am reminded that during his
campaign governor elect Scott called for a three month session. That’s no doubt
out of reach but an early start to committee work could shorten the usual mid
May adjournment.
The two committees of jurisdiction of most import to the VBA
are Judiciary and Appropriations, as the latter controls budgeting for the
judicial branch and for Vermont Legal Aid, two entities the VBA has
traditionally worked to support.
Here is the membership of both:
JUDICIARY
Rep. Maxine Grad,
Chair
Rep. Charles Conquest,
Vice Chair
Rep. Thomas Burditt,
Ranking Member
Rep. Selene Colburn
Rep. Eileen Dickinson
Rep. Kimberly Jessup
Rep. Martin LaLonde
Rep. Ruqaiyah Morris
Rep. Barbara
Rachelson
Rep. Gary Viens
Rep. Janssen Willhoit
APPROPRIATIONS
Rep. Catherine Toll,
Chair
Rep. Peter J. Fagan,
Vice Chair
Rep. Kathleen C.
Keenan, Ranking Member
Rep. Maureen Dakin
Rep. Martha Feltus
Rep. Robert Helm
Rep. Mary S. Hooper
Rep. Bernard
Juskiewicz
Rep. Diane Lanpher
Rep. Matthew Trieber
Rep. David Yacovone
This is also the first time that a VBA
Board member, retired Superior Judge Ben Joseph, is a member of the House. He
will serve on the Education Committee. There are a number of lawyers in the
general assembly. Here’s a list which I hope is complete:
In the House Ben Joseph, Carol Ode, Sue Buckholz, Janssen
Willhoit, Maxine
Grad, Martin LaLonde, Sandy Haas, Janet Ancel and, in the Senate Peg
Flory, Joe Benning, and Michael Sirotkin.
I’ll try my best to keep up with daily (well almost daily) reporting
to you as the session moves forward. For a complete list of committee
assignments follow this link:
http://legislature.vermont.gov and
click on Committees.
Thanks for reading.
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