Senate Committee on Government Operations

 

AGENDA

Via Zoom 

 

January 25, 2022 - January 28, 2022

Last Updated 1/28/2022 8:08 AM

 

Unless otherwise noted, all meetings are livestreamed at https://legislature.vermont.gov/committee/streaming/senate-government-operations.

 

Tuesday, January 25, 2022

9:30 AM                   Senate Floor

 

1:30 PM                   Department of Corrections

Committee discussion on staffing issues

Nicholas Deml, Commissioner, Department of Corrections

Al Cormier, Chief of Operations, Department of Corrections

Rachel Feldman, Principal Assistant and Public Information Officer, Office of the Commissioner, Department of Corrections

Steve Howard, Executive Director, Vermont State Employees Association

 

3:00 PM                   S. 173 - An act relating to the State House Oversight Committee

Committee discussion

David Schutz, State Curator, Department of Buildings and General Services

Janet Miller, Sergeant-At-Arms

Jennifer Fitch, Commissioner, Department of Buildings and General Services

 

4:00 PM                   Chairs' Meeting

 

Wednesday, January 26, 2022

1:00 PM                   Senate Floor

 

1:30 PM                   S. 181 - An act relating to authorizing miscellaneous regulatory authority for municipal governments

Committee discussion

Tucker Anderson, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

Gwynn Zakov, Municipal Policy Advocate, Vermont League of Cities and Towns

Karen Horn, Director, Public Policy & Advocacy, Vermont League of Cities and Towns

 

2:45 PM                   15 Minute Break

 

3:00 PM                   S. 171 - An act relating to adoption of a State code of ethics

Committee discussion

Amerin Aborjaily, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

Christina Sivret, Executive Director, Vermont State Ethics Commission

Ben Kinsley, Board Member, Campaign for Vermont

Pat McDonald, Berlin, VT, Vote for Vermont

Thomas K. Jones, Ethics Enforcement Officers, Office of State Ethics, Connecticut

 

Thursday, January 27, 2022

1:00 PM                   Senate Floor

 

1:30 PM                   S. 158 - An act relating to optometrists’ scope of practice

Amerin Aborjaily, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

Dean Barcelow, O.D., President, Vermont Optometric Association

Dr. Richard Castillo, - Assistant Dean for Surgical Training & Education, College of Optometry; Northeastern State University, Oklahoma

Luben Ikonomov, Student, New England College of Optometry

Dorothy Hitchmoth, Education: VA, Board of Directors

Lisa Fennell, American Board of Optometry & Council on Optometric Practitioners Education (COPE)

M.D. Brian Kim, M.D., Chief, Ophthalmology, Larner College of Medicine at the University of Vermont

Amy Gregory, M.D., Ophthalmologist

Lauren Hibbert, Director, Office of Professional Regulation, Secretary of State's Office

 

Friday, January 28, 2022

11:30 AM                   Senate Floor

 

1:00 PM                   S. 155 - An act relating to the creation of the Agency of Public Safety

Committee discussion

Xusana Davis, Executive Director of Racial Equity and Chair of the Governor's Task Force on Racial Equality, Agency of Administration

Dr. Etan Nasreddin-Longo, Chair of RDAP and Co-director of Fair and Impartial Policing and Community Affairs, Putney

Wilda White, DPS Policy and Training Consultant, MadFreedom

 

2:15 PM                   S. 175 - An act relating to confidential information concerning the initial arrest and charge of a child

Committee discussion

Tucker Anderson, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

Michael Donoghue, Vice President, Vermont Press Association

Lisa Loomis, President, Vermont Press Association and editor/co-owner, Valley Reporter

Marshall Pahl, Appellate and Juvenile Defender, Defender General's Office

Charity Clark, Chief of Staff, Attorney General's Office

Jaye Johnson, General Counsel, Governor's Office

 

3:15 PM                   S. 174 - An act relating to publication of State, county, and municipal notices on electronic news media

Committee discussion

Anne Galloway, Executive Director, Vermont Digger

Jordan Brechenser, President and Publisher, Vermont News and Media

Chris Winters, Deputy Secretary, Secretary of State's Office

Gwynn Zakov, Municipal Policy Advocate, Vermont League of Cities and Towns

Tucker Anderson, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

Michael Donoghue, Executive  Director, Vermont Press Association

 

ATTENTION WITNESSES

 

Please email handouts to the committee assistant at least 24 hours before your scheduled meeting time. With few exceptions, any documents you send to a committee assistant, are open to the public and may be posted to the committee’s web page.

 

If you have any questions or comments, please contact

 Gail Carrigan at gcarrigan@leg.state.vt.us