Senate Committee on Economic Development, Housing and General Affairs

 

AGENDA

 

Room 27 and Zoom

February 28, 2023 - March 3, 2023

Last Updated 3/17/2023 11:37 AM

 

Unless otherwise noted, all meetings are livestreamed at https://legislature.vermont.gov/committee/streaming/senate-economic-development-housing-and-general-affairs.

Tuesday, February 28, 2023

9:30 AM                   Senate Floor

 

15 Minutes After the Floor                   Committee Discussion

DOL Minimum Wage

Michael Harrington, Commissioner, Department of Labor

Mat Barewicz, Economic & Labor Market Information Director, Department of Labor

Cameron Wood, Policy and Legislative Affairs Director, Department of Labor

 

10:50 AM                   Unemployment Insurance

Kellli Kazmarski, Staff Attorney, Vermont Legal Aid

 

11:00 AM                   S. 19 - An act relating to eliminating prohibitions and penalties on the purchase, use, and possession of tobacco products

Wendy Knight, Commissioner, Department of Liquor and Lottery

 

11:30 AM                   S. 73 - An act relating to workers’ compensation coverage for firefighters with cancer

Christopher Dube, President, Professional Fire Fighters of Vermont

Damien Leonard, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

 

Wednesday, March 1, 2023

9:00 AM                   S. 103 - An act relating to amending the prohibitions against discrimination

Bor Yang, Executive Director & Counsel, Vermont Human Rights Commission

 

9:30 AM                   S. 19 - An act relating to eliminating prohibitions and penalties on the purchase, use, and possession of tobacco products

L.E. Faricy, M.D., Pediatric Pulmonologist, Vermont Medical Society, American Academy of Pediatrics Vermont

Tina Zuk, Government Relations Director, American Heart Association

 

10:10 AM                   Committee Discussion

Minimum Wage

Joyce Manchester, Senior Economist, Joint Fiscal Office

 

10:35 AM                   Break

 

10:45 AM                   S. 135 - An act relating to the establishment of VT Saves

Committee Discussion

Michael Pieciak, Vermont State Treasurer, Office of the State Treasurer

Gavin Boyles, Deputy Treasurer, Office of the State Treasurer

Ashlynn Doyon, Director of Policy, Office of the State Treasurer

 

11:30 AM                   S. 102 - An act relating to expanding employment protections and collective bargaining rights

Dan Fingas, Vermont Movement Politics Director, Rights and Democracy Vermont

 

-                                   S. 108 - An act relating to increasing the minimum wage and studying increasing the wages of inmates and workers who are not subject to the minimum wage

Dan Fingas, Vermont Movement Politics Director, Rights and Democracy Vermont

 

-                                   Adjourn

 

Thursday, March 2, 2023

9:00 AM                   S. 102 - An act relating to expanding employment protections and collective bargaining rights

Renee Neid, Grocery Clerk, Springfield Coop (UFCW 1459)

Spencer Reed, Director of Partnerships, RENEW New England

Brandon Lawson, Co-President of Community Health United, AFT 5222

Craig Mowery, Local Union Secretary, IATSE 919

Josh Wronski, Executive Director, Vermont Progressive Party

Elizabeth Medina, Executive Director, Vermont Labor Council, AFL-CIO

Michael Gaffney, Retail Worker

Teagan Comeau, Paraprofessional, Harwood Unified Education Association

Drew Weisse, Organizing Director, UFCW 1459

Robert Anonymous, Impacted Citizen

 

10:30 AM                   Break

 

10:50 AM                   S. 101 - An act relating to miscellaneous workers’ compensation amendments

 

-                                   S. 102 - An act relating to expanding employment protections and collective bargaining rights

Heather Riemer, Director, American Federation of Teachers VT

Kelly Massicotte, Attorney, Biggam Fox Skinner

David Mickenberg, Lobbyist, Working Vermont

 

11:45 AM                   S. 102 - An act relating to expanding employment protections and collective bargaining rights

Austin Davis, Government Affairs Manager, Lake Champlain Regional Chamber of Commerce

 

-                                   S. 103 - An act relating to amending the prohibitions against discrimination

Austin Davis, Government Affairs Manager, Lake Champlain Regional Chamber of Commerce

 

Friday, March 3, 2023

9:00 AM                   Committee Discussion

Labor Bills

Michael Harrington, Commissioner, Department of Labor

Mat Barewicz, Economic & Labor Market Information Director, Department of Labor

Robert Depper, General Counsel, Department of Labor

 

10:30 AM                   S. 73 - An act relating to workers’ compensation coverage for firefighters with cancer

Committee Discussion

Felisha Leffler, Director of Grassroots Operations, Americans for Prosperity – Virginia

Dean Gilmore, Chairman, Vermont State Firefighters' Association

Annajo Smith, Captain, New Haven Fire Department

Christopher Dube, President, Professional Fire Fighters of Vermont

 

11:00 AM                   S. 49 - An act relating to protecting genetic information privacy and consumer health information

Committee Discussion

Ritchie Englehardt, Senior Director, Head of Government Affairs, Ancestry.com

 

11:20 AM                   J.R.S. 17 - Joint resolution urging U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to comply with the expedited asylum hearing provisions of the Afghan Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2022

Committee Discussion

Amir Samar, Impacted Citizen

Nathan Virag, Impacted Citizen

 

11:30 AM                   Senate Floor

 

After the Floor                     J.R.S. 17 - Joint resolution urging U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to comply with the expedited asylum hearing provisions of the Afghan Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2022

Committee Discussion and Vote

 

-                                   S. 49 - An act relating to protecting genetic information privacy and consumer health information

Committee Discussion and Possible Vote

Charity Clark, Attorney General, Attorney General's Office

Ritchie Englehardt, Senior Director, Head of Government Affairs, Ancestry.com

David Hall, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

 

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

 Scott Moore at smoore@leg.state.vt.us