Republican Gov. Phil Scott, once again, has broken ranks with his colleagues, this time over President-elect Donald Trump’s immigration policies.
This week, 26 of 27 members of the Republican Governors Association issued a joint statement.
“As Republican governors, we stand united in support of President Donald Trump’s unwavering commitment to make America safe again by addressing the illegal immigration crisis and deporting illegal immigrants who pose a threat to our communities and national security,” it states. “When the Biden Administration refused to secure our borders and uphold the rule of law, it was Republican governors who took action. We mobilized state resources, including law enforcement and National Guard units, to protect Americans from disastrous open border policies and prevent illegal immigration from overwhelming our country.”
It goes on to state that signatories remain “fully committed” to supporting the Trump administration’s efforts “to deport dangerous criminals, gang members, and terrorists who are in this country illegally. We understand the direct threat these criminal illegal immigrants pose to public safety and our national security, and we will do everything in our power to assist in removing them from our communities. … The time for action is now. Together, we will make America safe again.”
The signatories included governors from South Carolina, Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Ohio, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia and Wyoming.
Promising jobs
This week, Scott, along with the Vermont Department of Labor and the McClure Foundation, released a list of “Vermont’s Most Promising Jobs,” featuring more than 50 occupations expected to pay a median wage above $30 per hour and have at least 300 openings during the next decade.
“We have tens of thousands of jobs available in Vermont,” said the governor in a statement. “It’s more important than ever we make sure our kids, and adults looking for new careers, know about all the good paying, in demand opportunities here in the state.”
The featured jobs range from teachers to telecommunications and electrical line installers, from carpenters to computer support specialists, from registered nurses to real estate brokers, and from police officers to project management specialists.
The Department of Labor and the McClure Foundation, an affiliate of the Vermont Community Foundation, have partnered since 2014 to produce the Vermont’s Most Promising Jobs brochure as a career exploration resource for students and jobseekers across Vermont and for those interested in moving to the state.
“Vermont’s workforce is the backbone of our state’s economy, and ensuring Vermonters have access to resources like the Vermont’s Most Promising Jobs brochure is essential in connecting them with opportunities to develop meaningful, high-pay career paths,” said Labor Commissioner Michael Harrington. Every two years, the McClure Foundation facilitates distribution of the Vermont’s Most Promising Jobs print brochure to area schools, organizations and by request to individuals. Alongside the brochure, the Foundation offers easy-access mini-grants to schools, libraries and community organizations using this information with jobseekers and young people.
“This resource serves as a simple, hopeful conversation starter for Vermont youth and job seekers to explore career pathways that work best for them,” said McClure Foundation Executive Director Carolyn Weir. “We are thrilled to partner once again with the Department of Labor to help Vermonters explore careers that fit their interests, values and lifestyle.”
To learn more about Vermont’s Most Promising Jobs, request free copies of the brochure, and view translations of the jobs list, visit mcclurevt.org/jobs. To learn more about these careers and access jobseeker resources, visit labor.vermont.gov and connect with a career specialist.
Voting ‘no’
U.S. Rep. Becca Balint this week voted against the defense spending bill.
“We cannot bankroll a nearly $1 trillion military budget, while we continue to underfund our schools, housing, and essential programs American families depend on. This exorbitant level of spending doesn’t serve to improve the lives of regular Americans, but rather line the pockets of the wealthy defense industry. The Pentagon has never passed an audit,” she said in a statement. “I will always support service members receiving the care they deserve, which this bill restricts. Republicans have decided to politicize this important funding responsibility with yet another attack on military families with trans children. While Democrats support age appropriate, medically recommended health care for everyone, Republicans have singled out these military families and stripped them of life-saving care. It’s about stoking fear and promoting misinformation.”
Reauthorized
U.S. Sens. Bernie Sanders and Bill Cassidy, a Louisiana Republican, responded to the unanimous vote in the U.S. Senate to pass the Older Americans Act.
The legislation will renew funding and strengthen services for older Americans. The bill’s reauthorization effort was bipartisan, led by Sens. Bob Casey, of Pennsylvania; Susan Collins, of Maine; Tim Kaine, of Virginia; Markwayne Mullin, of Oklahoma; and Ed Markey of Massachusetts.
“We are very proud that the Senate came together — Democrats, Republicans, and Independents — to expand and strengthen the Older Americans Act over the next five years,” said Sanders and Cassidy in a statement. “This legislation begins to address the urgent, unmet needs of millions of seniors in America, and what we must do as a society to reduce senior hunger and improve the health and wellbeing of some of the most vulnerable people in our country. Not only does the Older Americans Act save lives and ease human suffering, it saves money by keeping seniors out of the hospital. We are actively working with our colleagues in the House to get this critical legislation signed into law this year.”
The legislation would reauthorize OAA funding from $2.3 billion this year to $2.76 billion in Fiscal Year 2025 — a 20% increase compared to last year. The OAA reauthorization also makes improvements to the law to better support family caregivers and direct care workers; and takes steps to better serve Tribal seniors, older workers and those with disabilities.
First signed into law in 1965, the OAA has provided vital nutrition, social, economic and health services to millions of vulnerable seniors for nearly six decades. The OAA was last reauthorized in 2020.
Climate action
On Thursday, U.S. Sen. Peter Welch introduced the Natural Disaster Education and Outreach Act and the State Climate Assessment Act, bills that would improve state-level climate research and public education campaigns to boost local resilience, recovery and response to climate-driven extreme weather events.
The legislation will help communities better understand and identify the risks posed by extreme weather and provide state and local officials, small business owners, farmers and homeowners with crucial information to adapt and respond to ongoing disasters.
Both bills build upon Welch’s legislation to develop an index-based insurance policy that is more responsive to crop and income losses faced by farmers as the result of extreme weather — the Withstanding Extreme Agricultural Threats by Harvesting Economic Resilience (WEATHER) Act.
Infrastructure funding
U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that USDA is investing $6.3 billion in rural and Tribal communities across 44 states to expand access to a clean and reliable electric grid, provide safe drinking water and create good-paying jobs.
Vermont and New Hampshire projects received $17.9 million. The Washington Electric Co-Op, which serves roughly 12,000 customers in north-central Vermont, secured an $11,195,000 EIL to connect 341 new consumers. Twenty-six of the 1,300-miles of line will be built out or improved, and the loan includes $1,279,600 in smart grid technologies. WEC is headquartered in East Montpelier.
More than 200 projects are being financed to strengthen the nation’s infrastructure in rural places, growing the American economy from the middle out and bottom up.
USDA is providing $5.7 billion in funding through the Electric Infrastructure Loan and Loan Guarantee Program to help utility providers and electric cooperatives build and improve electric infrastructure and smart-grid technologies in 23 states. These projects will help ensure everyone in rural America has access to reliable electricity to increase economic opportunity and improve quality of life. Visit www.usda.gov to learn more.
Democratic caucus
The Vermont House Democratic Caucus met to elect its leadership team for the upcoming legislative biennium.
The caucus nominated Rep. Jill Krowinski, of Burlington, the incumbent speaker of the House, to continue her role. The final vote for the position will be held the first day of the legislative session by the secretary of State. Krowinski has served as speaker for four years. Also nominated was Rep. Laura Sibilia, an independent from Dover. By secret ballot, the caucus voted 60-18 not to allow the nomination of non-Democrats as their caucus’s nominee for this leadership role.
“We are at a critical juncture in our state’s history,” said Speaker Jill Krowinski. “This legislative session will define the future of our communities and our state. Let’s be honest, this work will not be easy. But I know we will all rise to the occasion. I know there’s a shared desire among us to improve and adapt, and I’m taking in all of our conversations to inform my leadership approach this session.”
Rep. Lori Houghton was elected as the majority leader. Rep. Karen Dolan was nominated and elected as the assistant majority leader. The caucus also nominated and elected Reps. Mary-Katherine Stone and Heather Surprenant to lead House communications; Leslie Goldman to serve as the Leadership Development Assistant; and John Bartholomew to represent the House Democrats on the Rules Committee.
In a statement, Sibilia noted, “The effort to nominate me from members of the Democratic Caucus illustrates that there is a desire for change and collaboration to better serve Vermonters. The growing support I am receiving reflects a desire for a new approach, and I am optimistic about my prospects in January. It’s clear that both Rep. Krowinski and I will need to seek the votes of every member of the House, regardless of party affiliation.”
Federal building
Following news that the Government Services Agency has decided to dispose of the federal building at 87 State St. in Montpelier (the federal building and former post office that was damaged in the July 2023 flooding), Vermont’s congressional delegation had some thoughts.
U.S. Rep. Becca Balint stated: “Vermont’s capital city, Montpelier, has been home to a federal building for decades. Generations of Vermonters have served their state and nation as civil servants in this building. I’m disappointed and concerned to learn that GSA will sell or transfer the building and property. This decision is especially distressing following the devastation of the 2023 flooding of the city. Now is a critical time for the federal government to be investing in our nation’s small cities and towns.”
U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders said: “This decision to shutter the federal building in Montpelier is nothing short of outrageous,” said Sanders. “Instead of quickly fixing this critical community institution, GSA is abandoning Vermonters who still require access to the services that this building provided. … GSA must use its authority to move as quickly as possible to convey the property at no cost for the public benefit and the U.S. Postal Service must commit to reopening a permanent, full-service facility in Montpelier’s walkable downtown. We will do everything we can to ensure the federal government does not abandon Montpelier, even as it abandons this building. Together, we can turn this news into something positive for our capital city and our state.”
Free press
U.S. Sens. Welch and Sanders recently joined 10 Senate colleagues in renewing calls to the Biden administration to urge the governments of Israel and Egypt to protect press freedom and allow journalists into Gaza to cover the ongoing war.
In their letter to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the senators underscored the dangerous conditions for reporters, the importance of safe access into Gaza for journalists, and the need for accurate and independent reporting from inside the war zone. They also raise concerns about violence against journalists in Lebanon and the West Bank.
“Since October 7, 2023, over 130 journalists have been killed, the vast majority of whom were Palestinians killed in Gaza. The lack of safe working conditions for journalists in Gaza makes it almost impossible to have an accurate understanding of the humanitarian devastation taking place in the territory,” wrote the senators. “The United States must make clear to Israel that targeting media organizations and members of the press is unacceptable. It is also important that the United States support U.N. efforts calling for accountability and protection of journalists in Gaza and the West Bank. The absence of U.S. government support for accountability efforts by the U.N. and press freedom defenders only undermines U.S. leadership. Promoting press freedom globally, protecting journalist safety, and advancing international laws and norms are essential to sustaining a rules-based international order.”
Appointments
The governor this week made several appointments within his administration and on his senior policy team.
Sean Brown has been named deputy secretary of the Agency of Administration.
Nicholas Kramer has been named chief operating officer for the Agency of Administration.
Rebecca Kelley has been named chief communications officer for the Agency of Administration.
Emily Kisicki has been named deputy commissioner of Department of Buildings and General Services.
Kendal Smith has been named deputy commissioner of Department of Labor.
Sabina Haskell has been named executive director of the State Workforce Development Board.
Jason Maulucci has been named director of policy development and legislative affairs for the Office of the Governor.
Dustin Degree has been named director of communications for Office of the Governor.
Brown, Kramer and Kisicki assume their new roles Dec. 15. The other appointments will be effective Jan. 6.
DAGA elects Clark
Attorney General Charity Clark has joined the executive committee of the Democratic Attorneys General Association.
The executive committee is the governing board of DAGA. Clark was elected by her peers at DAGA’s annual meeting in November. She joins the attorneys general of California, Delaware, Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota and Nevada in serving on DAGA’s executive committee.
“At this critical moment in American history, I am proud to join the leadership team ensuring the strength of Democratic AGs,” said Clark in a statement. “We know in the coming months we will be on the front lines of protecting America’s rights and freedoms.”
Clark, the 28th attorney general of Vermont, was first elected in 2022 and reelected last month.
Compiled by the staffs of The Times Argus and Rutland Herald.
