News from Montpelier 2019 week 15

The Transportation committee offered the second reading of S. 149, an act relating to miscellaneous changes to laws related to vehicles and the Department of Motor Vehicles on Friday to the House. An amendment from the committee was offered and accepted to mirror the point assessments for a junior operator found violating the handheld device ban in school and work zones that were put into law for operator’s over 18 in prior session. Representatives from Rochester and Pittsford offered an amendment to proscribe the type and use of GPS by trucks and to have that requirement be enforced as a secondary offense when the operator is stopped for a violation of restriction for trucks such as access or weight limits. The amendment was withdrawn before the floor vote, but the committee did discuss it and voted not to support the intent as framed but intends future discussion to try and find a means for municipalities to enforce the use limits that protect infrastructure.
Other floor action this week included the votes on tobacco21 and its amendments. Tuesday S. 86, an act relating to increasing the legal age for buying and using cigarettes, electronic cigarettes, and other tobacco products from 18 to 21 years of age was reported with a committee amendment to set the effective date at September 1, 2019 rather than the proposed July 1, 2019. The Roll Call vote supported the bill being read for a third time with 124 votes for and 14 against. Prior to the third read two amendments were offered for consideration. The first would allow for an exemption when “the person is in possession of tobacco products or tobacco paraphernalia in connection with participation in a bona fide religious, spiritual, or ceremonial activity”. The presenter withdrew the amendment after speaking to it with the hope that consideration would be given to the idea that it be seen as similar to the exclusion for sacramental wine from the under 21 alcohol prohibition. The second amendment would provide an Armed Forces exemption from the under 21 age restriction and was defeated on a Roll Call of 33 to 109 after consideration which included the reading of excerpts from a letter written by the Adjutant General which spoke to the need to support the health of service members.
On Thursday the Committee listened to testimony from the current and past operators of the Franklin County State airport. Between them, Cliff and George Coy have been the fixed-base operators of the airport since 1996 and were in the State House to testify before the House Committee on Commerce and Economic Development. They presented information and a short video to the Transportation committee giving evidence of the value the State airports have had in past economic growth and specifically to Franklin County.
Please continue to contact me at bmurphy@leg.state.vt.us or 802-849-6545 or through the Sergeant at Arms office (802) 828-2228. (802()) (802