The March
17, 2017* issue of the VLCT Weekly Legislative Report is alive and in
pretty good health at http://www.vlct.org/assets/Advocacy/Legislative_Reports/2017-11-wlr-web.pdf.
You can read other issues from the current legislative session here. If you can’t link to the VLCT
website directly from this email, try copying and pasting the link into your
web browser.
In
this issue:
To Crossover and Beyond. This is Crossover Week, which
means that all House and Senate bills without funding attached to them must be
reported out of the last committee of reference by today. [Read more.]
Renewable Energy Siting
and Planning. Thus
far in the 2017 legislative session, 11 House bills and nine Senate bills have
been introduced that would amend the laws that concern renewable energy siting,
authority of the Public Service Board (PSB), municipalities and Act 250, and
PSB processes. Just one of them has been taken up. [Read more.]
Law Enforcement
Professional Conduct.
This week, the House Government Operations Committee voted out H.22, a bill
that updates the professional regulation of all law enforcement officers in the
state. H.22 contains most of the recommendations that law enforcement officials
agreed to in a study committee that met last summer and fall. [Read more.]
Voter-Approved Clerk or
Treasurer Appointment; Municipal Audit Penalties. On Wednesday, the House voted out
H.42, bill that would allow voters to authorize selectboards to appoint town
clerks and treasurers, and impose civil penalties on any municipal official who
willfully refuses or neglects to submit certain financial documents to a
selectboard upon its request. [Read more.]
Fees at Tax Sale. This week, the House Government
Operations and Ways and Means committees voted out S.13, a bill that would
allow municipalities to recover the cost of remediating an abandoned property
up for tax sale. [Read more.]
Welcome, New Local
Officials.
Congratulations on your election to municipal office! And thank you for your
willingness to serve. What you do matters. It really does keep democracy alive
in Vermont. [Read more.]
Plus Advocacy staff testimony at the State
House and 13 new bills that municipal officials
may find interesting.
