MONTPELIER – With the new that lobbyist spending was down significantly in the state during 2019, the Vermont legislature is hoping to introduce more radical pieces of legislation this year in the hopes of bringing in more lobby money. Last year, despite debating bills on such hot-button topics as abortion and gun control, spending on lobbyists was almost half of what it was previous years.
“The lobbyists aren’t just faceless corporate minions,” says Senator John Rogers (D-Essex-Orleans), “they’re our friends. They have lunch with us. They talk to us about their feelings. We miss them. And this is an easy fix that won’t cost the state a dime.” Sen. Rogers recently introduced legislation that would ban cell phones for any Vermont resident under the age of 21.
Other legislation being proposed is a bill that would restrict Netflix accounts to 2 hours of streaming per day, a bill that would require anyone with an Apple product to carry explosion insurance, and an extra $5/gallon tax on gasoline.
“Look, I’m not saying that we’re going to pass any of these laws,” Sen. Rogers said, “but I’m just saying, why not send someone out to convince us that they’re bad ideas. Spend a little money in our state. It’s hard enough to get people to live here as it is; we don’t need the lobbyists leaving too.”
The Vermont state legislature will be in session this year until May 8th.
Image Credits: VTDigger.
Leave a Reply