Rock star at the Statehouse

If you saw a man making muscle poses around the Statehouse Tuesday, don't worry: It was only Jon "Bowzer" Bauman, formerly of the doo wop revival group Sha Na Na.

Being from a younger generation, I admit I had to Google Bowzer before I knew who he was (unfortunately I did that AFTER Sen. John Campbell introduced us outside of the Vermont House chambers this morning).

But I've since learned that Sha Na Na performed at Woodstock and wrote lots of songs for the "Grease" film soundtrack. Bowzer also hosted Hollywood Squares for a year or so in the 1980s. Not bad, huh?

Anyway, he certainly was treated like a rock star at the Statehouse, where he was testifying on a bill that would protect older music acts from fraudulent groups that steal their names and songs. Right after his testimony, the Senate Judiciary Committee passed the bill 5-0.

And then came the photos. Bowzer posed with senators, he posed with legislative staff and he even posed with Bob Stannard, a Vermont blues player and lobbyist at the Statehouse (that's the two of them above).

It may have been the most fun I've had in a committee meeting, well, ever.

-Dan Barlow

Senate overrides campaign finance reform veto

Within 20 minutes of convening Wednesday morning, Vermont Senators had easily overcome Gov. James Douglas' veto of the new campaign finance reform and set the stage for the larger battle in that small body - the controversial energy bill, H.520.

Senate President Pro Tem Peter Shumlin, D-Putney, said Vermonters are worried that the influx of money flooding into congressional and U.S. Senate races will trickle down to the state races.

"My political hero, George Aiken, spent, I believe, in his last U.S. Senate campaign, $13.28," Shumlin said. "Last year we saw the two major campaigns in the U.S. Senate race spend a combined $12 million."

Sen. George Coppenrath, R-Caledonia, a member of the Senate Government Operations Committee who has consistently voted against the measure, announced Wednesday that he would float an alternative proposal when the Legislature comes back for the second half of the session in early 2008.

Coppenrath said the bill being debated is unnecessary because Vermont does not have a problem with money influencing elections. He added that setting contribution limits was an assault on free speech.

"The only reasonable control is more reporting of contributions," he said. "Then let the press do its job and report those facts to the public."

But Sen. Jeannette White, D-Windham, the chair of the Government Operations Committee, said Coppenrath missed about one week of testimony earlier this year that would have addressed all of his concerns.

"We did hear that there is a problem in Vermont," White said.

The bill next goes to the Vermont House - which is now embroiled in the beginning stages of the massive debate surrounding the energy bill - where its fate is less than certain than it was in the Senate.

-Dan Barlow 

IRV given new life

The Vermont Senate gave an Instant Run-off Voting bill final approval Thursday in a 16-12 vote.

The bill - the product of Windham County Sen. Jeanette White's Senate Government Operations Committee - will now be sent to the Vermont House, where Rep. Donna Sweaney, D-Windsor, the chair of that chamber's government operations committee, is expected to push hard for its swift approval.

Supporters of the bill - which calls for IRV to be used in U.S. Senate and U.S. House races starting in 2008 - say it needs to pass in this legislative session, which is scheduled to end early next month, for it to take effect. Otherwise, the earliest election it could be implemented for would be 2010.

Expect Sweaney's committee to officially get the bill next week.

-Dan Barlow

Shumlin: Bring impeachment to the U.S. Congress

   Senate President Pro Tem Peter Shumlin, D-Windham, who reversed himself last week and ushered an impeachment resolution through that legislative body, apologized to supporters Wednesday for not acting sooner on the issue.

 

   Standing at Symington’s podium in the House, Shumlin told the supporters to spend the next hour before the vote to speak to their local lawmakers about the issue. If the vote fails today, he told them to apply that pressure to the state’s congressional delegation.

 

    “I know of no better way to get to the bottom of who said what when and who lied when than to put George Bush and Dick Cheney under oath and simply ask them,” Shumlin said. “That’s what impeachment hearings would accomplish.”

-Dan Barlow

Senate gives IRV preliminary OK

The Vermont House isn't the only body considering big issues today.

Senators passed a bill calling for Instant Run-off Voting to to be used in U.S. Congress and Senate races starting in 2008 Wednesday morning. The effort barely got the support it needed - it passed 15-13, with several Democrats joining the Republicans in opposition.

The final vote on the bill is scheduled for Thursday and even strong supporters in the Senate warned that they were not sure of its final fate. Plus, the bill would still need to pass the Vermont House, which likely would not happen until the next session in January 2008.

-Dan Barlow

IRV bill passes Senate committee

Sen. Jeanette White's Government Operations Committee passed the IRV bill this morning in a 3-2 vote, a decision that fell on party lines.

"This was the vote we expected," said the Windham County senator. "The members who voted against it did so because they disagreed with the concept, not the details."

The bill - which calls for instant run-off voting to be used in the U.S. House and U.S. Senate races starting next year - now heads to the full Senate, which is expected to debate the issue Friday.

It's fate is not clear yet, despite that Secretary of State Deb Markowitz has said her office could implement the bill as written.

-Dan Barlow

Approval of Instant Run-off Voting not so instant

The Senate Government Operations Committee was set to narrowly approve implementing a IRV system in Vermont, starting with the U.S. House race in 2008, this morning after weeks of back-and-forth testimony.

But that didn't happen.

The scheduled vote was scrapped this morning - and tentatively rescheduled for next Wednesday - after the Democrats on the committee who support IRV realized they were missing a key vote: Sen. Edward Flanagan, D-Chittenden.

Committee chair Sen. Jeanette White, D-Windham, said Flanagan was the tie-breaker on the vote; otherwise it would have failed 2-2, with the body's two Republicans voting against it.

-Dan Barlow

Cindy Sheehan testimony now online

Did the big snowstorm earlier this month cancel your trip to Montpelier to hear anti-war mom Cindy Sheehan testify before a Senate Committee?

If so, the fine folks at Vermont Public Radio have put the entire proceeding, including the counter testimony from supporters of the Iraq War, online right here.

Enjoy.

-Dan Barlow