Senator from Lamoille marks 5th anniversary of Jenna Cather, urges support for recovery

The senator from Lamoille rose on a point of personal privilege to mark the fifth anniversary of the death of Jenna Cather. "Today is the 5th anniversary of the death of Jenna Cather," the senator said, and used the floor to call attention to recovery work in the community.

The senator said the Tatro family and a local recovery community (referred to in the transcript as "Genus Promise") have worked to advance conversations about substance-use recovery and reduce stigma. "I wanna remind everybody there is hope and what they're doing is creating hope," the senator said, urging colleagues to consider what they can do to support recovery and reduce stigma around abuse.

The remarks emphasized visible signs of recovery in small-town settings—people working in local coffee shops and participating in everyday community life—and framed such visibility as a tool to normalize recovery and prompt policy attention. The senator tied personal loss to public advocacy, saying the family's efforts seek to keep recovery and prevention at the forefront of state conversations.

The Senate agreed to journalize the remarks for the legislative record after a motion to "internalize" the memorial statement was moved and carried by voice vote.

The Senate then resumed its brief business and adjourned to a later date.