Speaker opens session with devotional, honors former members and pages; House reads two resolutions and recesses until 1 p.m.

The House of Representatives convened and opened its session with a devotional led by former Representative Carolyn Partridge of Wyndham.

Carolyn Partridge, introduced earlier by the Speaker as a former member, recited Billy Collins's poem “The Lanyard.” Partridge concluded the devotional with, “Here, I said is the lanyard I made at camp.”

The Speaker asked members to rise for a moment of silence in memory of two former House members who recently died: Representative Jason A. Barney of Highgate, who served from 1997 through 2002, and Representative Noel and Neely of Pomfret, who served from 1977 through 1982. The Speaker then recognized the final group of legislative pages for the session and presented them with pens, listing Shepherd Finch of Chester; Graham Gilman of Mortem; Kiera Hall Martin of Fairleigh; Leila Taryn of Montpelier; Maeve Wahlstrom of Whitingham; Lula Walker of Montpelier; and Tamsen Wilson of Manchester Center.

The House read two House concurrent resolutions that had been adopted pursuant to the consent calendar. A clerk read HCR 273, which recognizes May 2026 as National Tennis Month in Vermont and directs the secretary of state to send a copy of the resolution to USTA New England. The clerk later read HCR 289, congratulating the 2026 Brattleboro Union High School championship mock trial team and listing participating students, coaches and judges; that resolution likewise directs the secretary of state to send a copy as noted in the text.

During announcements, the Member from Jericho welcomed members of the USTA Vermont board and advisers attending in the gallery and praised tennis as a healthy sport while listing several USTA Vermont officials present. The Member from Westminster formally introduced Ben Partridge (senior management at Okemo Mountain) and his mother, former Representative Carolyn Partridge, noting Partridge served 24 years in the House and now serves as a side judge in Wyndham County. The Member from Brattleboro welcomed the Brattleboro mock trial students, who will spend the morning in committees, and the Member from Winooski introduced family guests in the gallery. House Democrats were announced to caucus in Room 11 at 11:15 and House Republicans to caucus in Room 10 at 11:15.

After leadership conferred with committee chairs, the Speaker recessed the House until the fall of the gavel at 1:00 p.m. to allow committees to continue voting on amendments and work through the bills on the calendar.