House concurs with Senate amendments to Vermont Voting Rights Act

The House on Wednesday concurred with the Senate proposal of amendment to S.298, the Vermont Voting Rights Act, after the House Government Operations and Military Affairs Committee recommended concurrence.

The member from Charlotte told the House the committee had endorsed the Senatechange that removed a requirement specifying that the State Ethics Commission must respond to inquiries "by email or phone," leaving the method of response open to accommodate different access needs. The committee also directed the Office of the Secretary of State and the State Ethics Commission to "work it out" and deliver combined recommendations by Jan. 30 on how to resolve differences over who will create, house, and answer questions about the candidate financial disclosure form.

The committee explained it had earlier restored a phrasing change that affects when an organization or person becomes a PAC, changing a prior drafting that had proved problematic for some groups. The committeevote was 11-0-0 in favor of concurrence; the House agreed by voice vote.

The House approved concurrence without a roll-call tally; the clerk recorded the action and the body moved on to the next item on the calendar.