House Majority Leader Rep. Jill Krowinski, D-Burlington, listens to discussion during a caucus of House Democrats at the Statehouse in Montpelier, February 4, 2020. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDigger
It’s Sunshine Week. What Better Time For An Article About Behind-Closed-Door Policy Making“
Here’s how it appears to our members: A secret committee is meeting to put together a [pension] plan that’s going to drop from the sky,” says [VSEA Executive Director Steve] Howard, whose union represents most state workers. “And it’s going to be put into the Government Operations Committee and pushed right through.”
Note: Sunshine Week is a national initiative spearheaded by the News Leaders Association to educate the public about the importance of open government and the dangers of excessive and unnecessary secrecy.
The Vermont State Employees’ Association (VSEA) is today calling on House Speaker Jill Krowinski and the members of the Vermont House of Representatives to immediately schedule a public hearing, when and if any plan is formally introduced in the House to make changes to the state employees’ pension plan.
“State employees are the heroes and the heroines of the COVID Pandemic,” reminds VSEA President Aimee Towne. “They have come through for Vermonters, meeting every challenge they have been asked to—with sacrifice and sometimes at great personal risk–and they deserve to be heard on an issue as important as their pension. Before introducing any change to state employee pensions, VSEA is asking the members of the House of Representatives to look into the eyes of our members and to see and hear from the human beings who are more than just numbers on spreadsheets and included in policy papers.”
Towne adds that, since learning about the Treasurer’s recommendations, VSEA members and retirees have been calling, emailing and talking with their local legislators, voicing strong opposition to the recommendations and asking for the process to be slowed down.
