Dear Editor,
Like many others, I am disappointed, though not surprised, that Governor Scott will not call a special legislative session to evaluate and respond, as needed, to incoming President Donald Trump’s destructive policies.
After all, Scott’s wait-and-see attitude is similar to how he engages in the legislative process: waiting until time is running out before becoming engaged. It also reminds us of his willingness to put off action while a problem gets worse, as evidenced by his failure to address homelessness, climate change, and other vital issues in a timely fashion.
While Scott takes a wait-and-see attitude, governors and attorneys general around the country are organizing to address Trump’s likely actions and policies. While supporting some of the Trump agenda, these leaders are making it clear they are ready to take action to protect the rights of all their people.
For example, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu took on Trump’s border czar Tom Homan, saying that local authorities will not assist federal mass deportation efforts, pointing to a city ordinance that says law enforcement can only participate in such actions if the person has been involved in serious criminal activity Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey has stated that the state police would “absolutely not” assist in Trump’s planned mass deportation.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul initiated a program to address policy and regulatory threats from the Trump administration. Governors in Illinois, Colorado, and other states are taking action.
National and state-level advocacy organizations are also preparing to take a proactive approach to responding to Trump’s threat to human rights, economic justice, and public safety.
Recognizing the threats and the benefits of working in coalition with others around the nation, on Nov. 17, delegates to the Progressive Party convention unanimously passed a resolution that states in part, “We call on Vermont Governor Phil Scott to call the Vermont Legislature into a special session to pass legislation to protect Vermonters from threats to their rights and safety by President-elect Trump.”
We can learn much from others, including Vermonters, who are on the front lines of the issues.
We hope that Vermont will join with advocates and other policymakers in understanding what we might expect and how we and others may respond.
A legislative session devoted to hearing from Vermonters and better understanding how the Trump administration will impact us is only common sense. So far, Governor Scott disagrees and is again choosing to sit on the sidelines.
Anthony Pollina, chair of the Vt Progressive Party
