Roll Call! House Allows Non-Citizen Voting in Montpelier (95-46), 2019

 .
PASSED
in the State House of Representatives
on April 18, 2019, by a vote of
95-46
.
Purpose: This would change the charter of the City of Montpelier to allow non-citizens who are legally in the United States and full time residents of the city to vote in city elections.  
.
Analysis: Those voting YES assert that non-citizens pay taxes, have children in the schools, and are active participants in the community, therefore they deserve the right to vote on issues that affect them.
 .
Those voting NO assert that voting is a right and responsibility tied to citizenship, and that giving this privilege to non-citizens unfairly undermines the votes of actual citizens. They raise concerns that this will set a precedent for other towns to follow, and note that this is unconstitutional.
 .
The Vermont Constitution states (emphasis added): “QUALIFICATIONS OF FREEMEN AND FREEWOMEN, § 42. [VOTER’S QUALIFICATIONS AND OATH] Every person of the full age of eighteen years who is a citizen of the United States, having resided in this State for the period established by the General Assembly and who is of a quiet and peaceable behavior, and will take the following oath or affirmation, shall be entitled to all the privileges of a voter of this state:…”
As Recorded in the House Journal, Thursday, April 18, 2019: “Shall the bill be amended as recommended by the Committee on Government Operations? was decided in the affirmative. Yeas, 95. Nays, 46.   ” (Read the Journal, p. 862-867.)

How They Voted

(Click on your Rep’s name to send an email)

Janet Ancel (D – Calais) – YES
Peter Anthony (D – Barre) – YES
Sarita Austin (D – Colchester) – YES
Robert Bancroft (R – Westford) – NO
John Bartholomew (D – Hartland) – YES
Lynn Batchelor (R – Derby) – NO
Christopher Bates (D – Bennington) – NO
Scott Beck (R – St. Johnsbury) – YES
Matthew Birong (D – Vergennes) – YES
Thomas Bock (D – Chester) – YES
Patrick Brennan (R – Colchester) – ABSENT
Timothy Briglin (D – Thetford) – YES
Nelson Brownell (D – Pownal) – YES
Cynthia Browning (D – Arlington) – NO
Jessica Brumsted (D – Shelburne) – YES
Thomas Burditt (R – West Rutland) – YES
Mollie Burke (P – Brattleboro) – YES
Scott Campbell (D – St. Johnsbury) – YES
William Canfield (R – Fair Haven) – NO
James Carroll (D – Bennington) – YES
Seth Chase (D – Colchester) – YES
Robin Chesnut-Tangerman (P – Middletown Springs) – YES
Annmarie Christensen (D – Weathersfield) – YES
Kevin “Coach” Christie (D – Hartford) – ABSENT
Brian Cina (P – Burlington) – YES
Sara Coffey (D – Guilford) – YES
Selene Colburn (P – Burlington) – ABSENT
Hal Colston (D – Winooski) – YES
Peter Conlon (D – Cornwall) – YES
Charles Conquest (D – Newbury) – YES
Sarah Copeland-Hanzas (D – Bradford) – YES
Timothy Corcoran (D – Bennington) – NO
Mari Cordes (D/P – Lincoln) – YES
Lawrence Cupoli (R – Rutland) – NO
Carl Demrow (D – Corinth) – YES
Eileen Dickinson (R – St. Albans) – NO
Kari Dolan (D – Waitsfield) – YES
Anne Donahue (R – Northfield) – YES
Johannah Donovan (D – Burlington) – YES
David Durfee (D – Shaftsbury) – YES
Caleb Elder (D – Starksboro) – YES
Alice Emmons (D – Springfield) – YES
Peter Fagan (R – Rutland) – NO
Charen Fegard (D – Berkshire) – YES
Martha Feltus (R – Lyndon) – YES
Robert Forguites (D – Springfield) – DECEASED
Marianna Gamache (R – Swanton) – NO
John Gannon (D – Wilmington) – YES
Marcia Gardner (D – Richmond) – YES
Dylan Giambatista (D – Essex) – YES
Diana Gonzalez (P – Winooski) – ABSENT
Kenneth Goslant (R – Northfield) – NO
Maxine Grad (D – Moretown) – YES
Rodney Graham (R – Williamstown) – NO
James Gregoire (R – Fairfield) – NO
Sandy Haas (P – Rochester) – YES
Lisa Hango (R – Birkshire) – NO
James Harrison (R – Chittenden) – NO
Nader Hashim (D – Dummerston) – YES
Robert Helm (R – Fair Haven) – NO
Mark Higley (R – Lowell) – NO
Matthew Hill (D – Wolcott) – YES
Robert Hooper (D – Burlington) – YES
Philip Hooper (D – Randolph) – YES
Mary Hooper (D – Montpelier) – YES
Lori Houghton (D – Essex) – YES
Mary Howard (D – Rutland) – YES
Kathleen James (D – Manchester) – YES
Stephanie Jerome (D – Brandon) – YES
Kimberly Jessup (D – Middlesex) – ABSENT
Benjamin Jickling (I – Randolph) – YES
Mitzi Johnson (D – Grand Isle) – PRESIDING
John Killacky (D – S. Burlington) – YES
Charles Kimbell (D – Woodstock) – YES
Warren Kitzmiller (D – Montpelier) – YES
Emilie Kornheiser (D – Brattleboro) – YES

Jill Krowinski (D – Burlington) – YES
Robert LaClair (R – Barre) – NO
Martin LaLonde (D – S. Burlington) – YES
Diane Lanpher (D – Vergennes) – NO
Paul Lefebvre (R – Newark) – YES
Felisha Leffler (R – Enosburgh) – YES
William Lippert (D – Hinesburg) – YES
Emily Long (D – Newfane) – YES
Terence Macaig (D – Williston) – YES
Michael Marcotte (R – Coventry) – NO
Marcia Martel (R – Waterford) – NO
James Masland (D – Thetford) – YES
Christopher Mattos (R – Milton) – NO
Michael McCarthy (D – St. Albans) – YES
Curtis McCormack (D – Burlington) – YES
Patricia McCoy (R – Poultney) – NO
James McCullough (D – Williston) – YES
Francis McFaun (R – Barre) – NO
Leland Morgan (R – Milton) – NO
Mary Morrissey (R – Bennington) – NO
Michael Mrowicki (D – Putney) – YES
Barbara Murphy (I – Fairfax) – NO
Linda Myers (R – Essex) – YES
Logan Nicoll (D – Ludlow) – YES
Terry Norris (I – Shoreham) – NO
William Notte (D – Rutland) – YES
Daniel Noyes (D – Wolcott) – NO
John O’Brien (D – Tunbridge) – YES
Carol Ode (D – Burlington) – YES
Jean O’Sullivan (D – Burlington) – YES
Woodman Page (R – Newport) – NO
Kelly Pajala (I – Londonderry) – NO
John Palasik (R – Milton) – NO
Carolyn Partridge (D – Windham) – YES
Avram Patt (D – Worcester) – YES
David Potter (D – Clarendon) – YES
Ann Pugh (D – S. Burlington) – ABSENT
Constance Quimby (R – Concord) – NO
Barbara Rachelson (D – Burlington) – YES
Zachariah Ralph (P – Hartland) – YES
Marybeth Redmond (D – Essex) – YES
Lucy Rogers (D – Waterville) – YES
Carl Rosenquist (R – Georgia) – NO
Brian Savage (R – Swanton) – NO
Robin Scheu (D – Middlebury) – YES
Heidi Scheuermann (R – Stowe) – NO
Patrick Seymour (R – Sutton) – NO
Charles “Butch” Shaw (R – Pittsford) – NO
Amy Sheldon (D – Middlebury) – YES
Laura Sibilia (I – Dover) – NO
Brian Smith (R – Derby) – NO
Harvey Smith (R – New Haven) – NO
Trevor Squirrell (D – Underhill) – YES
Thomas Stevens (D – Waterbury) – YES
Vicki Strong (R – Albany) – NO
Linda Joy Sullivan (D – Burlington) – YES
Mary Sullivan (D – Dorset) – NO
Randall Szott (D – Barnard) – YES
Curt Taylor (D – Colchester) – NO
Thomas Terenzini (R – Rutland) – NO
George Till (D – Jericho) – YES
Tristan Toleno (D – Brattleboro) – YES
Catherine Toll (D – Danville) – YES
Casey Toof (R – St. Albans) – NO
Maida Townsend (D – South) – YES
Matthew Trieber (D – Rockingham) – ABSENT
Joseph “Chip” Troiano (D – Stannard) – YES
Tommy Walz (D – Barre) – YES
Kathryn Webb (D – Shelburne) – YES
Rebecca White (D – Hartford) – YES
Theresa Wood (D – Waterbury) – YES
David Yacovone (D – Morristown) – YES
Michael Yantachka (D – Charlotte) – YES
Samuel Young (D – Greensboro) – YES

{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }

Leslie Turcotte April 20, 2019 at 2:12 am

Are there ANY rights remaining for citizens? These people may be here now, but they can leave at any time & have no vested long-term interest in the effects of their decisions. If they want a voice, it should be imperative that they become LEGAL citizens.

Reply

Victor Yannessa April 20, 2019 at 11:26 am

I totally agree that legal immigrants to this country should have the right to vote….After they RENOUNCE the citizenship of their native country, pass through our citizenship classes, learning something about our Constitution, history, and laws, and Pledge Allegiance to the United States of America! What is wrong with asking present immigrants to do what most of our ancestors had to do for hundreds of years?
Do not tell me that this is not a slippery slope. Once this principle is established in more and more localities across the country, why wouldn’t the argument be made that these non citizens should be granted the right to vote in state and federal elections? After all, they are taxpaying members of those communities as well.
You people in Montpelier who voted in favor of this, are all traitors, and should resign immediately from your elected office. You have clearly violated the Constitution of the State of Vermont. It is the Attorney General’s obligation to file criminal charges against every one of you. Or you should be impeached. Of course this will never happen, because of the left dominant legislature in this state.
In addition, this legislation makes every one of these non citizen voters a criminal, notwithstanding your “yea” votes. Every vote that a non citizen casts, possibly negates the legal vote of a citizen. This is not only a crime in and of itself, but is a an act of voter suppression of legal voters, and a violation of legal citizen voters civil rights.
Don’t think that the peasants, the deplorables aren’t noticing how you are taking their rights away.

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