Vermont public safety commissioner backs governor's bill
MONTPELIER, Vt. (ABC22 FOX44) – Vermont's public safety commissioner says she supports Governor Phil Scott's public safety bill. In an opinion article released Tuesday, Jennifer Morrison commended the 'common sense, measured approach to restoring balance.'
Within the op-ed, Morrison proposed three reforms including revoking bail for repeat offenders, repealing policies like 'Raise the Age' and ending 'catch and release' practices.
'People feel like their voice and the community's voice has been lost in the conversation about how to keep our community safe, and they're not feeling safe,' said the Commissioner.
Morrison says she believes many out-of-state offenders are flocking to Vermont over what appears to be a lack of accountability over serious offenses— something she hopes a continuous collaboration with lawmakers can fix.
But at the end of the day, the commissioner says, she hopes her piece will keep these issues at the forefront of Vermonters' minds.
'We're asking everyday Vermonters who have experienced disorder, chaos, crime, not feeling safe to talk to their elected officials now, not later, now.'
Dr. Nikhil Goyal, a Sociologist at the University of Vermont and Founder of the Treat Youth Like Youth Coalition, agrees that more accountability is needed, but in a different manner. He argues that issues, like 'Raise the Age,' are investments in reducing future crime through rehabilitation.
'The data is very clear that what makes communities safer is investing in basic resources for the most vulnerable, by targeting interventions at those repeat offenders, and most importantly to help young people rehabilitate and desist from crime so that we don't have them committing crimes as adults,' he said.
Both Dr. Goyal and Commissioner Morrison say they hope Vermonters will continue to have important conversations about public safety and speak to their elected officials in the coming months.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Second teen, 17, charged in fatal New Year's shooting in Yonkers
A 17-year-old has been charged in a pair of Yonkers shootings — including a fatal one in which he allegedly provided the gun to the suspected 14-year-old shooter. The 17-year-old is charged with second-degree murder in the Jan. 1, 2025, killing of 44-year-old Omar Bonilla on Locust Hill Avenue and with attempted murder in a Dec. 15, 2024, shooting on Lawrence Street in which a man was hit in the thigh, according to the Westchester District Attorney's Office and Yonkers police. He is charged with second-degree criminal possession of a weapon in each case, as well as for an April 29 incident during which he was allegedly found with a loaded handgun. He was indicted and arraigned last month and is being held at Woodfield Cottage, the county's juvenile detention facility. Westchester District Attorney Susan Cacace said in a statement that the charges make clear that violent teenagers are exploiting the state's "Raise the Age" law that allows 16- and 17-year-olds to be judged as adolescent offenders and not as adults. Authorities have not revealed the motive behind Bonilla's killing. The 14-year-old accused of shooting him is charged with second-degree murder and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon. The Journal News/lohud is not identifying either teen because of their ages. This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Yonkers shooting: Teen suspected of providing gun charged with murder
Yahoo
17 hours ago
- Yahoo
Vermont governor vetoes collective bargaining bill
MONTPELIER, Vt. (ABC22/FOX44) – Vermont governor Phil Scott on Monday used his veto pen for the first time since May 15. Senate Bill 125 would make it more difficult for workers to decertify a union. Under current Vermont law, if 30 percent of workers represented by a union file a petition, the union can be decertified. S. 125 would raise this requirement to a simple majority of the workers. This bill would also allow judiciary supervisors to bargain collectively. Read the full text of the bill hereDownload Scott said he opposed raising the threshold for decertification saying in his veto letter that while he supports collective bargaining, he believes that 'employees should have choices for which union they belong to.' Burlington mayor signs amended resolution to clean up downtown, gives $10,000 to relocate Food Not Cops The governor also shared concerns about extending collective bargaining rights to judiciary supervisors. He wrote, 'I'm concerned that despite unions testifying this was a priority for their organization, employees who would be impacted by this bill were not consulted or asked to testify. 'The Judiciary has advised this change could have a negative impact on the effective management of courthouses and fear a workplace marked by divisiveness and angst were this bill to pass. At a time when our court system is managing a significant backlog, we should be focusing on improving efficiencies within the system.' Canadian teen arrested in Vermont trying to drive dad to airport S. 125 passed the House on May 13 in an 81-51 vote, which would be short of the two-thirds threshold needed to override Scott's veto. Vermont's legislature is still working on other legislation before it is scheduled to adjourn later this month, most prominently trying to find a compromise on an education bill that Scott said he would not sign last month without further amendment. He did not issue a formal veto in that case as the bill was not sent to his desk. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
21 hours ago
- Yahoo
Protests against Trump administration planned across Vermont this week
VERMONT (ABC22/FOX44) – A Vermont group that lists as its three core values to 'uphold the constitution', 'end executive overreach', and 'resist peacefully' is holding multiple protest events this week in Burlington and across the state. 50501 Vermont is the state's chapter of the 50501 movement, which stands for 'fifty protests, fifty states, one day'. The movement held its first protest in February of this year, and its 'Not My President's Day' protests on February 17 were covered by ABC22/FOX44. Vermonters join national protests aimed at Trump policies The group is holding what it calls an 'emergency protest' at Burlington's City Hall Park on Tuesday in solidarity with recent protests in Los Angeles and elsewhere. The protest is scheduled to last from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday, June 10. 50501, along with other groups in Vermont, previously announced 'No Kings Day' on Saturday, June 14, which will coincide with a military parade in Washington D.C.. The events on Saturday are scheduled to include over 20 local events, including a 'Route 7 Relay for Democracy', which will feature an American flag being driven from Williamstown, MA north to Swanton, following a route parallel to U.S. Route 7. June 14 is the nation's traditional Flag Day. Military parade to celebrate the Army's 250th anniversary will be held on Trump's birthday Another scheduled protest is a 'die-in' at Burlington's Waterfront park, which aims to 'demonstrate the lethal impact' of actions taken by the Trump administration. Speakers including Representative Becca Balint, Treasurer Mike Pieciak, and activist Mohsen Mahdawi, who made headlines in April after spending 15 days in state prison after being detained by ICE. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
