By REP. BUTCH SHAW
After two furious weeks of grueling floor sessions of long hours and bill after bill coming before the body, the past week has seen 15–20-minute floor sessions. This is typical after the push to crossover and gives the members time to regoup and recover from the previous week’s schedules.
Vermont is a “Dillon’s Rule” state which means local governments (our towns) have three sources of governing power: 1) Those granted in express words; 2) Those granted in powers expressly granted; or 3) Those essential for the purposes of the corporation. Many municipalities in Vermont have a municipal charter granted by the state and that charter becomes the primary source of power and structure for the local government. This principle is a legislative enactment and therefore it has the same status as a state statute. Municipalities choose to adopt or change their charters (which is a lengthy process) to give them flexibility to design a system of self-governance best suited to their community. That said, if a municipality wants to extend its authority beyond what is granted by state law, it must obtain permission from the legislature. Dillon’s Rules are extremely specific, as opposed to “Home Rule” states which can change their municipal charters at will, if the local governments stay within state and federal laws. To that effect, the work of The House has recently centered on charter-change requests from municipal bodies. The House has unanimously approved no fewer than 15 municipal-charter changes in the past two weeks.
My time these past several weeks on the House Committee on Transportation has been centered on Senate Bill S.99, which is a bill relating to miscellaneous changes to laws related to vehicles. This proposed legislation is usually a cleanup of various laws to adjust to the changing ways we regulate areas such as the “Lemon Law,” weights of vehicles and their cargo, permitting of large loads, excessive vehicle noise and the like. However, this year’s edition of the “Misc. DMV Bill” is quite different. The Department of Motor Vehicles is ready to launch a $50 million core system computer software modernization project with the objective of providing better and smoother experience for Vermonters dealing with the Department. We have learned that Vermont DMV engages in over one million transactions annually, with almost half transacted online.
With this new system, should this bill make it to the finish line, you will be able to receive an electronic copy of your driver’s license and/or registration on your portable electronic device (think cell phone). You will also receive a hard copy of these documents should you not want to use your device for the above stated purpose. The law-enforcement community approves of this electronic documentation, but the law will prohibit an enforcement officer from accessing other contents of your device. Another proposed change will be the elimination of the white validation stickers that you place on your license plate. This sticker will no longer be necessary as when the new system goes live a law enforcement officer using a secure law enforcement application on their portable electronic device and will be able to retrieve the vehicle registration information by scanning the bar code on the vehicle’s inspection sticker. The committee has been scouring Title 19 and Title 23 of Vermont Statutes to make necessary changes to bring current law up to date on the new electronic age of motor vehicle regulations!
I can be reached by email at bshaw@leg.state.vt.us, by phone, 802-483-2398 or by mail at P.O. Box 197, Pittsford, VT 05763.
I am always available to have a conversation concerning our Legislative District and your Vermont state government.
Representative Butch Shaw
Pittsford-Proctor
Vice Chair, House Committee on Transportation
