(Host) Anthony Pollina seized on several legislative issues this week to make his case that voters should turn to him over Governor Jim Douglas.
But, as VPR’s Ross Sneyd reports, on at least one of the issues, the administration has shifted its position and now agrees with Pollina.
(Sneyd) Pollina says the Legislature is heading in the right direction on three bills and the governor is wrong.
Pollina likes a campaign finance bill that just passed. But Governor Jim Douglas opposes it because it would restrict how much a political party could contribute to a candidate.
It’s the same on instant-runoff voting. Pollina’s for it and the governor’s against it.
And then there’s whistleblower legislation that’s pending in the Senate. That bill would protect state workers from retaliation if they report wrongdoing. Pollina says it’s badly needed.
(Pollina) “I am appalled, and I think we should all be appalled, to find that Vermont ranks dead last in worker protections, what we call whistleblower laws.”
(Sneyd) Pollina criticized Douglas on the issue because the governor’s human resources commissioner expressed “serious concerns” with the bill during testimony before senators.
Commissioner David Herlihy said whistleblower protections were part of the state workers’ contract, so employees shouldn’t take it to the Legislature.
The governor backed up his commissioner on that point last week on VPR’s Vermont Edition.
(Douglas) “We negotiate a contract with the union that represents state employees and in that contract are provisions relating to whistleblowing. It’s not fair – in fact it’s a violation of the contract – to go to the Legislature and seek some amendment of a provision in that document. That’s what we’re seeing happening now and that’s why it’s inappropriate.”
(Sneyd) After Pollina’s news conference, the administration shifted its message.
Press Secretary Jason Gibbs says the governor supports both the intent and the content of the bill.
(Gibbs) “He’s asked the commissioner of Human Resources to work with the relevant committees to address our modest concerns. We are optimistic that end of the legislative process the bill will be something that the governor and legislators can be proud to see signed into law.”
(Sneyd) The Senate was scheduled to debate the whistleblower bill this week, but has agreed to put that off while talks continue.
For VPR News, I’m Ross Sneyd.