The government of Vermont is in the form of a democratic republic, similar to that of the United States. In 1791, Vermont joined the United States as the fourteenth state.
The Vermont state capital is Montpelier.
State Government
The Vermont state capital is Montpelier. The Governor is Jim Douglas (R).
An in-depth evaluation of government in 2008 ranked Vermont high compared to other states. It ranked highest in "small discrete issues and huge global ones." It performed poorly in the issues in-between and planning for the future.
State law
The Constitution of Vermont is the supreme law of the state, followed by the Vermont Statutes. This is roughly analogous to the Federal United States Constitution, United States Code and Code of Federal Regulations respectively. Provision is made for the following "frame of government" under the Constitution of the State of Vermont: the executive branch, the legislative branch, and the judicial branch. All members of the executive and legislative branch serve two-year terms including the governor and senators. There are no term limits for any office.
Civil rights and liberties
The Vermont Constitution outlines and guarantees broad rights for its citizens. Even in the eighteenth century it was seen as being among the most far-reaching in the new world and in Europe, and it predated the Bill of Rights by a dozen years. The Constitution's first chapter, "Declaration of the Rights of the Inhabitants of The State of Vermont" prohibits slavery, indentured servitude, and allowed for universal suffrage for men, regardless of property ownership. The Declaration of Rights set in place broad protections of religious freedom and conscience while erecting a strong firewall between church and state by prohibiting establishment or promotion of any faith by the government or compulsion to worship. The "Declaration of the Rights of the Inhabitants of The State of Vermont" is believed to have been a model for France's Déclaration universelle sur des droits de l'homme (Universal Declaration of the Rights of Man).
Legislative Branch
Vermont's state legislature is the Vermont General Assembly, a bicameral body composed of the Vermont House of Representatives (the lower house) and the Vermont Senate (the upper house) meet at the Vermont State House. The Senate is composed of 30 state senators, while the House of Representatives has 150 members.
State legislators are paid $536 per week while the legislature is in session plus $87 per diem.
With the current estimated population of Vermont from the last U.S. Census, there is approximately one Representative for every 4,059 residents.
Statutory
The age of consent in Vermont is 16.
Vermont is one of only two states in the Union to allow any adult to carry a concealed firearm without any sort of permit.
Vermont is one of four states (along with Alaska, Hawaii, and Maine) to have prohibited all billboards from view of highway rights-of-way by law, except for signs on the contiguous property of the business location.
Public nudity is legal in Vermont, though not disrobing in public. Within the State, thousands of nudists and skinny dippers gather for non-sexual nude recreation and host the World Naked Bike Ride through the streets of Burlington each year. The ride began in 2005 and has become an annual event.
Vermont is an Alcoholic beverage control state. Beer and wine may be sold in local grocery stores unless the town in which it is located has voted "dry" at their town meeting. Only state licensed establishments may sell stronger alcoholic beverages in bottles. The quantity of these stores is limited. Prices are set by the state. The state directly controls the licensing of establishments that sell alcoholic beverages by the drink. In 2007, through the Vermont Department of Liquor Control, it took in over $14 million from the sale and distribution of liquor. There are 75 State Liquor Stores and 1,350 taverns in the state.
In Vermont a driver may regard double yellow lines as "advisory," meaning that they are merely a warning not to cross over them. However a motorist will not be ticketed for that as an offence by itself.
Vermont is one of only two states who allow prison inmates to vote.
Vermont banned billboards in 1968. By 1974, the last one had been removed.
Vermont is the only state in the union not to have a balanced budget requirement. Nevertheless, as of 2008, it had always balanced its budget.
Medical
As a result of statutory benefits like Dr. Dynasaur, Vermont, with 9.5% of the population with no medical insurance, has the second best coverage in the country, as of 2004.
Executive Branch
The Executive Branch consists of the Governor, and state agencies. The executive branch enacts and enforces the laws of the state. The Governor is the supreme executive.
The offices of the Governor of Vermont are located at The Pavilion in Montpelier, the state capital. The governor is paid a salary of $150,051 annually.
Vermonters elect a state governor and lieutenant governor on separate tickets. For example, when Republican Governor Richard Snelling died in office in 1991, the Democratic Lieutenant Governor Howard Dean succeeded him for the remainder of that term. In addition to the Governor and Lieutenant Governor, Vermonters elect four other officials on a statewide ballot: Secretary of State, State Treasurer, Vermont Auditor of Accounts, and Attorney General.
The executive branch had about 8,000 employees in 2005, making it the largest employer in the state. This high number is due, in part, to Vermont (and New England's) practice of assuming the functions, and therefore the budgets of the county government which is nearly non-existent. In 2008, there were 8262 people working for the government. The average salary of a state employee was $50,014 in 2008.
There are three levels of bureaucracy: at the highest are secretaries and agencies; the next level are commissions; the third are departments and offices. Some commissions still retain their old name of "Department", as well as agencies, e.g. "Department of Transportation" is an agency.
There are six agencies run by appointed secretaries: Administration, Vermont Agency of Agriculture Food and Markets (Agriculture), Commerce and Community Development, Human Services, Natural Resources, and Transportation. The salaries of the secretaries range from $109,000 to $128, 169 annually.
There are 21 commissions run by individual appointed commissioners: Banking, Insurance, Securities, and Health Care Administration; Buildings and General Services, Children and Families, Corrections; Disabilities, Aging and Independent Living; Economic Development, Education, Finance, Fish and Wildlife; Forests, Parks and Recreation; Health, Human Resources, Information and Innovation; Mental Health, Motor Vehicles, Labor, Liquor Control, Public Safety, Public Service, Taxes; and Tourism. The salaries of the commissioners range from $83,387 to $121,596 annually.
The bureaucracy is structured as follows:
The governor, with approval of the legislature, appoints people to boards. Six boards govern the following commissions: a) Banking, Insurance, Securities, and Health Care Admibnistration; b) Education - Run by Vermont State Board of Education; c) Labor; d) Liquor Control; e) Public Safety; and f) Public Service (advocacy).
The remaining commissions are under the following agencies along with various departments as indicated:
- Administration Agency:
- Buildings and General Services Commission
- Finance and Management Commission
- Human Resources Commission
- Information and Innovation Commission
- Libraries Department
- Tax Commission
- Agriculture Agency
- Commerce and Community Development Agency:
- Economic Development Commission
- Tourism and Marketing Commission
- Housing and Communisty Affairs Commission
- Human Services Agency:
- Children and Families Commission
- Department of Corrections Commission
- Department of Disabilities, Aging and Independent Living Commission
- Health Commission. The commissioner of health is Wendy Davis.
- Office of Vermont Health Access
- Natural Resources Agency:
- Department of Environmental Conservation
- Fish and Wildlife Commission
- Forest Parks and Recreation Commission
- Transportation Agency:
- Highways
- Motor Vehicles Commission
- Aeronautics and Public Transit
There are more than 100 transportation-related fees in the state including the usual drivers licenses and vehicle registration.
Department of Banking, Insurance, Securities and Health Care Administration
Among other functions, BISHCA regulates individual budgets for Vermont's fourteen hospitals. They approved an average increase for 2007 of 6.3%. The average increase for 2008 was 9.5%. Individual hospitals received approval for increases from 3.8% to 11.8%.
Judicial Branch
Main article: Vermont court systemThe state's highest and the sole appellate court is the Vermont Supreme Court made up of five justices who serve six year terms.. The Chief Justice is the he
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