There have been no positive test results for avian flu in Vermont cows, State Veterinarian Kristin Haas assured members of the House Agriculture committee Thursday morning.
The good news seemed slightly tempered by the admission, immediately following, that the state had not actually tested for it in any animals yet.
H5N1, or highly pathogenic avian influenza, is a virus deadly to domestic poultry that can wipe out entire flocks in just days. In late March, the federal government began investigating its spread in dairy cows. So far, nine states have confirmed outbreaks in cattle herds, the closest ones to Vermont being Ohio, Michigan, and North Carolina.
That no Vermont cows had been tested for the avian flu really was a good thing, Haas said, because it meant that there had been no reports of sick animals. She commended the state’s veterinarians, farmers, livestock dealers, and auction markets for their engagement.
“We have an industry that is working very, very hard to be compliant and to do the right thing,” she said.
H5N1’s major impact to Vermont’s dairy industry has so far come in the form of a USDA federal order effective this past Monday — with no expiration date — that imposes restrictions on moving lactating dairy cattle across state lines. Many farmers in the state send their cows to slaughterhouses in Pennsylvania.
The order does allow individual states with no known cases of avian flu to decide on appropriate, efficient movement of cattle between one other. Haas said that the New England region met this morning to do just that, and alleviate “the biggest pinch points for us here in Vermont.”
For a brief moment the conversation veered into more feline territory when Rep. John O’Brien, D-Tunbridge, appeared to ask whether bobcats would also be subject to the federal order.
After a flutter of general confusion, he clarified that he had said “bobby calves,” a term for the male calves born to the milking herd, who are generally shipped off to the abattoir. Haas said that since bobby calves are not lactating animals they get a pass from the feds.
There is one confirmed case of cattle infecting a human with H5N1 — a Texas dairy worker who milked sick cows — but Haas said there was little reason for Vermonters to worry about contagion.
“There is nothing about this virus that has changed either the risk profile for any of our food products or has changed the potential human health impact…which has been considered to be low,” she said.
— Juan Vega De Soto
In the know
Sales of “Vermont Strong” license plates and socks brought in nearly $1 million as of late April, according to a new report released this week.
In total, Vermonters bought 30,069 license plates and 2,986 pairs of socks. The program also received nearly $128,000 in cash donations.
The limited edition license plates and Darn Tough footwear were released August 2023 to raise money for recovery from last summer’s devastating floods. Both a pair of socks and a license plate were available for purchase for $35 each. (Socks could only be purchased as part of a bundle with a license plate.)
The proceeds were split between the Vermont Community Foundation and the state’s emergency grant program for businesses impacted by flooding. Each received nearly $465,000. In all, the plates and socks cost roughly $180,000 to make.
The socks and license plates were at the center of a brief spat between the Gov. Phil Scott administration and legislative leaders, who accused the governor of overstepping his statutory authority by releasing them without legislative approval. (Scott’s administration said it did not agree with that legal analysis.)
— Peter D’Auria
On the move
The House on Wednesday approved changes that the Senate made to H.649, a bill that would adjust how the Vermont Truth and Reconciliation Commission is able to operate.
Senators deleted what was probably the most controversial section of the bill that passed out of the House earlier this year: a carve-out to Vermont’s Open Meeting Law that would have allowed the commission to close its meetings to public participation in the event of a safety threat.
The Senate nixed that measure assuming that another bill up for consideration this year — S.55 — would fill the gap, Damien Leonard, an attorney in the Office of Legislative Counsel, told House lawmakers yesterday. That’s because S.55 would allow many public bodies, like the truth and reconciliation panel, to hold online-only meetings in the event of a “local incident.”
That includes, as per the latest draft of S.55, threats to meeting participants’ safety. Members of the commission told lawmakers on the House Government Operations Committee earlier this year that they’ve received multiple death threats since starting their work in fall 2023.
The Senate also added additional requirements to H.649 for the final report that commissioners have to issue on their findings by April 2027. That includes “a bibliography of all sources, interviews, and materials utilized in preparing the report,” the text of the legislation reads.
Leonard said this measure stemmed, in part, from concerns raised in committee testimony over the likely intersection of the commission’s work with an ongoing dispute over the identities of many members of the four groups that have been recognized as Abenaki by the state.
“One of the things that came up was, it’s hard to judge the work if you don’t know the sources,” Leonard told the government operations panel.
The bill is now set to head to Gov. Scott’s desk for his consideration.
— Shaun Robinson
On Thursday, the House granted preliminary approval to its version of S.309, this year’s miscellaneous motor vehicle bill. The bill would, among other things, update vehicle inspection guidance on brake rust as well as bar drivers from attaching blue lights (think cop car) to their vehicles in most cases. It would also update the state’s guidance on car seat usage.
If the bill gets final approval this week, it would then head back to the Senate to consider the House’s changes, which include measures aimed at improving pedestrian safety.
— Shaun Robinson
Visit our 2024 Bill tracker for the latest updates on major legislation we are following.
On the campaign trail
Lt. Gov. David Zuckerman wants to hold onto his gig.
The Hinesburg Progressive/Democrat announced his bid for reelection to the state’s second-highest executive office in a press release Thursday morning, writing that he is “not done fighting for Vermonters.”
— Sarah Mearhoff
What we’re reading
Eyeing consumer prices, fuel dealers push for timeline on clean heat standard, VTDigger
Vermont changes the way it reports Covid-19 data in response to CDC rules, VTDigger
Correction: An earlier version of this story omitted the byline for Juan Vega De Soto.
