A. During this biennium, I diligently followed several pieces of legislation from start to finish, particularly those that constituents asked me to help advance or those that I took an interest in from my own experiences. These include issues such as eliminating income tax on military pensions, increasing enforcement of penalties for texting and driving in work zones, and broadening tech ed offerings at the high school level. I co-sponsored several of those bills, also including ones requiring Athletic Trainers to work at certain high-risk high school sports events, advocating for high school graduates to be able to pass a civics exam, and banning flavored substances in vaping products. The process of sponsoring and following a bill to passage is fascinating and sometimes long and frustrating, but when it does become law, is very rewarding. 

My hope for the 2020-21 session is to continue to pass legislation to help Vermonters and businesses with economic recovery and development. Prior to COVID-19, Vermont suffered from a declining industrial base and workforce to fill those jobs, and the current pandemic has compounded that. Educating students for the future remains an important priority for me; right-sizing course offerings for educational institutions is the key to providing tools for individuals and businesses to grow and thrive in our State. When those educational and employment opportunities exist, we will be able to retain and employ our workforce. In addition, passing legislation to make our State affordable for those businesses and employees is essential. There is no one particular piece of legislation that I intend to sponsor, but a multitude of bills across several committees of jurisdiction are being discussed, and I will continue to work collaboratively with those legislators to craft legislation for the greatest benefit to all Vermonters. I welcome comments from constituents on your areas of concern so I will