How Does Vermont Government Work?

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How Does Vermont Government Work?
Vermont Secretary of State Jim Condos
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Cities and Towns

• Town Meeting Day
• First Tuesday in March (usually)
• First Town meeting was held in Bennington in
  1762!

Vermont Secretary of State Jim Condos
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Town Meeting

• What did they talk about at Town Meeting in 1762?

Vermont Secretary of State Jim Condos
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Town Meeting

• Should farmers let their pigs run free?
• How much firewood should each town member
  contribute to heat the town and school?

Vermont Secretary of State Jim Condos
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What kinds of things do you think are talked
about today at Town Meeting?
Vermont Secretary of State Jim Condos
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Property TaxesSchool TaxesSnow plowingRoad
repairsLibraryBusesFire TrucksSchool Books
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Town Governance(Whos in charge?)

• Selectboard
• Schoolboard
• Town Clerk
• Treasurer

Vermont Secretary of State Jim Condos
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What Do They Do?

• Selectboard- small groups of people who run the
  town in cities they are called the City Council
• Schoolboard- small groups of people who make
  important decisions about the schools
• Town Clerk- keeps the records of the town and
  runs elections
• Treasurer- pays the bills and keep track of the
  town and school districts money

Vermont Secretary of State Jim Condos
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How Do They Decide?
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VOTE!!!Floor VoteAustralian Ballot
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Town MeetingGetting Started!

• Warning!
• Advertise!
• Where, When and What!

Vermont Secretary of State Jim Condos
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The Day of Town Meeting

• Moderator- runs the meeting
• Discussion- of the topic to be voted on
• Vote- Floor or Australian Ballot?

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What if you cant get to Town Meeting?

• Absentee Ballots
• Mail- in
• Delivered by election Workers

Vermont Secretary of State Jim Condos
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Questions?
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State Government

• Where is the States Capital?

Vermont Secretary of State Jim Condos
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Montpelier!
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What is the State Bird?
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Hermit Thrush
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What is the State beverage?
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Vermont Secretary of State Jim Condos
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Some other fun facts and history of Vermont
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• 1777- The first state constitution to outlaw
  slavery
• 1791- The first state to join the original 13
  colonies in the union!
• 1846- The first postage stamp to be printed was
  in Brattleboro!
• 1909- The first Boy Scout Club is formed in
  Barre!
• 1955- Consuelo Northrop Bailey becomes the first
  woman in the nation to be elected lieutenant
  governor
• 1968- The SECOND state to outlaw Billboards!

Vermont Secretary of State Jim Condos
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• What other cool and important things has Vermont
  done since then?

Vermont Secretary of State Jim Condos
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• How do we make State law in Vermont?
• How does our government work?

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• Three Branches of Government

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• Balance of Power!
• Executive- The head of the executive branch
  decides whether to veto bills passed by the
  legislature. Who is that person right now?
• Legislative- 150 members of the House and 30
  members of the Senate. They pass laws and decide
  how to spend our tax dollars
• Judicial- The Vermont Supreme Court is located in
  Montpelier and there are courthouses all across
  the State

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• How A Bill Becomes a Law!

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• A Great (or not so great)
• idea!

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1.Idea (citizen or lawmaker)2.Lawmaker
3.Support4.Draft the Bill5.Introduce the
Bill6.Pass the Bill7.Veto or Signature
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QUESTIONS?
Vermont Secretary of State Jim Condos
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Jim Condos Secretary of State
Vermont Secretary of State Jim Condos