BY PAUL OLSEN

urlington —
Independent U.S. Sen.
James Jeffords’ deci-

sion to retire rather than seek
reelection in 2006 set off a
game of political musical
chairs with politicians from
throughout Vermont deciding
what their next move would
be.

Jeffords unexpectedly
announced his retirement on
April 20. “After much thought
and consultation with my fam-
ily and staff, I have decided to
close this chapter of my serv-
ice to Verrnont_, and not seek
re—election in 2006,” he said.
“Between now and the end of

smy term, I will be working

overtime to accomplish as

. much as I can for Vermont, in

education, the environment,
agriculture, health care and so
many other areas.”

Since being elected to
the Senate in 1988, Jeffords
has received favorable ratings
from the Human Rights
Campaign, a Washington DC-
based gay advocacy group. He
also received a National
Leadership Award from AIDS
Action and cosponsors the
Employment Non-

‘ Discrimination Act (ENDA), a

bill to outlaw employment dis-
crimination based on sexual
orientation. Although he sup-
ports Vermont’s civil union
law enacted in 2000, Jeffords
voted for the antigay Defense

Mavericks
Senator

Jeffords to
Retire

of Marriage Act (DOMA) in
1996.

In 2001, Jeffords
made history by abandoning
the GOP and temporarily
handing control of the U.S.
Senate to the Democratic
Party.

Gay activists were
quick to praise Vermont’s
retiring senator. “Senator
Jeffords has been a strong
advocate for equality and will
truly be missed,” Human
Rights Campaign President

Joe Solmonese said. “Through
the years, the Senator has
stood on the side of fairness
for gay, lesbian, bisexual and
transgender Americans. From
his work leading the charge to
fight employment discrimina-
tion, to being a driving force
on the Ryan White CARE Act,
to his efforts to reform pen-
sion plans for equitable treat-
ment, to his own office policy
protecting GLBT employees,
Senator Jeffords is a strong
and independent voice in the

fight for equal rights.”

Critics were equally
fast in celebrating the
announcement. “In case you
forgot, Jeffords is the U.S.
Senator who stabbed President
Bush in the back by quitting
our Party in 2001 and handing
control of the U.S. Senate
over to the liberal Democrats
led by Tom Daschle,” Greg
Parke, a former Air Force pilot
seeking the GOP nomination
for Senate, wrote in a '
fundraising email to support-
ers. “His personal act of politi-
cal treachery helped the

Democrats block much of

President Bush's first term
agenda.”

While the race to
replace Jeffords began shortly
after his announcement,
Vermont’s gay and lesbian
community is left wondering
whether he’ll be replaced by
an equally pro gay legislator.

‘Independent U.S.
Rep. Bernie Sanders plans to
run for the seat and could eas-

ily fill Jeffords" shoes. Sanders’

has consistently garnered 100
percent positive ratings from
the Human Rights Campaign
and received a 100 percent
rating from the AIDS Action
Council. His congressional
office maintains a written
nondiscrimination policy
including sexual orientation,
he is a co-sponsor of the
Employment
Nondiscrimination Act
(ENDA), and he voted against
DOMA.

Likely GOP candi-
dates Lt. Governor Brian
Dubie and Greg Parke are

' unlikely to be as supportive as

Sanders.

Dubie opposes
Vermont’s civil union compro-
mise and supports amending
the U.S. Constitution to pro-
hibit gay marriage. In his
unsuccessful campaign for the
U.S House of Representatives
in 2004, Greg Parke pledged
to promote “conservative val-
ues and principles” and com-
bat “the homosexual agenda.”

Burlington business-
man Richard Tarrant, a politi-
cal neophyte, is also interested
in the seat.

One candidate who
will not seek to replace Jim
Jeffords in the U.S. Senate is
Republican Governor J ames_

._Douglas. On April 30 Douglas

I said he would run for a third
term as Governor. “I believe I
can make the greatest contri-
bution to improving our state
by continuing to serve as gov-
ernor,” he said. “So I will not
run for the United States
Senate.” V

Paul Olsen lives and works in.
Colchester, and also writes for
the B0st0n—based In
Newsweekly.

Gender Identity

ontpelier — The bill that
would add the terms
“gender identity and

expression” to Vermont’s nondis-
crimination legislation (H.478)
appeared stalled at press time.
House Judiciary Chairman Bill
Lippert (D—Hinesburg) said he still
hopes to take more testimony and
get the bill out for a floor vote this
session, but that other issues have
taken nearly all the corr1mittee’s

time. Among those issues are con-

siderations of changes to

Corrections Department policies (a
compilation of bills now called the
“Safe Communities” bill) and a
bill to allow the state to incarcerate
sexual predators for treatment after
their sentences have been served
(H.108, Civil Commitment).

“I am pleasedthat we’ve
been able to do some successful
work [on H.478] outside the com-
mittee, and I am hopeful that we
will be able to take some more tes-
timony and move the bill forward
this session,” said Lippert in a I

phone interview. A few questions
remain, he said, regarding the
appropriate definitions to include
in the bill, which in its draft form
had no definitions of the term
“gender identity and expression.”
The legislature has voted

to extend the funding for its ses-
sion into the first week of June. It
is unlikely that a bill voted out of
the House at the very end of the
session would be considered by
the Senate before adjourrunent for
the year.

Equality Vermont’s
Virginia Renfrew said it is up to
the commurlity to keep the pres-
sure on to get the Gender Identity
and Expression bill out of the
House Judiciary Committee and
onto the floor. If it is approved by
the House this year, the bill will be
considered in the Senate Judiciary
Committee in the second half of
the biennium, beginning next
January. _
Besides Chairman

Lippert, members of the House

Bill Stalled

Judiciary Committee include:
Maxine Grad (D—Moretown), vice
chair; Alison Clarkson (D-
Woodstock); ThomasDePoy (R-
Rutland); Avis Gervais (D-
Enosburg); Richard Hube (R-
South Londonderry); Willem
Jewett (D—Ripton); Michael
Kainen (R—Hartford); Patti
Kornline (R—Dorset); and Richard
Marek (D-Newfane). V