The Burlington Free Press from Burlington, Vermont • Page A2

2A BURLINGTONFREEPRESS.COMTHURSDAY,JANUARY7,2016 MONTPELIER Vermont en. Norm McAllister alked out of the Statehouse stripped of his responsibilities Wednesday after his colleagues ruled that accusations of sexual assault made him nfit to serve. The Senate voted 20-10 to suspend cAllister from the powers of his office until the charges against him are dis- issed. other workplace would hesitate to suspend the alleged said Senate Majority Leader Philip Baruth, D-Chit- enden, comparing the action to the sus- ension of an accused school teacher or olice officer, or the firing of a corporate employee. McAllister was arrested at the Statehouse in May 2015.

has pleaded not guilty to three felon counts of sexual assault and three mis- emeanor counts of prohibited acts. McAllister has not been convicted of any crime. unprecedented Senate vote was based on the accusations alone. charges and this chamber Baruth said. Baruth noted that McAllister has been accused of sexually assaulting a young woman who accompanied him at the Statehouse as a legislative intern.

We have no choice but to err on the side of protecting those in our Bar uth said. are obligated to protect hose who might be vulnerable because they are on the wrong side of the State- ouse power Other senators argued that the action would violate Franklin constitu- ional right to be represented in the Senate and conflict with the presumption of innocence. McAllister held his head high during the discussion, looking straight ahead ithout showing emotion. Then he stood in his own defense and apologized to the Senate for you hrough do not feel that I should be ostracized for something that I am not guilty said cAllister, who has denied any wrongdoing and until Wednesday had refused to resign. After being escorted from the building by Statehouse staff, McAllister said he sure what he would do next.

you having sex with your in- a reporter asked. cAllister gave a high-pitched laugh. You gotta be he replied. hen pressed, he said He declined to comment further on the riminal case, including whether he had ex with the other women who have accused him of sexual assault. going to clear my McAllister said.

thing has put a sully on me. uilt and democracy greatest ally in the Senate as Sen. Peg Flory, a fellow Republican a nd longtime friend. Flory acted like the attorney she is as he cross-examined Baruth, who present- the resolution to suspend McAllister. Flory tried and failed to convince the Senate to take no action to leave McAll case to the courts.

We make the law. We interpret said Flory, who represents Rutland County. enforce it. not ur Sen. Dick McCormack, D-Windsor, argued that the Legislature had no right to wade into court issues.

is not supposed to be McCormack said. was put to death by the will of the major- i ty. Socrates was put to death by the will of he A fter the vote, McAllister said the Sena te could now suspend for any without a hearing, including for olitical reasons. I see it as a travesty that has happened to the McAllister told reporters in the parking lot outside the Statehouse. not a travesty that I did.

on them. They did t. Gov. Phil Scott, a Republican, said the Senate made the right decision. Scott oes not share fear that the enate could abuse the power to suspend.

charges are very serious in na- ure and in Scott said. come easy, and so I believe that it will be abused or misused in the cott said the Senate needs to have a rocess in place to handle similar situa- tions in the future, which would involve the creation of a Senate ethics panel. he representation question suspension means that Franklin County has only one working senator Republican Dustin Degree, who voted in support of suspending his colleague. is a hard day for Franklin County, a hard day for the Senate and a hard day or Degree wrote in a public Face- ook post the morning of the vote. It is tearing Franklin County said Tammie Colburn Consejo, of Sheld on, who traveled to Montpelier to listen the Senate debate.

Consejo said she voted for McAllister in 2014 and considers him a family friend she has organized petitions to pressure him to resign. I that happens, the governor would appoint a new senator from Franklin Count y. There are constituents that do not want to reach out to him for help for a va- iety of reasons, so we already are not ully said Consejo, who supported the choice to suspend McAllister. lory, McAllister and others argued hat the Senate should allow McAllister to stay so that Franklin County could have two votes. absolute Consejo said.

McAllister claims a strong base of support among his constituents. people of Franklin County stood with me pretty McAllister said after he was suspended. in the our towns that I represented when I was a representative. I had many people com- i ng up and telling me, We know McAllister said unsure whether he ants to run for re-election in the fall. I the meantime, McAllister will continue to be paid a senator's salary of $676.56 per week, but will lose his stipends for meals, housing and mileage.

He will be prohibited from serving as a enator until he is found not guilty or his criminal charges are dismissed. Thursday morning, lawmakers are xpected to undergo training to prevent sexual harassment. ontact April Burbank at 802-660-1863 Follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ AprilBurbank VT senator loses seat over sex charges GLENN PRESS Sen. Norm McAllister, R-Franklin, leaves the Statehouse after being suspended by the Senate in Montpelier on Wednesday. Roll call vote Senators who voted to suspend Sen.

Norm McAllister: Sen. Tim Ashe Sen. Claire Ayer (D-Addison), Sen. Becca Balint (D-Windham), Sen. Philip Baruth (D-Chittenden), Sen.

Joe Benning (R-Caledonia), Sen. Christopher Bray (D-Addison), Sen. John Campbell (D-Windsor), Sen. rian Campion (D-Bennington), Sen. Ann Cummings (D-Washington), Sen.

Dustin Degree (R-Franklin), Sen. Bill Doyle (R-Washington), Sen. Jane Kitche (D-Caledonia), Sen. Ginny Lyons (D-Chittenden), Sen. Anthony Pollina Sen.

John Rodgers (R-Rutland), Sen. Dick Sears (D-Bennington), Sen. Michael Sirotkin (D-Chittenden), Sen. Diane Snelling (R-Chittenden), Sen. Richard Westman (R-Lamoille), Sen.

David Zuckerman enators who voted against suspending Sen. Norm McAllister: Sen. Brian Collamore (R-Rutland), Sen. Peg Flory (R-Rutland), Sen. Mark MacDonald (D-Orange), Sen.

Dick Mazza (D-Grand Isle), Sen. Norm McAllister (R-Franklin), Sen. Dick McCormack (D-Windsor), Sen. Kevin Mullin (R-Rutland), Sen. Alice Nitka (D-Windsor), Sen.

Robert Starr (D-Essex-Orleans), Sen. Jeanette White (D-Windham) APRIL BURBANK FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER vermont.