Vt. Supreme Court hears appeal over ed secretary appointment

MONTPELIER, Vt. (WCAX) – Did Governor Phil Scott have the power to give his education secretary pick an interim appointment after the Senate rejected her confirmation? That’s the question now before the Vermont Supreme Court.

The court on Wednesday heard an appeal in the case of Zoie Saunders.

Two Democratic lawmakers were on the losing side of a lawsuit last year that argued Saunders can’t stay on the job because the Senate rejected her appointment.

But lawyers for the Scott administration argued there’s nothing in law saying governors can’t reappoint during the session and that other governors have taken similar steps.

The governor in November appointed Saunders for the second time. But with the GOP picking up additional seats in the Senate and a new balance of power in Montpelier, the outcome of Saunders’ second confirmation vote could change, possibly making any final ruling by the High Court moot.

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