Vermont lawmakers sworn in; pick speaker, Senate president

MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) - Vermont lawmakers have been sworn in to a new session and have picked legislative leaders.

The House on Wednesday voted 100 to 50 to elect Democratic Rep. Mitzi Johnson of South Hero to serve as the new speaker of the House.

WCAX-TV reports (https://bit.ly/2hRPc8X ) that the Senate unanimously elected Democratic Sen. Tim Ashe of Burlington as Senate president pro tempore.

Outgoing Democratic Gov. Peter Shumlin is giving his farewell address to the Legislature on Wednesday afternoon.

Gov.-elect Phil Scott presided over the Senate in his current position of lieutenant governor as the senators were sworn in on Wednesday. He takes office on Thursday.