Lieutenant Governor John S. Rogers was sworn in during a session of the Vermont Senate, where senators appointed a two-member committee to escort him to the bar and the Senate secretary administered his oath of office.

The oath followed a motion by Senator Lyons, the senator from Chittenden Southeast, that the chair appoint a committee of two senators to wait upon “the honorable John S. Rogers” and bring him to the bar of the Senate so he could receive the oath. The motion carried after an affirmative voice vote, and the chair named Senator Rom Hinsdant and Senator Beck to the committee. The Senate secretary then administered the oath to Rogers at the bar of the Senate.

After taking the oath, Lieutenant Governor Rogers addressed the chamber. He opened with remarks thanking his family and used humor to set a tone for his remarks, saying, “Ieen telling them I
sk what exactly does a lieutenant governor do? And Ieen telling them I
sk Ie sure Iigure it out.” He also pledged honesty and a willingness to take on difficult issues, saying, “I will always be honest, I will not lie, and I will never avoid the controversial issues.” Rogers repeatedly framed his approach as bipartisan, saying he was “elected by Vermonters” rather than by a single party and promising his office would “operate in a nonpartisan fashion where all are welcome.”

During his remarks Rogers referenced former President Jimmy Carter and emphasized concerns he heard on the campaign trail, including housing affordability, perceptions of safety in Burlington, and the loss of working-age residents. Rogers said those concerns underpinned his pledge to work across party lines and to focus on keeping and attracting residents.

The Senate president also announced an executive appointment, naming Elizabeth Brown of Waterbury as his chief of staff. The announcement was made from the floor as part of the presidents appointments; no floor vote was recorded on the appointment.

Before adjourning, the floor took a procedural motion from the senator representing the Chittenden Central district to recess the Senate until 1:55 p.m.; the motion carried on a voice vote and the Senate stood adjourned until that time.

The events on the floor consisted of the committee appointment and oath, the lieutenant governors remarks setting broad priorities, the presidents staff appointment announcement, and an adjournment order. No legislative measures or committee assignments beyond the two-person escort committee were debated or voted on during the recorded segment.