Seizing on a well-publicized case in Hartland, two Vermont lawmakers have introduced a bill that would expand the number of people who could legally object when someone seeks to move a grave site.
State Representatives Alison Clarkson and Richard Marek introduced the bill Friday in response to a Springfield man’s successful petition to relocate three 19th-century graves from the Aldrich Cemetery.
Currently, Vermont’s burial statute allows a parent, spouse, sibling or child of the deceased to object to a grave relocation.
The bill would expand the list to include descendants of the dead, local cemetery commissioners, historical societies, veterans groups and cemetery preservation groups such as the Vermont Old Cemetery Association.