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2008 Statehouse Reports April 18, 2008 This week at the statehouse, the beehive was buzzing with economic news. On Tuesday we heard the sobering economic forecast that state revenue was down. Estimates ranged from $25 to $40Million.
The consensus , so far, was that this needed to be addressed with spending cuts ,not revenue enhancement. On Wednesday a preliminary list of possible cuts was released to the dismay of just about everyone. “New’ money in the budget was targeted with $20M of the $24 M in cuts coming from the Agency of Human Services. As of Thursday, a joint committee was trying to forge an agreement on what would be an acceptable compromise.
I am waiting to see what happens ,as I believe AHS cuts focus on services to the most vulnerable Vermonters .
Cuts are also proposed for some conservation projects important locally.
My sense is that any cuts will be contentious and getting to a mutual agreement will take quite a bit of work by all involved.
The good news on all this is, that the legislature is in session and can address these concerns in a proactive manner. The difficult part is that this adds another layer of work on top of full agendas from this being the time of the session when we’re tyring to finish up wiork of the session and adjourn.
Today the Windham County Caucus met, As I chair the group , I moved the discussion to current concerns and looking ahead past the session. We’re looking at the economic factors that color most of our other work. There has been great sentiment for expanding Catamount Health but the funds needed to cover those costs just aren’t there…
As the old saying goes, we may not be at the end of the earth , but you can see it from here. Likewise , we may not be at the end of the session, but we think we can see it from here. So with increased vigor, House Human Services work continues on the following bills;S.344 Internet Tobacco sales,S.114 Mental Health Parity,S. .336 An Act Relating to Juvenile Judicial Proceedings,S.281 An Act Relating to End-of-Life Care and Pain,S.152 An Act Relating to Prevention of Lead Poisoning by Exposure to Lead in Consumer Products.
All of these bills carry our commitment to making life better for Vermonters and especially in helping provide for our most vulnerable Vermonters.S.114 parity gives BISHCA the muscle and imperative to make sure managed care companies aren’t inhibiting access to services.S.281 looks at the Judiciary Committee and the study group that’s been updated these statutes for the first time since 1967. S281 was discussed in the last “CC” and S.152 adds to other efforts to help keep our children safe from the hazards of elevated blood lead levels.
For more info about these bills, please feel free to ask any member of HHS.
Week of April 2,2008 This past week, The BIG Bill-Appropriations, dominated the legislative agenda and floor action. The transportation bill and appropriations for such also played prominently in the unfolding events of the week.
After the Big Bill was read into the record, taking literally hours, debate ensued and for the most part the committee’s months of work were approved.
The task was especially daunting as the governor’s proposed budget came to them with a $50 Million dollar hole in it. Such fiscal irresponsibility was especially disappointing given the projection for hard time s ahead. If this is a harbinger of what the governor has in store for us in dealing with hard times, fantasy and magical thinking are not going to cut it.
The Appropriations Committee did their due diligence however and presented a balanced budget without raising tax and maintains the priorities the people of Vermont want and need.
An example is the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board. The governor sought to cut this by $5M at a time when housing and conservation are needed as much as ever. With Transportation needs piling up due to years of deferring upkeep, the toll is showing and it is time to act. Again, the governor's lack of leadership is becoming another example of fiscal irresponsibility. Our infrastructure needs help. Now. The legisalture is filling the void of leadership as teh governor is abdicating his role. We are moving in the direction of bonding to address the backlog of road and bridge repair. As we move ahead, we feel the future of Vermont's transportation system needs this infusion of attention to ensure a healthy economy can thrive in Vermont.
In Human Services Committee, where I serve…
With the “Big Bill” casting a big shadow, we danced between the raindrops of the extensive Floor actions as best we could to get some committee time in. Among the crop of Senate bills that have come our way, two have gotten the lion’s share of attention.
S.114, Mental Health Parity, attempts to address the gap between the practical applications of Vermont’s mental health parity law with the reality that it’s not quite happening. Among the vines of complexity in this, we’ll be looking at how the managed care gate-keeping might be inhibiting the use of services when people most need them.
S.281, An Act Relating to End-of-Life and Pain Management, is another deeply layered dilemma recognizing the changing landscape of how we help patients manage pain in their final months, days, and hours. Palliative care is quite the new field and not yet a tool in every care provider's tool box. Emphasis also seems to be focused on looking at the good works currently employed by trailblazing hospice workers and what can be learned from them. From that, this bill seems to look at how we can collect some data and build a knowledge base, to recognize the best practices and how they can be replicated.
Leadership has now set May 2 as a target for adjournment. Work will continue at an accelerated pace and we’ll see what ensues between now and then.
Commerating a Fifth Anniversary: This week at the Vermont Statehouse, we took time to be mindful of the 5th Anniversary of the Iraq Invasion.
Our devotional reading to start the session was from Rep. Carolyn Partridge-House Majority Leader. She shared a quote from Anne Frank.
"It's really a wonder that I haven't dropped all my ideals, because they seem so absurd and impossible to carry out. Yet I keep them, because in spite of everything I still believe that people are really good at heart. I simply can’t build up my hopes on a foundation consisting of confusion, misery, and death. I see the world gradually being turned into a wilderness, I hear the ever approaching thunder, which will destroy us too, I can feel the sufferings of millions and yet, if I look up into the Heavens, I think it will all come right, that this cruelty too will end, and that peace and tranquility will return again."
Before we reconvened after lunch, Speaker Gaye Symington asked all who so desired to participate in a ceremony to be mindful of all the ramifications of this invasion-from the suffering of the Iragi people to those serving in our armed services and their families who wait for their return.
When we had all gathered in our seats, the Speaker asked us all to stand. She lit a large candle in a glass jar, and she then proceeded to the Representative in the first seat , first row and asked that the candle be passed from one member to the other. With all 150 members participating in silence, this simple and profound ceremony took about 10 minutes to return to the Speaker. We then commenced with our work for the afternoon.
I felt this ceremony was as hopeful ,gathered and profound as the words of Anne Frank that were shared with us.
March 21,2008 "Crossover" is the deadline set by leadership,at which time legislation needs to pass through one body to move to the other,in order to complete the legislative circuit necessary for consideration by the Governor. We've just passed that milepost in the session. This time period is often a concerted effort to move bills pur of committee,punctuated by long work sessions and sometimes contested debate.The last week, was marked on Tuesday by floor action in the House that lasted untl 9pm.On Wednesdya we worked in committee until 11pm to finish the Juvenile Justice Proceedings reforms and Thursday and riday we were busy cleaning up loose ends before we start to take up bills coming over fom the Senate. We did pass some significant legislation in the past few weeks-and also, what I believe will be the signature bill of this legislature was signed into law by the governor-The Energy Efficiency and Affordabilty Act. The House pased out a housing bill that will help efforts to promote more affordable housing and see that exisiting rental housing is kept up to safety codes.It will also do this without compromising our efforts to protect our environment against thoughtless development. The committee I work in,House Human Services' time has been taken primarily by two pieces of legislation,H.635 Reports of Child Abuse and Neglect and H.615 Juvenile Judiciary Proceedings.
H.635 would change how abuse and neglect would be addressed, moving from a “forensic” method to ”differential”. In short this would allow for more flexible and diverse ways to address –and hopefully prevent- child abuse and neglect. The bill also amends the Child Protection Registry, so that those who have been substantiated for abuse and neglect be registered in a “tiered” system of keeping those records. Some would be eligible for removal from the registry if they had been juvenile abusers and upon reaching adulthood, had not committed any similar acts.
H. 615 is a bill from Judiciary Committee that HHS was asked to look at because of it’s focus on juveniles. Our due diligence hopefully helps create a comprehensive look at how juveniles are attended to in our judicial system. These statutes have not been looked at since 1967. We note that one of the major thrusts of the work has been to separate children in the system because of being subjected to abuse and neglect and those youth whose behaviors a r e being addressed because of juvenile delinquency.
In both instances, we have exercised compassion and awareness to their situations in the hope that their lives can be put back on track. Also, in both instances though, glaring inadequacies in our child protection system became even more evident. There is subsequent intention and hope that further cuts diminishing those state agencies designed to help children can be prevented. Democrats will continue to be in the lead of lining up our values with our actions towards strengthening services for children and families.
Early Education Day at the Statehouse-March 14.2008 Early Educators from across Vermont will visit the statehouse to share their work and educate legislators as to the benefits of Early Education. Our children are being left behind by the thousands as the Bush administration and Congress continue to mortgage their future by running up obscene debt for questionable priorities.
Our kids should be Priority One. Long term research clearly shows that investing in our children through early education and interventions reduces burdens on our society in such areas as less prisons and social services -and creates greater economic vitality.
The time is now, to support long term investment in our children and our future.
March 14,2007 We voted out IRV voting from the House today. While this is not as simple as some would have you believe, I feel it's a helpful tool for democracy. (Many states and cities that have approved it are not using it because of the costs and complications of implimentation) I feel that a proper vote is a majority, 50% + 1. IRV gets us there. And, if it insires more people to vote, all the better. Democracy works when people participate.. Feb 17,2008 Energy and Power were front and center in the statehouse this week. This week the House passed it's Energy Conservation bill, that will save Vermonters money on their heating bills, create jobs and decrease our carbon footprint.The bill passed on a 130-1 vote and now goes to the Senate. Our hope is that we can get a bill to the governor soon and get real help to Vermonters . We also passed a Campaign Finance Reform bill that will lessen the power of money to influence Vermont elections. Both bills were passed last year and both were vetoed by the governor. Time will tell if these become law but I certainly hope we can give Vermonters what they want here. As we head towards "crossover" when bills need to move from one legislative body to the other for enactment i this session, there should be a flurry of activity. We're expecting bills about health care, housing,corrections, protecting children and the environment-among other billls. We finally got the details of the Governors budget proposal and there is a lot of work to be done. There seem to be some big holes in the budget. e.g. the Governor had $50M from his proposal to sell off the Vermont lottery to some Wall Street company, even though there is no support for it in the legislature. Even if there was support and approval of the idea, the deal wouldn't be able to be completed fo 12 to 18 months. That money wouldn't be available this fiscal year,but there it is in the budget.In reality, we're at least $50M in the hole. Legislative leadership is hoping that the Governor follows the example of former Governors such as Gov. Snelling who faced tough economic times by bringing together all stakeholders.A comprehensive solution cna only be found if all are at the same table as we try and navigate our way through these economically challenging times. Feb 10, 2008 We should be getting some more substantial bills to vote on in the House this week and as we head towards Town meeting break. The Campaign Finance reform bill should make it out of committee and be ready for a vote. Last year, the governor vetoed this bill and we hope he doesn't,as Vermonters want big money out of the election process. We're also hoping to get an energy conservation bill soon. As heating costs soar to outrageous levels, Vermonters need help now. Oil companies are registering record profits on the backs of their fellow countrymen and this bill would lower costs, lessen our carbon footprint and create jobs. It's time is now. In House Human Services, we're still working on the Child Abuse bill and Protecting Children from Lead. We hope to conclude work and move on to other issues before too long. These are complicated bills though and we are being diligent about bringing a thorough deliberation to writing these bills. Feb 1, 2008 The big buzz this week at the statehouse was from two former governors visiting to testify on either side of the debate about extending the terms of Vermont's constitutional officers (Governor, lt. gov. sec. of state, Auditor,etc). Gov. Kunin supports the idea while Gov.Dean feels we should leave things alone. His argument is that after traveling the country he's seen how other states work-or don't. He feels Vermont's government works better than any and we shouldn't mess with it. Along with that we turned down another proposal from the administration. After proposing we sell the lottery last week, this week the adminstration wanted the legislature to change the adjournment calendar by one month. The biggest problem legislators from all three parties have with the idea, is that it hasn't been thought out, and processed. There was no sense of what the ramifications might be-especially given the prospects for the economy. We're receiving news every week that affects our research and for something like this to be offered up on the floor of the House with no substance to it was a waste of time. The vote on this proposal was 104-36. We take our job seriously and try and be thorough and deliberate doing the people's work. The lack of support from the governor' s own party was indicative of what little substance was in this proposal. Committee work continued on numerous bills. The count of proposed bills is up to 800 in the House. When we 're done, I'm told, we may pass 100 out of the 800 proposals. The next big bill we should see on the House floor is campaign finance reform. Vermonters don;t want money to buy elections and we think there should be limits on contributions. Last year the governor vetoed similar bill, but Vermonters are asking for this and we will try again.We think we hvae the votes ot overturn a veto, so we'll see how this one plays out. On other fronts , work continues on the Energy Conservation utility that will save Vermonters 1 and a half Billion dollars over the next 10 years. With the price of heating at obscene highs this is help Vermonters need, and fast. We're also continuing work on expanding to more Vermionters, finding a way to fund the needed repairs on Vermonts neglected roads and bridges and looking at how we pay for property taxes. In House Human Servcies we're looking at two bills that will protect Vermont children. One protects them from abuse and neglect and the other from lead paint. As we head towards Town Meeting week, action is heating up , so check back or feel free to contact me if you have a question or suggestion. Jan. 18, 2008 This week's overall highlights are the Economic forecast and the consultants report on the Energy Efficiency Utility.The economic forecast is sobering,with a forecast of recession in the next year (late 2008-09) seeming more and more likely. More so in Vt. than the US as a whole. (52% likely for US 60% in Vt)
The good news is that much of the bad economic news is tied to energy costs and the Energy Efficiency Utility will save Vermonters $1.5 BILLION over the next 10 years in heating costs alone.
The other news folks in Windham would be interested in is that there is a bill being put together by Rep. Tony Klein, that I and others are co-sponsoring, to see that Vermont Yankee pays its fair share into the property tax pool. They currently have a deal given to them in 2003 that essentially freezes what they pay-even though they have made improvements and are generating more income.
what this means is that Vermont homeowners are subsidizing Vermont Yankees lower payment into the property tax fund.
Many of us think they should pay their fair share and average homeowners shouldn't be paying higher property taxes to subsidize such a large corporation.
In Human Services,we're looking at a bill to reduce the Hazards of lead paint for Vermont children. This bill would not affect rental owners who are in compliance. It actually lessens some of the requirements on them. However since the first law was passed in 1997, a majority of property owners are still not in compliance, while Vermont children are still showing upo with dangerously high lead levels in their blood. Jan. 11, 2008 After the excitement of opening day, and the Governors State of the State Address, we got right to work,picking up on the work we started in 2007 and incorporating what we need to tackle this year. I was encouraged that the Governor seemes to be embracing so much of the Democratic agenda-from a new Enenrgy pln to expanding health care, addressing the needy conditions of our roads and bridges and also looking our for children-their eucation- and meeting our responsibilites to our most vulnerable Vermonters. There's much top do and as Robert Frost wrote," and miles to go befoer I sleep". So, on with the work ahead. Looking Ahead to the 2008 Legislative Session:
I am very positive and hopeful looking ahead to the 2008 legislative session. Positive about Vermont, and Vermonters, and hopeful the legislative session will be another productive one.
Having accomplished an array of legislation in the first year of this biennium, from supporting Agriculture to people with AIDS, and on into education, foster youth, helping families in poverty to transportation and telecommunications, we have a strong foundation to build on in 2008.
Personally, I have several bills I’ll be introducing. I’m especially eager to move forward a bill that will better protect the most vulnerable Vermonters-our children and elderly. We already have some of the strongest and most effective protective laws and services. However, one hole in these services is lack of mutual agreements with our bordering states and Quebec province to investigate abuse or neglect that happens to Vermonters out of state. As an area of the state close to two borders, there are instances where these laws are needed, and if it helps protect just one Vermonter, than we need to provide the legal tools to do so.
I also look forward to the agenda leadership has proposed starting with campaign finance reform. The governor has taken his lead from White House and wants no campaign spending limits. Vermonters want to limit the influence of money in elections and don’t want millionaires or special interests coming in and trying to buy elections. We will put forward a bill very similar to what the Governor vetoed and give Vermonters the campaign finance reform they want –and that meets the criteria set by the US Supreme court.
I also look forward to expanding Efficiency Vermont and creating an all energy-all uses conservation and efficiency utility. This will save Vermonters money-especially on their skyrocketing heating costs, it will also create jobs and boost the economy and looking t the future it will leave a cleaner Vermont and a cleaner world for our children and our children’s children and on into future generations. This action is representative of leaderships guiding principle to act today to create a better tomorrow. We want to be conscious and intentional about how our actions today impact the future and create a legacy we and our children can be proud of.
We also know that Vermonters want leadership on health care. As we move towards universal access and continue laying the foundation for that, we want to expand Catamount Health to include the underinsured along with the uninsured. Catamount Plus is another step in that direction.
Education is an investment in the future and in Vermont we already have strong educational outcomes and we want to sustain that and support education. We also want to make funding education, fair and progressive, so I support the movement to create a dedicated income tax for education for full time Vermont residents. Property is not the measure of wealth it once was. A progressive dedicated income tax recognizes that and allows people to pay their fair share based on income. This is especially essential for the retired Vermonters on fixed incomes.
In Human Services, it’s clear the time has come to move ahead and create a new state psychiatric hospital. We need to provide better for these Vermonters and we need to take advantage of the millions in federal aid we’re losing out on, because we don’t have an approved facility.
We also need to continue watching out for our elderly, the disabled, children-especially children with special needs and most especially children in the care of the state.
Vermont has also continued to be a leader in environmental protection and I look forward to working with leaders like David Deen , to continue our vigilance against those who would trade long term legacy of conserving Vermont’s environment with short term economic gains.
And, Vermont also has been a leader in civil rights, and equality and I look forward to the report from the Vermont Family Commission and hope we can provide equality for all Vermonters in regards to marriage.
Vermont is a great place for me to live and raise a family, and I look forward to working hard to represent the people of the Windham 5 district so it will be just as great a place for our children to live and raise their families.
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