Here's a  sampling of what various House  committees  are up to;

Health Care

Although we were spared having to struggle with the Challenges for Change, we’ve spent a lot of time addressing the cuts to health care programs in the governor’s proposed 2011 budget.  On the basis of much testimony, we’re in the process of making recommendations to Appropriations about which cuts we believe will cause the least harm—or at least only temporary, not irreparable harm. Some of the cuts arguably may even advance our goal of ensuring that all Vermonters have access to affordable, high-quality health care.

For example, we have agreed to limit reimbursement for emergency room visits to 12. This affects about 200 people, and better health management should make these visits unnecessary. What this means in plain English is that we believe that the people who care for these 200 souls can do a better job of keeping them out of the E.R.—by coordinating efforts, following up after the hospital visits, monitoring the patients’ drugs, this sort of thing—and that this better serves the patients and will save the state money.

Another example: We think, too, that we can reduce the number of urine tests that Medicaid pays to two a week, without harming any person or program.

But what about the bigger issues, like raising the deductible and increasing co-pays in Catamount?  In an effort to honor the intent of this program while acknowledging that it has lower deductibles than the plans of most Vermonters, we’ll likely agree to raising the deductible a little, and maybe increase the co-pays a little, while keeping the premiums low. A study from the New England Journal of Medicine this month showed how increasing premiums just a few dollars resulted in more hospital visits. We’re trying to avoid this.

Finally, in addition to the budget, we’ve looked at several dozen small-to-medium-sized bills in the past two weeks and will take up a handful, dealing with the Blueprint, insurance coverage for hearing aids, tobacco cessation programs, and more. You’ll see a bill next week having to do with home health agencies and transportation to medical centers.

If you’re wondering about the really big issues—the public option for insurance, global budgeting for hospitals, the so-called single payer bill, i.e. bills that someone might actually ask you about—know that we’re working on giving you something next week. It will be readable, easy-to-digest-and-repeat, and completely fascinating. Maybe even in poetry form, perhaps a sonnet or a villanelle…

House Commerce & Economic Development

Jobs. That’s where we’re focused.  We’re not waiting for the Senate to send us their first cut of the big Jobs Bill.  We’ve discussied at great length how to best allocate $8.67 million in ARRA funds for this fiscal year (2010) and stimulate the economy.  We’re focused on two issues:  more broadband and good-paying jobs.

We also know that to get to those good-paying jobs, businesses and municipalities need access to more capital.  In your mailboxes and email you’ll find an invitation to a workshop we’re presenting on Wed., Feb. 24 at 11:15 am to noon in the well of the House.  The workshop explains ways that businesses and your city or town can save money and get low-interest loans and bonds.  This will be done in conjunction with VLCT, so many of your local leaders will be there then.

We’re also giving preliminary consideration to other policy bills that don’t require us to spend money, in order to evaluate their potential for having a positive impact on commerce in Vermont.  Their topics have included banning ticket scalping, a bill of rights for condo-owners and others in home associations, eliminating mortgage hurdles for homeowners living on private roads, instituting fair labor laws that ensure proper classification of employees vs. private contractors, nurturing the buy local movement, and supporting Vermont’s banks against the vagaries of federal statutes, to name just a few.

We also will shortly be passing a fix to the problems in the unemployment insurance trust fund.

Transportation Committee

The Transportation Committee works nearly the whole session on a Transportation Bill. The Bill includes all the projects: paving, bridges, structures, maintenance, etc on all the State’s roads and highways. We give money to the cities and towns in the form of town highway grants for them to use on their structures (bridges and culverts), class 2 roads, and town highways.

Because of the ARRA funds we were and are able to get more projects done in FY10. One emphasis was on town bridge work. VTrans has reached the town bridge goal of having below 16% structurally deficient bridges. This does not include State and Federal bridges. The design of the new Crown Point Bridge is moving along under New York State’s jurisdiction with strong oversight by Vermont. Our State’s share of the money is about $ 225 million. 

Last year legislature instituted a tax on gas and diesel fuel. We put this tax into a special fund called the Transportation Infrastructure Bond Fund (TIB Fund).  This money can be set aside and used to Bond so that we can improve our bridges and structures, only long term improvements should be bonded.  The committee is reviewing the many pros and cons of bonding in FY11.

House Transportation had several bills reported on the floor and passed this past week.  The stand alone high speed rail funding bill H.761 sailed through the House and provides for the appropriate changes to the agencies project book and budget in enough time to allow for 2010 expenditures to start on the New England Central Railroad federally awarded grant ($50 million).

H.607 amends the charter of CCTA (Chittenden County Transit Authority) and brings efficiency to the administration of this government service by taking the existing management structure between CCTA and Green Mountain Transit Authority (GMTA) and allows them to continue under one legal entity. Points of importance:  

      In 2003, at the request of the State of Vermont, CCTA began providing services in central Vermont when the previous provider went bankrupt.

      CCTA began operations under the name of Green Mountain Transit Agency in 2003 with approval from the Vermont General Assembly through an amendment to CCTA’s Charter expanding its service area.

      CCTA manages GMTA in all aspects through a contract that expires in 2011.

      CCTA’s auditor and the Federal Transit Administration have strongly encouraged the two organizations to merge or not renew the GMTA contract after the 2011 contract expiration.

      Municipalities that don’t choose to join CCTA will still receive service as they do now.

      Other Public Transit Authorities across Vermont supported this management change.

Judiciary

People who rely on guide dogs to afford them the freedoms to do the things that most of us do as a matter of course, sometimes encounter a situation which robs them of that freedom. This can happen when another dog encounters the guide dog and either interferes with the duties of the guide dog, or worse, attacks and maims or kills the guide dog rendering it unable to perform its duties. This leaves its owner in the immediate position of not being able to navigate and in a longer term position of dramatic restrictions while waiting for either retraining or replacement of the guide dog. This training is an extensive, precise and costly process.

H.524 approaches this by holding the owner or person responsible for the offending dog’s actions by imposing penalties ranging from $100 up to $3,000 depending on the severity of the attack and whether it was a repeat incident. A provision which has the guide dog owner alerting the owner of a dog “seen” to be a possible aggressor hopefully anticipates that unwanted encounters will not happen.

Fish, Wildlife and Water Resources VY water update

Radiologic Health Chief Dr. William Irwin continues to keep us updated on the water-related activities at Vermont Yankee.  

The source of the leak has yet to be found.  Excavators’ attempts to dig deeper in order to uncover and inspect pipes and collect samples came to a halt on Wednesday.  The discovery of cement structures (placed somewhat differently on old drawings) and boulders challenged their ability to safely install shoring.  A new method using prefab shoring should allow them to continue to work without disturbing electrical and fuel lines which would have violated industrial and nuclear safety standards required for safe shutdown in the loss of electrical power.  They hope to have the new shoring in place in a day or two and then continue excavating down to about 15’ below the surface to physically inspect the piping and ducts in that area. 

More importantly, Dr. Irwin stated that they had found nuclear steam and a pool of standing water in the AOG (Advanced Off-Gas) pipe tunnel.  This is of great interest as a potential source as it is capable of generating the high levels of tritium we have been hearing about.  In addition, a new well, GZ 15 sited somewhat on line between GZ10 and 14, has helped substantiate the line of the plume. Additional wells in the south area should help define the edge of the plume and any other flow characteristics. Initial analysis seems to indicate that there is an old creek bed under the surface that may be a possible channel for some contaminants. 

When asked what he thought the Legislature could do to help, he said he “appreciated keeping this on the front pages so that people are asking and asking right questions.  A lot is being done so that this corporation is being held at a very high standard for protection of public health.” 

As for our folks on the ground, we have 16 staff who have formed the radiological sampling team:  7 from Dept. of Health; 7 from Agency of Agriculture-food and markets; 2 from Dept of Environmental Conservation.  The NRC and EPA are currently comfortable with the work being completed by our state teams and continue to monitor and consult.