By Michael Bielawski
This week lawmakers in Senate committees look at reshuffling education revenue but not spending, “healthcare equity” and more. Agendas published weekly on the Legislature’s website are subject to change. The agenda for all the committees can be seen here.
Preventing development on half our lands? – H. 687 (Wednesday, Senate Committee on Economic Development, Housing and General Affairs) Sponsored by Rep. Amy Sheldon, D-Middlebury, and Rep. Seth Bongartz, D-Manchester.
This bill, sold as an Act 250 reform bill that critics say will stall housing growth, deals with “community resilience and biodiversity protection through land use.” Its stated purpose is “to further assist the State in achieving the conservation vision and goals for the State established in 10 V.S.A. § 2802 and 24 V.S.A. § 4302.”
Those laws include working towards having half of all public lands off limits to development by 2050, among other goals. 10 V.S.A. § 2802 states, “Reaching 30 percent by 2030 and 50 percent by 2050 shall include a mix of ecological reserve areas, biodiversity conservation areas, and natural resource management areas.”
Redoing the education funding (but not spending) formula – H. 887 (Tuesday, Senate Committee on Education) Sponsored by the House Committee on Ways and Means.
This bill deals with “homestead property tax yields, non-homestead rates, and policy changes to education finance and taxation.”
VDC has covered that this bill lacks education spending reforms, it only reshuffles where the funding comes from. The state is currently facing around a 20% increase in property taxes due to education spending.
Keeping state government honest? – H. 702 (Tuesday, Senate Committee on Government Operations) Sponsored by Rep. Jessica Brumsted, D-Shelburne, and others, the bill attempts to enforce legislative requirements on the rest of state government.
This bill is about “legislative operations and government accountability” It “proposes to implement the recommendations of the Summer Government Accountability Committee, which aims to systematize the General Assembly’s government accountability efforts as much as possible rather than relying upon individual legislators or individual committees.”
Supporters of the bill say state government has been slow to implement legislation, including dam oversight and renovations.
The committee would be comprised of eight members including four from the House and four from the Senate, not more than two from one party.
Keeping them ethical? – H. 875 (Wednesday, Senate Committee on Government Operations) Sponsored by the House Committee on Government Operations and Military Affairs.
This bill deals with the State Ethics Commission and the State Code of Ethics. It says that Vermonters should know more about where political candidates’ money comes from.
It states, “This bill proposes to require that certain county officers both running for and holding office file financial disclosures. It proposes to modify disclosure requirements for certain elected officers both running for and holding office. It proposes to create penalties for delinquent disclosures for candidates for State office, county office, State
Senator, and State Representative.”
Stripping power away from sheriffs? – H. 872 (Thursday, Senate Committee on Government Operations) Sponsored by House Committee on Government Operations and Military Affairs.
This act deals with “miscellaneous updates to the powers of the Vermont Criminal Justice Council and the duties of law enforcement officers.” Among those miscellaneous updates could be to undermine one of the few public positions directly accountable to the public.
It states, “The Council shall create, implement, and modify by rule a statewide policy known as the Law Enforcement Officers’ Code of Conduct or Code. This Code effectuates the principle that law enforcement officers serve the communities of Vermont and protect all persons against illegal acts in a manner consistent with the high degree of responsibility and respect for human dignity required by the profession.”
Lawmakers and law enforcement have been at odds in recent years over what constitutes proper policing policies.
Health Equity Advisory Commission (Thursday, Senate Committee on Health and Welfare)
Social justice activist Rev. Mark Hughes, the Executive Director of the Vermont Racial Justice Alliance, is invited. Kirsten Murphy, the Executive Director for the Vermont Developmental Disabilities Council, Health Equity Advisory Commission, is scheduled.
According to the state, this commission among other goals is to “Promote health equity and eradicate health disparities among Vermonters, including particularly those who are Black, Indigenous, and Persons of Color; individuals who are LGBTQ; and individuals with disabilities.’”
Overdose prevention sites (Tuesday, Senate Committee on Institutions)
Legislative Counsel Michele Childs will speak. Political commentator Rob Roper has covered this subject. He clarified that this is allowing hard drug use in public.
“One lawmaker asked, ‘People are snorting fentanyl and smoking it, and I’m just wondering if that will be allowed at the centers, and also something like smoking methamphetamine.’ The answer from lead bill sponsor Rep. Taylor Small (P-Winooski) was, ‘Yes!’”
Sharing what a job will pay before the interview? – H. 704 (Thursday, Senate Committee on Economic Development, Housing and General Affairs) Sponsored by Rep. Rey Garofano, D-Essex.
This deals with “disclosure of compensation in job advertisements.” It states, “This bill proposes to require employers to disclose compensation in advertisements of job openings.”
It further states “An advertisement for a job opening that is paid solely on a commission basis shall disclose that fact and is not required to disclose the compensation or range of compensation pursuant to subdivision (1)(A) of this subsection.”
Protecting animals – H. 626 (Wednesday, Senate Committee on Government Operations) Sponsored by Rep. Chea Waters Evans, (D) Chittenden, and others.
This act relating to animal welfare “proposes to establish the Division of Animal Welfare at the Department of Public Safety to develop, implement, and administer a centralized program for investigating and enforcing animal welfare requirements in the State. The bill would also amend or establish standards for the operation of animal shelters and animal rescue organizations.”
It further states that the Commissioner of Public Safety will appoint a Director of Animal Welfare to be in charge of the Division.
The right to repair farm equipment – H. 81 (Tuesday, Senate Committee on Agriculture) Sponsored by Rep. Anne Donahue, R-Northfield, and others.
This deals with the “fair repair of agricultural equipment.” The bill aims to support those who repair farm equipment.
In the findings section it states, “According to the Working Lands Enterprise Initiative, about 20 percent of Vermont’s land is used for agriculture, while another 78 percent is forested. In surveys conducted by the Initiative, over 97 percent of Vermonters expressed that they value the working landscape.”
The author is a writer for the Vermont Daily Chronicle