Vermonters First propaganda postcard

You may have received a postcard paid for by Vermonters First, a right-wing political action organization funded by millionaire Lenore Broughton. Vermonters First is attempting to replace Vermont’s proud tradition of civil discourse and truthfulness with shock-and-awe propaganda. I think most St. Johnsbury voters are naturally suspicious of big-money politics, and know better than to blindly accept Vermonters First’s clumsy attempts to boil weeks and weeks of legislative work onto a sensational postcard. But just in case – here is more explanation (and fact-checking) for my votes so far this session.

We are facing very harsh economic realities. After several years of relying on “one time money” to fill budget gaps, we have to find additional revenue or risk cutting programs that low and moderate income people rely upon for their very survival. And there are cuts in the budget, even as demand for services remains high during our slow crawl out of the recession. The tax bill was flawed (see my previous post about this), but the committee had spent weeks exploring revenue options, and had discarded several that would have been even worse for our community. Compromise is the name of the game as a legislator. I also vowed to be transparent and accountable. I could have voted “no” or taken a walk and missed the vote (as other legislators did) – knowing that the bill would pass without my vote. But I believe that if I support the critical programs for Vermonters in the budget I need to stand by a method of payment.

I was voting FOR:

a 3% Medicaid rate adjustment that local health care providers (including dentists and mental health counselors) have requested to stop the cost-shifting to private pay clients.
an adjustment to the child care financial assistance program to incentivize high-quality child care, make it affordable, and keep families working
the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program – also known as “fuel assistance” which many St. Johnsbury residents (especially seniors) depend upon to stay warm in the winter

The Medicaid rate adjustment and child care investments are estimated to bring an additional $1.2 million into Caledonia County in support of essential services and businesses. By advocating against the Governor’s proposed raid on the EITC, we avoided a forced redistribution of nearly 1 million dollars from low-income working St. Johnsbury residents.

As for the gas tax – yes, I voted in support of the transportation budget. This bill had strong tri-partisan support because the Transportation Committee made it clear that our failure to pass it could have forfeited $56 million in federal funds. Caledonia County has the worst roads in the state. This is impacting tourism and our ability to attract businesses, not to mention taking a serious toll on our vehicles. Our existing Transportation funding structure hasn’t kept up with the changing habits of drivers. As vehicles become more fuel efficient, having a fixed fuel tax isn’t generating enough revenue to keep up with basic repairs. The Transportation Budget was actually an $800,000 decrease over the prior budget, with substantial cuts in an effort to direct the money raised by the new tax to the most critical infrastructure projects.

And as for property taxes, St. Johnsbury’s property tax rate actually decreased as a result of the education funding bill we passed (and the school board’s careful budgeting).

The postcard you received was propaganda, pure and simple. The claims made by Vermonters First range from outright lies (regarding property tax) to very selective and incomplete assertions taken well out of context.

I challenge St. Johnsbury voters to read beyond the rhetoric!

The Money Bills: Taxes and Budget

Last week the Vermont House completed our toughest assignment of the session: passing a budget and raising the revenue needed to fund our collective priorities. Budget-building is the ultimate exercise in compromise, and seasoned law-makers are calling this the most challenging budget they’ve ever worked on. Continue reading →

Transportation Bill | Opiate Omnibus | Equal Pay

It’s been a while since my last update – as we approached crossover the pace picked up at the Statehouse. Here are some highlights of key legislation passed by the House:

Transportation Funding

Last week the Transportation bill was presented on the floor and passed on a vote of 105-37. During floor discussion members discussed the difficulty of asking Vermonters to pay more at the pump. The Transportation Committee had clearly invested a great deal of time and thought into a solution that would help us maintain our roads and bridges with the least amount of fiscal pain possible. The bill represented a blend of cuts and revenue generation – enough to ensure that VT could draw down substantial Federal funding that would have been left on the table. Overall, the bill represents an $800,000 cut in spending over last year. We elected to change the way we collect gas tax revenue. Beginning in May 2013, we will transition to a “half-and-half” system that taxes gasoline sales with a percentage of cost and a cent-per-gallon formula. We established a floor and ceiling for these amounts, but roughly it translates to a 6.9 cent increase in 2014, 7.7 cent in 2015, and 8.8 cent in 2016. One final note, 1/3 of our gas tax is collected from out-of-state drivers. By way of comparison, NH looks to be on track to pass a $.15/gallon gas tax increase. Continue reading →

2013 Homestead Declarations are due by April 15th

Are you filing a Homestead Declaration, Property Tax Adjustment Claim, or a Renter’s Rebate? Those are all due when your taxes are due on April 15th. It’s crucial to file so you pay the right amount of tax or a receive a rebate if you qualify. Find forms, instructions, and ways to contact the VT Tax Department with questions right on their website: www.tax.vermont.gov.

Legislative Update #5 – February 17

This week in the House Judiciary Committee we voted out two bills. The first, S.2 was a bill that originated in the Senate and was guided by input by the Department of Corrections, the Judiciary, the Defender General and State’s Attorneys to clarify policy and create uniformity regarding sentence calculations.This legislation was prompted by the discovery of an offender who served a significantly longer sentence than he should have due to confusion on how to calculate minimums and maximums when concurrent or consecutive sentences are in effect. We also voted out H.41, the pension forfeiture bill. This bill passed the full House on Friday with a voice vote. Continue reading →

Legislative Update #4 – February 10

This week the Judiciary Committee continued exploring policy considerations in H.41 (public employee pension forfeiture) and H.65 (good Samaritan – drug overdose). At first glance, the pension forfeiture bill seemed straightforward: if a public official “steals” (larceny, fraud, embezzlement, false pretenses, etc.) in connection to their employment they stand to lose some or all of their publicly-funded pension. But as we took testimony and considered the nuances of the bill, some serious complexity emerged. Should financial crimes be held to a higher standard than other egregious breaches of public trust, for example teachers or corrections officers who abuse those entrusted to their care? Should forfeiture be limited to felony crimes or include “course of conduct” crimes that might be misdemeanors? Should the bill be prospective or retroactive? Judiciary Committee members generally agree that only felonies should be included, and that the law should be prospective. This means the law will only start to have teeth several years down the road when pensions have accrued value from the law’s effective date. Continue reading →

Legislative Update #3 – Feb. 3

Digging Deeper

Last week the House convened briefly on Tuesday and Friday, allowing more time for committees to delve into the issues facing us this session. In the Judiciary Committee we took more testimony on H.65, the “Good Samaritan” bill that would grant limited immunity to people who seek emergency medical help for someone experiencing a drug overdose (illegal substances or underage drinking). We heard from a substance abuse counselor from the Howard Center in Burlington, and two people in recovery who had both survived overdose. Their candid testimony helped the committee understand the grip that addiction has over decision-making. We also heard the concerns of the law enforcement community and a handful of State’s Attorneys. The emphasis of the bill is the preservation of life, but we also considered the possibility that along with emergency medical care the hospital might provide an additional chance for treatment and support to be offered to addicts.

We also continued our exploration of the pension forfeiture bill. There are a number of complex policy questions to answer, including: which crimes should be subject to possible forfeiture? What mitigating factors should be considered when deciding whether to order pension forfeiture? In this discussion – as in all to date – the committee is diligent in pursuing policy solutions that balance compassion, fairness and accountability. It has been an incredible learning experience so far.

Continue reading →

Legislative Update #2 – Jan. 27

The second full week of the legislative session was defined by two major budget events. First, the House passed the Budget Adjustment Act, to align the budget with updated projections for revenue and expenses. These adjustments were more or less balanced, or “revenue neutral.” It was clear that the Appropriations Committee had invested considerable time and attention in weighing the changes requested by various departments of government – even starting before the rest of the legislature to get it done. Details can be found here: Joint Fiscal Office – Budget Adjustment Summary.

Then on Thursday the Governor outlined his 2014 budget in the annual budget address . Governor Shumlin repeated themes from his inaugural address, with a strong emphasis on education and job readiness. The legislature now gets to work identifying our priorities and looking for places where we align with the Governor and where we might propose alternative policy approaches.