The House adjourned Friday evening after an extended session trying to manage the fallout of COVID-19. This has been an extremely challenging time for Vermonters, and I know many Essex residents have faced hardships. Over the past several months the House moved nearly $1 billion worth of federal aid to Vermont communities and organizations. Unfortunately federal rules prohibited many of the direct to Vermont consumer programs we attempted to fund. Below is a sample list of organizations and programs that will receive this needed funding:

• $235 million for business, farms and non-profits who have suffered significant losses due to COVID-19
• $367 million to our healthcare providers and human services organizations to provide health care stabilization grants; funding for parent child centers; restart grants to summer camps, afterschool programs and child care providers and children’s integrated services; funding to address food insecurity; grants to vulnerable populations; and hazard pay for frontline workers.
• $85 million in housing assistance
• $31 million in broadband and other connectivity assistance

In order to get these dollars out quickly to help stabilize various sectors of our community, a variety of agencies and organizations are handling different sectors, and are doing their best to get programs up quickly and get these much needed economic relief dollars out the door. As applications are available they will be posted on various websites including:   

• www.tax.vermont.gov/coronavirus#relief
• www.accd.vermont.gov
• www.agriculture.vermont.gov/grants
• www.vermontartscouncil.org/covid-19
• www.dvha.vermont.gov

Please reach out to me if you need additional help in connecting with the above resources.
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Our healthcare and economic emergencies are not the only emergencies we must address. Vermonters care deeply about justice and equality, and in this time of national outcry for racial justice I am hearing this loudly and clearly from Vermonters. To dismantle systemic racism and centuries of oppression, we must work both individually to educate ourselves and collectively to transform institutions - every Vermonter has an important role in this. Likewise in the Legislature, addressing systemic racism falls within the jurisdiction of every single committee in this body, and we are eyeing our past, present and future policymaking using this expansive lens. Friday we passed S219 - addressing racial bias and excessive use of force by law enforcement. This one single bill will never be a cure-all for systemic racism, but it is the first of many steps that must be taken methodically and continually.
 
Although the legislative body has recessed until August 25th, our work is not done.  I will continue working this summer to ensure our neighbors, businesses, and workers have the resources they need. Do not hesitate to contact either of me. I’m available at Houghton.lori@gmail.com or 802-373-0599.

Be well.
Lori 

As I’m sure readers have heard, the Governor announced new guidance for indoor dining and an easing of travel restrictions to some parts of New England - both to begin June 8th. He also announced the resumption of driver’s license tests and learner’s permits as DMV begins opening limited services.
We must remember that Coronavirus still exists and continuing to take simple precautions will maintain our progress in staying healthy – make wearing a cloth face mask a habit when you leave your home, wash your hands often and continue physical distancing. It’s great to see everyone outside enjoying this wonderful weather while being vigilant against the disease. I enjoyed walking through the senior portraits at the Five Corners. It was inspiring to see the faces of those who’ve worked so hard to graduate to now be moving on to their next adventure. Congratulations EWSD Seniors!
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Legislation Update
It has been a busy few weeks on the virtual house floor. The House passed legislation that keeps our buildings operating, our infrastructure moving forward and gave preliminary passage to a 1st quarter 2021 fiscal year budget (final vote is Tuesday). H961 is a steady anchor budget for Vermonters, containing specific appropriations and levels of spending authority designed to maintain the basic functions of government while making no change to established or statutorily mandated programs and policies. Those important decisions will be completed with the full fiscal year budget process in August and September after the establishment of new official State revenue forecasts.
H961 contains three backstops in the event of unforeseen spending needs: the ability for funds to be moved around within a department as well as the option to present the need to the Emergency Board or the Joint Fiscal Committee.  The bill also funds our debt service and retirement obligations. H961 appropriates $47.3 million from the Coronavirus Relief Fund in several areas including UVM and the Vermont State Colleges, VSAC, different components of the judicial system, Working Lands, and State Parks, as examples. Emergency Medical Ambulance services are also allocated additional funding.

The vote was 142-5 and the full bill can be found here:
https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2020/Docs/BILLS/H-0961/H-0961%20As%20Introduced.pdf

Upcoming on the virtual house floor is Vote by Mail legislation that will allow for a ballot to be mailed to every voter. Not knowing what will happen with Coronavirus between now and election time, we need to take responsible action to address the health and safety of voters as well as those staffing our polling places. Unfortunately due to contracts with vendors, procurement of supplies, training of staff and voter education, we must make the decision now to have a safe system in place for November. Essex had a successful vote by mail experience, let your representatives know you want the same for the general election.

Legislative Committee Work
All committees are now in the process of determining the allocation of Coronavirus Relief Funds with final policy proposals due mid-week. My committee, healthcare, is starting from a place of deep appreciation for our healthcare workers and system. These dedicated workers stood up our healthcare response system and saved lives. Thank you!

In this legislative update, rather than focus on Statehouse activity, I will focus on food security. We have all seen, with many of us in, the long lines at Food Box distribution sites. I’ve talked with people associated with food shelves throughout the state. Many are not seeing increased requests within their food shelves that would be expected based on the long lines at the distribution sites. Also numbers for many of the school distribution sites across the state have dropped off. Yet we know we have increased need. We need to understand why people may decide not to access local food assistance sources. Any thoughts and ideas on the issues or how the systems could be changed to serve more people, please email me. lhoughton@leg.state.vt.us.

The following provides locations and programs offering food assistance:
EWSD’s Child Nutrition Food Services provides free breakfast and lunch for all youth 18 and under through at least June 30th. Children do not need to be in the car. Pick up as many meals as are needed at any of the below locations Monday through Friday:
ADL - 104 Maple St - 8am to 10am, Essex Elementary School - 1 Bixby Hill Road - 9am to 11am, Westford School - 146 Brookside Road - 10 am to Noon .
 
Aunt Dot’s Place located at 51 Center Road is providing pre-packaged boxes of food delivered to your car. Hours are Tuesday 6pm to 7:30pm; Thursday 9am to 11am; Saturday 9am to 11am. Contact information is www.auntdotsplace.com or 802-857-8208.

Heavenly Food Pantry located at 39 Main St is providing pre-packaged food boxes delivered to your car. Hours are the 2nd Monday of the Month 5:30 to 7:30pm and the 4th Thursday of the month 2pm to 6pm. June dates are June 8th and June 25th. 

3Squares - You or your household may be eligible for 3SquaresVT, a federal food program that helps Vermonters purchase food at most grocery stores, convenience stores, farmers' markets, and co-ops. To learn more and find out if you qualify for 3SquaresVT visit: https://www.hungerfreevt.org/covid-19squaresvt. 
3Squares members will see an automatic increase in their June benefits. If a household is eligible in May 2020, the added benefit is available June 16th by direct deposit or when the check arrives. A member doesn’t need to do anything to receive the increased benefit.

Vermont is now offering 3Squares online purchasing so Vermonters can buy eligible food items online with two retailers. This ensures a safe method for buying food during our current health crisis. More information at https://dcf.vermont.gov/benefits/EBT/Online

P-EBT is a new resource providing money to purchase groceries to families with kids who would be accessing free school meals if school wasn't closed. Many families have already been notified that they qualify and will be receiving P-EBT soon. Households already enrolled in 3SquaresVT will have P-EBT loaded on the card they already have. Other households will get a EBT card in the mail, similar to a debit card, that can be used at most food retailers. All families with school-aged kids are encouraged to apply to see if they qualify for P-EBT. More info here: https://dcf.vermont.gov/esd/covid19

Back to legislative news, the body continues to meet with our focus on COVID related bills and the need to pass a first quarter budget.  This week we passed our Capital Bill with the Transportation bill passing second reading. In the healthcare committee we are reviewing emergency legislation passed in March to determine what policy changes need to continue past the end of the emergency declaration. Our committee will quickly pivot to establishing a plan for dollars allocated in the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act to ensure we are protecting the health of Vermonters and the sustainability of our healthcare system.
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Please continue to be well and reach out if I can answer questions or be of any assistance. 
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​​COVID-19 has disrupted many aspects of daily life and has the potential to impact our civic duty of voting in upcoming elections. At a time when public health is at risk, the Vermont House of Representatives has been working with our Secretary of State to develop ways to ensure that our democracy remains strong. One of the ways to do that is by creating a safe, secure, and accessible Vote-by-Mail program for the November 2020 General Election.

Vote-by-Mail is the safest way to conduct elections in this time of global pandemic, especially with health experts predicting possible spikes in Coronavirus-spread come fall. Five states currently conduct all elections entirely by mail: Colorado, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington and Utah. Advantages, such as voter convenience, high turnout, and financial savings make this an attractive option.

Though it’s sometimes raised as a concern, fraud rates remain “infinitesimally small,” reports the Brennan Center for Justice at the New York University School of Law. Since 2000, for example, Oregon has sent more than 100 million mail-in ballots and documented only a dozen cases of fraud. And because Vote-by-Mail is long-established in Vermont, the Secretary of State has security procedures up and running.

Closer to home in Vermont, we know Vote-by-Mail can work because we’ve already implemented policies that allow for voting by absentee ballot. In the 2016 and 2018 General Elections, 30 percent of Vermonters voted preemptively, using absentee balloting as a convenient way to study the candidates at their leisure, skip election lines, and exercise their fundamental right from the comforts of home.

At the outset of the COVID-19 crisis, one of the first bills the General Assembly passed into law gave our Secretary of State and local election officials the ability to conduct emergency voting by mail (Act 92, signed into law on March 30).  And the Village of Essex Junction and the Essex Westford School District (EWSD) took quick advantage of this new legislation by approving a Vote-by-Mail election for their budget votes delayed this spring due to the State of Emergency.

The Village budget and/or EWSD budget ballots will be sent to 15,000 Essex voters this week, so look for them in your mailboxes! If you live in the Junction, you will get ballots for both the municipal and EWSD budgets. If you live in the Town outside the Village, you will receive a ballot for the EWSD budget. To vote, all you have to do is fill out the ballot and return it by mail (the return postage is paid). You can also drop it off at one of the Essex polling places in-person, from 7am - 7pm, on Tuesday, June 2. (All mail-in ballots must be received by that date.)

While it's too late to launch a full Vote-by-Mail program for the August 11th primary, we are committed to working to ensure the November General Election on Nov. 3 is an all-mail election. And to ensure Vote-by-Mail becomes a reality for the 2020 Election, the Secretary of State has to set the wheels in motion now. Designing a system and lining up printers and mail houses to conduct a Vote-by-Mail program for hundreds of thousands of voters is no small feat and will require careful planning and coordination.
Here’s what you can do in the immediate: please make sure you’re registered to vote. In Vermont, it’s easy to check your voter status without any in-person contact. Visit the Secretary of State’s voting website: https://mvp.vermont.gov/. From here, you can enter a few pieces of personal information to see if your information is current. You can also request now that an absentee ballot be sent to you for the upcoming primary and General Election.
This election cycle is unlike any in recent memory. At a time when COVID-19 threatens public health, the Vermont House has been working to develop ways to ensure that voting is accessible and convenient for every Vermonter. We want you to know that we will do everything we can to make sure everyone’s right to vote is protected this summer and fall. And, if you agree, write us, the Governor and let us know: Vermont should Vote-by-Mail this November.
 
Rep. Dylan Giambatista
Rep. Lori Houghton
Rep. Linda Myers
Rep. Marybeth Redmond
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Action continues in the committee rooms with little time spent on the House floor. The Governor’s veto of the paid family leave bill was sustained on a vote of 99-51. In order to override a veto each chamber needs a two-thirds majority vote. I am deeply disappointed in this vote but will continue to find ways to support Vermont families.

The Health Care Committee continues to focus on workforce, affordability and accessibility. All three being intimately linked together. We are experiencing shortages in all professions from unlicensed personal care attendants and direct support professionals, to physicians - across all care units. A 2018 study found there will be 3,900 nursing vacancies in Vermont by spring 2020 – just around the corner.  The situation in Vermont is not unique, these same issues are happening across the country.  In Vermont the workforce crisis is driven by several factors: tight national and local labor markets, aging workforce, provider burnout, rising higher education costs, limited educational capacity, insufficient Medicaid rates and broader economic development challenges. The health care committee is taking testimony on how we license medical professionals, what background educators need, programs for student loan repayment and an expansion of telehealth, just to name a few focus areas, in an effort to turn the tide.

I attended a meeting where Dr. Joshua Sharfstein, Professor of the Practice of Health Policy and Management at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, provided a national perspective on Vermont’s health reform. He spoke of the widening gap between U.S. health spending and that of other countries and the decline in U.S. life expectancy. He discussed the limits of fee for service reimbursement, the current U.S. model, and how that model incentivizes expensive procedures, creates a tug of war between insurers and clinicians and rewards the healthcare system when our population is sicker. This is at the crux of Vermont’s efforts with the move to value based payments through our All Payer Reform. We have a statewide goal of improving quality of care and population health while limiting cost growth.  At the center of our reform efforts is OneCare, Vermont’s accountable care organization. An ACO is a group of healthcare providers, including hospitals and doctors, who work together to provide high quality, coordinated care. One of the key known success factors for an ACO is the involvement of multiple payers - in Vermont’s model we are bringing together Medicare, Medicaid and commercial insurers. Early results show our efforts are working with patients reporting timely care, good communication and coordination. The Milbank Quarterly reviewed the reform efforts of four states and found that Vermont has “the most promising results” with fewer hospitalizations and monthly savings per person versus their comparison groups. The committees of jurisdiction will continue oversight of our reform efforts and I’m happy to provide more information to anyone interested. 

On a completely different note I co-sponsored a bill this year asking for a $500,000 increase to the Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing promotional budget focused on encouraging out-of-state visitors to Vermont. This department unifies messaging from the various parts of the state and across the tourism sector into one cohesive message and shares that message to potential visitors across the country and around the world. There are many ways that tourism is economic development – it generates tax revenues, creates jobs and unlocks economic activity in rural communities. After manufacturing, tourism is the second largest contributor of out-of-state dollars to the state.  Tax revenue generated from tourism equates to a savings of over $1450 for every Vermont household – any investment we make in tourism will benefit all Vermonters by bringing in more revenue. We are asking for this increase now because Vermont has decreased its investment in tourism promotion by 6% over the last 5 years – we need to reverse that trend and invest in Vermont. 

There are a few upcoming events that might interest residents: 

House Speaker Mitzi Johnson will be holding a community conversation at ArtHound Gallery Monday February 10th from 6pm to 7:30pm.  The ArtHound Gallery is located at 21 Essex Way (across from the Essex Cinemas). 

Voices for Inclusion in Essex and Westford will present The Hate U Give on Wednesday February 12th at Essex High School from 6pm to 9pm.  A dialogue will be held after the free screening.

The next Essex Delegation Community Conversation is Saturday February 15th from 9am to 10:30am at Sweet Alchemy.  This is a relaxed environment where we answer questions and have discussion on the topics important to residents.
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Hope to see you at one or all of these events.  As always, don’t hesitate to reach out with questions or comments – Houghton.lori@gmail.com

We are back in session and have hit the ground running – an indication that we will have a fast paced session this year. In the Healthcare committee, on which I serve, our most pressing issue this week was hearing testimony from the Brattleboro Retreat and Agency of Human Services.  With cash on hand of only 30-40 days and utilization of only 60% (acute care beds are close to 90-95% capacity) - the Brattleboro Retreat asked Agency of Human Services for additional funding or they may need to close, sell or downsize. Just a few days before the session started it was reported that the Secretary of the Agency of Humans Services turned down that request. The Brattleboro Retreat is not only a primary element of our mental health system and is 100% of the State’s capacity for inpatient children’s beds, but is also an economic engine in Windham County. Steps towards a productive collaborative conversation were made last week between the two parties and the legislature will continue to stay abreast of the situation. 

We reviewed the administration’s budget adjustments for the departments under our jurisdiction – Department of Vermont Health Access and Department of Mental Health. This is an annual mid-year process that starts in the House.  We review the Administration’s budget adjustments recommendations to provide House Appropriations policy feedback.  One area that stood out in this review - The Department of Mental Health has ongoing pressure in residential treatment for children.  Although many factors cause this pressure, primarily it’s due to an increase in the acuity of clinical need for children. Our committee will continue to work with DMH and other stakeholders on both children and adult needs and the system of mental health.

The Vermont’s healthcare system is considered a “merged market”.  This means individuals and small businesses are combined into one market for assessing risk and offering plans through Vermont Health Connect. This merged market includes approximately 74,000 people.  Act 63 of 2019 required the Agency of Human Services to evaluate the impact of health insurance premiums from fully separating the merged individual and small group markets and to develop a strategy for making health insurance more affordable for all Vermont residents.  Stakeholders met over the summer and fall and presented their findings to our committee. What ensured was a lively and thoughtful discussion on several proposals including fully unmerging or partially unmerging the markets. This was the first of what will be many committee discussions this year on Vermont’s health insurance structure.

In the first week no bills were voted on, but I expect that to change quickly.  Both paid family leave and minimum wage legislation moved to conference committee’s this week. Should the committee’s reach agreement on their respective legislation, both chambers then have an opportunity to vote up or down (the chambers cannot make changes to the legislation).

This past weekend in Essex - myself and a small group of planners, along with many, many volunteers with support from area organizations hosted our first annual Gather at The Table dinner.  This free event included a delicious dinner, an open gym, music, board games and the opportunity to chat with new and old neighbors.  Our intention was to gather our Essex and Westford neighbors, to connect the non-school and school communities and to enjoy an evening together.  Well over 400 people attended! We’ve already started our planning for next year.  My heart is full!
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I hope these weekly updates will remain informative.  Please reach out with questions and comment to Houghton.lori@gmail.com or 802-373-0599.  

A bill that received little attention outside of the Statehouse was signed into law today by Governor Scott.  H524 originated in the House Healthcare committee after weeks of testimony and thoughtful discussion.  It is a broad marketplace stability bill that seeks to protect Vermont's insurance exchange and to protect Vermonters from the dismantling of the affordable care act.  

In the health care world, we are often working to balance two opposing schools of thought.  One side looks for an expansion of government, and simplification of the existing system by limiting payers.  Conversely, another point of view looks to enhance competition, and subject the health care market to a fully free market system.  While the visions from each side may be worth pursuing in the long term, it is important for Vermonters to have a functioning and accessible health care system today.  This legislation looks to address the pressing concerns of today, while continuing to consider more systemic reforms to how we provide - and pay for - health care in our state.

Although this legislation covers many pieces of health care, the most important to me is the consumer protections, that are in the affordable care act, but were not in state statute.  If the affordable care act is repealed or dismantled, now, in Vermont we will have the following protections:

• Prohibit preexisting exclusions
• Imposes annual limitations on costing sharing
• Bans annual and lifetime limits on the dollar amount of essential health benefits
• Prohibits cost sharing for preventive services
• Requires major medical insurance plans to cover an insured adult child up to age 26

In my short 3 years in the legislator, the house healthcare committee has continued to battle against the threats at the federal level to dismantle the affordable care act.  H524 is a giant step forward in protecting Vermonters.  Yes, we still have a lot of work to do on cost and access.  But I will rest a little bit easier tonight knowing we have these protections.

​Well our goal was to be finished with the 2019 legislative session on May 18th.  As we all know sometimes deadlines must be pushed out.  Although only the budget and revenue bills must pass prior to adjournment there are still several priority initiatives we are hoping to finalize this week.  Below is a recap of the legislative session thus far:
 
55 bills have been passed by both the House and Senate while 26 of those bills have been enacted into law. 
 
Bills enacted into law include (but not limited to):

• H26 which restricts retail and internet sales of electronic cigarettes, liquid nicotine and tobacco paraphernalia in Vermont
• S86 increases the legal age for buying and using cigarettes, electronic cigarettes and other tobacco products from age 18 to 21.
• S49 regulates polyfluoroalkyl substances in drinking and surface waters
• H528 creates the Rural Health Services Task Force
• S68 changes Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples’ Day
• H3 relating to ethnic and social equity studies standards for public schools

 
Bills awaiting the Governor’s action include (but not limited to):

• S169 establishes a 24 hour waiting period for the purchase of handguns and updates and provides clarity on several restrictions on the transfer and use of high capacity ammunition feeding devices. 
• H47 relating to the taxation of electronic cigarettes (was delivered to the Governor on May 17)
• S43 limiting prior authorization requirements for medication-assisted treatment
• H513 Broadband deployment (House concurred with Senate on Friday)

 
Bills yet to be resolved between House and Senate include (but not limited to):

• H542 Budget
• H541 Revenue bill
• S23 Raising the Minimum
• H107 Paid Family and Medical Leave
• H531 Child Care and Early Learning System
• S96 Clean Water Funding
• S113 Single-use Products/Plastics
• S40 Testing and remediation of lead in the drinking water of schools and child care facilities
• H511 Statute of Limitation Reform
• H533 Work Force Development

 
Fortunately this is year one of the biennium so unresolved bills will carry forth to next year. 
 
I’m happy to talk further about any of the bills listed here and those not listed.  I can always be reached at lhoughton@leg.state.vt.us or 373-0599.  June 1st is the next Essex/Westford community conversation from 8:30am to 10:00am at The Nest Café located on Main St in the Village. 
 
The time we spend in Montpelier is productive and important, but so is spending time in the community.  I look forward to adjourning this week and seeing everyone around the Village.  Please don’t ever hesitate to stop me in the street, at the grocery store or anywhere else – I’m always happy to chat.  Thank you for the continued opportunity to serve Essex Junction!