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One week ahead of us before we break for Town Meeting week. This means crossover between the House and Senate is fast approaching. Our crossover date this year is March 11th for policy committees and March 18th for money committees. Any bill not out of committees by this date have little chance of passage this session.
Remember all committees and floor action have live streaming and are recorded for later viewing on YouTube. Agendas and streaming links are available on all committee pages at https://legislature.vermont.gov/ Please reach out to me or Rep. Dolan with questions, concerns, and ideas. Contact information: Rep. Lori Houghton (lhoughton@leg.state.vt.us) and Rep. Karen Dolan (kndolan@leg.state.vt.us). ESSEX JUNCTION INDEPENDENCE UPDATE Friday was a historic day in the House. The City of Essex Junction Charter (H.491) passed second reading with a unanimous voice vote! The House will have a final vote Tuesday where we expect it will be a unanimous voice vote again and then the charter moves to the Senate. To recap, the votes were a unanimous yes in both Gov Ops and Ways & Means and now the House Floor. Rep. Dolan and I look forward to moving H.491 through the Senate and on to the Governor for signature before the end of this session. Rep. Dolan spoke eloquently in favor of our community when she made the following statement on the floor: "Today’s vote marks a momentous milestone, moving us one step closer to the creation of the City of Essex Junction. H491, the bill before us, represents a collaborative and thoughtful path forward in a decades-old municipal discussion in the Essex Community. It has been an honor to work with the senior member of Essex Junction to shepherd this charter change through the legislative process, as H491 overwhelmingly holds the voice of our Village with 88% of voters supporting its passage. The creation of the City of Essex Junction will allow two communities, who have tried almost every conceivable relationship, the opportunity to thrive as two separate entities for the betterment of all residents. I would like to share extreme gratitude to the many hands that contributed in efforts toward today’s vote. It truly takes a village to create a city and I ask for your support in continuing that work by voting yes on H491." LEGISLATURE UPDATE H.628, a bill that will make it easier for transgender and non-binary people in Vermont to amend their birth certificate to reflect their gender identity passed this week. The current process is unnecessarily costly, time consuming and complicated. H.628 creates a path for the Department of Health to create a simple process — by self-attestation — to make this change. DOH must provide at least three gender marker options, including M[ale], F[emale] and X[non-binary]. This bill promotes equity by allowing all individuals, regardless of gender, to amend their vital records to reflect and affirm their identities. Final House passage is expected tomorrow, and the bill will then move to the Senate for further consideration. If H.628 wins final legislative passage this year, Vermont will join 23 states that have made the process simple, and 14 that have added a gender-neutral marker on birth certificates. HOUSE REDISTRICTING House Government Operations continues their thoughtful work on redistricting of house seats. The below link provides the latest view of the proposed new Chittenden 8-2 district. As you may recall, Chittenden 8-2 is well over the constitutionally allowed number of residents per representative so lines had to be redrawn and some residents will be represented by Chittenden 8-1 starting next year. Rep. Dolan and I worked closely with Gov Ops and the Essex Delegation to meet the requests of our Board of Civil Authority. We will update the community when the maps have been finalized. https://legislature.vermont.gov/committee/document/2022/14/Date/2-17-2022#documents-section HEALTHCARE COMMITTEE UPDATE Our committee worked on a broad range of issues this week including Health Equity, Hospital Sustainability, Insurance Coverage for Hearing Aids, Health Care Workforce Recommendations and Suicide Prevention specific to Firearms. Hearing from Vermonters with lived experiences of the issue at hand is the most impactful testimony we can hear but is also often the most difficult to hear. On Wednesday a mother whose young son died by suicide by firearm shared her son’s story. Had the young boy not had access to a firearm, he may still be with us today. According to testimony from local experts, most hospital visits for self-harm are poisonings. Most suicide deaths are due to firearms. To read testimony about suicide by firearm and suicide prevention please see the link below. https://legislature.vermont.gov/committee/document/2022/15/Date/2-16-2022#documents-section Be well, Lori Week 5: Legislative Update Being back in the Statehouse has been remarkably normal and strange all at the same time. I would have expected a longer adjustment period after being remote for 2 years, but we haven’t missed a beat in continuing our work on behalf of Vermonters. Remember all committees and floor action have live streaming and are recorded for later viewing on YouTube. Agendas and streaming links are available on all committee pages at https://legislature.vermont.gov/ Please reach out to me or Rep. Dolan with questions, concerns, and ideas. Contact information: Rep. Lori Houghton (lhoughton@leg.state.vt.us) and Rep. Karen Dolan (kndolan@leg.state.vt.us). ESSEX JUNCTION INDEPENDENCE UPDATE House Government Operations voted H.491 out of committee 11-0. We thank everyone who testified and wrote the committee. Now House Ways and Means will hear testimony starting Tuesday. You can see the agenda and watch via livestream at: https://legislature.vermont.gov/committee/detail/2022/21 LEGISLATURE PASSED PROPOSAL 2 The House passed Proposal 2, prohibiting slavery and indentured servitude, by a roll-call vote of 139-3. Vermont outlawed slavery in 1777 when it ratified its first Constitution. But the wording is not absolute. As currently written, only persons over the age of 21 cannot be held in slavery. Additionally, a Vermonter over this age can be bound into slavery if they consent to being a slave. Proposal 2 would amend Article 1, Chapter 1 of the Vermont Constitution, replacing this original section with language stating plainly that “slavery and indentured servitude in any form are prohibited.” Changing the state constitution is a four-year process. The proposed language must be approved by the legislature in two successive biennia, a step that with Friday’s vote is now complete. The proposed amendment will now be placed on the ballot for all Vermont voters to consider in November 2022. Some may question the need for this change because slavery has been outlawed in the United States since 1865. But the unfortunate reality in 2022 is that forms of modern slavery, such as sex trafficking and the labor of undocumented immigrants, still exist in this country and Vermont is not immune. “Language is powerful,” said Rep. Hal Colston (D-Winooski) in presenting Prop 2 on the floor. “And the truth shall set us free.” UPCOMING VOTE CHANGES TO VERMONT TAX SYSTEM and ADVOCATE INFO The House Calendar provides what bills are up for action the next legislative day and those that are on notice. The House Calendar and bill language can be found here: https://legislature.vermont.gov/.../CALENDAR/hc220208.pdf Up for action Tuesday is H.510 a bill that would create a new refundable Vermont child tax credit of $1,200 yearly for each child aged six and under in Vermont. This credit will not count as income for the purpose of eligibility for benefits such as Reach Up and SNAP. H.510 also expands Vermont’s social security exemption. Since 2018, Vermont has exempted Social Security income from taxation for single taxpayers with Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) below $45,000 and for married filers with AGI below $60,000. These exemptions phase out over the next $10,000 of income. H.510 would increase those thresholds by $5,000, to $50,000 for single filers and to $65,000 for married filers, with the same $10,000 phase-out. The Vermont Taxpayer Advocate offers free guidance to help taxpayers with problems they are unable to resolve on their own; works for fair treatment of taxpayers; and educates taxpayers so they know and understand their rights. Information can be found here: https://tax.vermont.gov/taxpayer-advocate HEALTHCARE COMMITTEE UPDATE We continue to hear testimony related to workforce. Last week we heard obstacles and potential solutions from nurse educators and next week we will hear from the mental health field. We are working with the House Commerce Committee who is charged with creating workforce legislation. UNIVERSAL SCHOOL MEALS TASK FORCE REPORT The Universal Meals Task Force was created to investigate how to provide free universal school lunch for public school students no later than the 2026-2027 school year. Their report was submitted to the legislature and a link is below. The report contains 10 legislative recommendations that can be found on page 19. https://legislature.vermont.gov/.../W~Rosie%20Krueger... ESSEX DELEGATION COMMUNITY CONVERSATION Please join us during the legislative session for monthly updates on bills, committee work, caucus activities and more. We welcome your concerns, questions, and a spirit of open, respectful dialogue. Our next conversation will be Thursday February 17th at 7pm. A zoom link will be accessible on FPF, Facebook and via email a few days before the date. Be Well, Lori The 2022 legislative session is underway, and all committees and floor action have live streaming and are recorded for later viewing on YouTube. Agendas and streaming links are available on all committee pages at https://legislature.vermont.gov/
Please reach out to me or Rep. Dolan with questions, concerns, and ideas. Contact information: Rep. Lori Houghton (lhoughton@leg.state.vt.us) and Rep. Karen Dolan (kndolan@leg.state.vt.us). ESSEX JUNCTION INDEPENDENCE UPDATE Rep. Dolan and I provided testimony on H.491 an act relating to the creation of the City of Essex Junction this week. You can watch the proceedings here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cK2vzRdokaQ The Chairs of the Trustees and Selectboard will testify next (date not yet determined but potentially this coming week!). DO YOU BUY HEALTH INSURANCE DIRECTLY FROM BCBS OR MVP? Although open enrollment is closed, Vermonters could be saving $1,000s on premiums still this year. If you buy a qualified health plan from BCBS or MVP, you may be eligible for tax credits. Vermonters in single plans may now qualify for tax credits with incomes up to $105,771 in 2022. Vermonters in family plans may qualify with incomes up to $297,216 in 2022. Although you will need to move to Vermont Health Exchange to qualify for these tax credits, you will keep your same health plan and still pay your premium directly to BCBS or MVP. I encourage anyone buying direct to visit the site below to determine what you could be saving. Click on the shopping cart icon “plan comparison tool” to determine what you may qualify for. Or call 1-855-899-9600 https://portal.healthconnect.vermont.gov/VTHBELand/welcome.action LEGISLATIVE UPDATE FY2022 Budget Adjustment Friday the House unanimously approved H.679, the annual Budget Adjustment Act. In addition to balancing our state budget midway through the fiscal year, the BAA provides an opportunity to address our state’s urgent needs, including ongoing pandemic response. Highlights of this year’s BAA include significant one-time investments in workforce retention, housing, childcare, and providing services to Vermonters who have been, and continue to be, deeply impacted by COVID-19. More details can be found here: https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2022/WorkGroups/House%20Appropriations/FY%202022%20Budget%20Adjustment/W~H.679%20-%20FY2022%20Budget%20Adjustment~House%20Highlights~1-18-2022.pdf FY2023 Budget Public Hearings The Vermont House and Senate Committees on Appropriations will hold two Public/Advocate Hearings on the Governor’s Recommended FY 2023 State Budget on Tuesday, February 8, 2022 at 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. and Wednesday, February 9, 2022 at 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. via videoconferencing technology (Zoom). All are welcome to testify. The Governor’s proposal and the press release on how to attend or submit testimony can be found below: https://finance.vermont.gov/fy2023 https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2022/WorkGroups/House%20Appropriations/Highlights/Public%20Hearings%20-%20FY23%20State%20Budget.pdf INVESTING IN VERMONT’S FUTURE Below is the link to the final report of the “Investing in Vermont’s Future” community conversation. House Speaker Jill Krowinski and Senate President Pro Tem Becca Balient engaged over 1400 Vermonters through virtual conversation and online questionnaire. The goal was to ensure that Legislative work is informed by Vermonters voices and day-to-day experiences. https://protem.vermont.gov/investing-vermonts-future-final-report Be Well, Lori COVID case counts are at record highs and childcare centers, hospitals, schools, and many others are working tirelessly to keep Vermonters safe. Please continue to be kind to each other and establish your own self-care techniques. If you are sick, please stay home. I encourage Vermonters who are not vaccinated to please talk with your provider.
The 2022 legislative session is underway and all committees and floor action have live streaming and are recorded for later viewing on YouTube. Agendas and streaming links are available on all committee pages at https://legislature.vermont.gov/ I know this continues to be a difficult time. Please reach out to me or Rep. Dolan with questions, concerns, and ideas. Contact information: Rep. Lori Houghton (lhoughton@leg.state.vt.us) and Rep. Karen Dolan (kndolan@leg.state.vt.us). ESSEX INDEPENDENCE UPDATE H.491 an act relating to the creation of the City of Essex Junction was introduced and assigned to the House Government Operations committee on Friday. This committee has a full plate right now with redistricting. Rep. Dolan and I will let the community know when testimony is scheduled. LEGISLATIVE UPDATE We began week 1 of the legislative session at a runner’s pace (a fast runner!) sending S. 172 an act relating to authorizing alternative procedures for 2022 annual municipal meetings in response to COVID-19 to the Governor. Policy committees began taking testimony on the Governor’s budget adjustment. This is the FY2022 mid-year budget adjustment of existing programs - an opportunity to attend to urgent needs that cannot wait for the next year’s budget. HEALTH CARE COMMITTEE UPDATE Two items of note in the Health Care Committee’s purview related to budget adjustment are 1) an increase for recruitment and retention purposes within the Department of Mental Health and 2) an increase to support Medicaid reimbursements for Primary Care Providers. While we support the increases for Department of Mental Health front line workers, we were frustrated that the administration did not also provide for recruitment and retention bonuses for the 5,000+ workers in our Designated and Specialist Services Agencies, think Howard Center, school-based clinicians and Pathways as three examples. Our committee heard testimony on a proposal that would provide the same retention bonuses to this group of front line workers. We are supportive of both packages. During our discussion there was broad agreement that this is only a small step. We must find a funding mechanism to ensure the sustainability of our mental health system. I’ve heard from many who all say, “I have never seen it this bad.” We have not yet taken a vote on the increase to support Medicaid reimbursements; however, I believe this increase is vital to support our providers. Our committee also joined with the Senate Health and Welfare committee in hearing testimony on Act 6 of 2020 which extended COVID-19 emergency provisions related to telehealth and extended health care regulatory flexibility during COVD-19 through March 2022. We know there is a strong need to continue most of the provisions, especially ensuring Vermonters maintain access to their telehealth providers. We will continue this testimony this coming week as we must act fast to maintain continuity for Vermonters and our health care system. AFFORDABLE INTERNET CONNECTIVITY PROGRAM Recently Congress created the FCC’s Affordable Connectivity Program, a $14 billion program, which replaced the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program. This investment in broadband affordability will help people get the internet connections they need for work, school, health care and much more. The program provides eligible households with a discount on broadband service and connected devices. This program provides a discount of up to $30 per month toward the internet for eligible households and up to $75 per month for homes on qualifying Tribal lands. Learn if you qualify for the program and how to apply here: ACPBenefit.org AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN INVESTMENTS Join VT Council on Rural Development January 14th at 10:30AM for an online workshop designed to help interested Vermonters understand the different parameters for spending ARPA funds. The workshop will include a conversation with local leaders of The Vermont League of Cities & Towns, as well as tips on how to most effectively work with other community members, potential partners, and the municipality to achieve desired outcomes. To register and learn more visit https://www.vtrural.org/leadership/workshops ESSEX DELEGATION COMMUNITY CONVERSATION Please join us during the legislative session for monthly updates on bills, committee work, caucus activities and more. We welcome your concerns, questions, and a spirit of open, respectful dialogue. Our next conversation will be Sunday January 23rd from 2 to 3:30pm. A zoom link will be accessible on Front Porch Forum, Facebook and via email a few days before the date. Be Well, Lori |
