House Committee Priorities Week 1 2010
HOUSE COMMITTEE PRIORITIES
It is Sunday evening and the close of the first week of the 2010 legislative session. The tone of the State House this year is somber as our fiscal constraints loom so large. While most of the news this week has been about the budget, here is some of what to expect from the 14 House committees this year:
1. WAYS AND MEANS: is concentrating on our revenue streams. Expect to hear about steps to provide for greater accountability, jobs creation initiatives, and another look at “current use.”
2. APPROPRIATIONS will focus on expenditures. They will work to create a balanced budget that reflects the values of Vermonters, knowing that many who depend on state government will receive less in the coming year due to the size of the deficit.
3. COMMERCE will address Vermont’s troubled unemployment insurance fund as well as strengthening long-term planning for Vermont’s economic future.
4. HUMAN SERVICES’ primary focus will be responding to budget challenges. As the economy struggles, Vermonters are seeking assistance who have never needed it before. We will hear about chronic mental health issues, changes in child abuse and neglect, and juvenile justice laws.
5. TRANSPORTATION will present a bill that will provide a 1-year pilot project to allow heavy trucks currently restricted to town roads to use our Interstate highways. Expect to hear more about our 433 structurally deficient bridges. Nineteen of these were identified as most urgent as their closure would require a 30-60 mile detour.
6. GENERAL, HOUSING AND MILITARY AFFAIRS put support for families of deployed guard members and returning soldiers as a top priority. They will also be looking at affordable housing delivery systems, labor issues involving mandatory overtime among a myriad of other topics.
7. GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS faces a very big year. They will respond to the recent report on government accountability and government restructuring. Another hot topic will be the date of primary elections.
8. NATURAL RESOURCES/ENERGY will focus on several environmental initiatives. First up is a bill to control the disposal and recycling of electronic waste, or e-waste–TV’s, computers, monitors, printers, etc. The bill places responsibility for collection of e-waste with the manufacturer including convenient collection. The committee will continue to gather information on Vermont Yankee to inform the continued operation debate. Whether there will be a vote from the Legislature or not remains to be seen.
9. EDUCATION committee is currently looking at 18 separate reports regarding the restructuring of education, education finance, and a host of other things. Priorities will be likely be set at the end of the week. One committee member told me the magnitude of pressure facing our schools and our taxpayers cannot be overstated.
10. AGRICULTURE will seek continued funding of the Farm to Plate program to invigorate Vermont’s food production systems. They will also address revisions to the Vermont Use Value Appraisal, known as “Current Use” in order to improve its performance while making it less costly.
11. JUDICIARY will spend significant time on the structural reorganization of our court system. Expect also to see legislation regarding texting while driving which was passed in the House last year, but died in the Senate.
12. FISH, WILDLIFE AND WATER RESOURCES will focus first on the riparian buffer bill which establishes a 50 foot buffer along our navigable waterways. This died on the House floor 2 years ago however has more momentum and clarification this year. Testimony from area scientists indicates that this is the cheapest and most effective way to protect our water.
13. INSTITUTIONS AND CORRECTIONS will focus on the direction of the state hospital and the capitol bill including a new health lab. They will continue to work on suggestions generated by Council of State Government report regarding ways to save on the corrections budget while keeping the community safe.
14. HEALTH CARE committee will be spend the first few weeks reviewing the federal health care options and determining what steps need to be taken to maximize reform efforts in Vermont.
Please continue to contact me with your questions and concerns at 233-7798 or KLWEBB22@mac.com.