March Madness Has Begun

March madness has begun. The legislators in Montpelier are a harried group as they try to keep track of their NCAA brackets while dealing with the flow of bills that had come out of committees just before and after Town Meeting week. Most of the bills simply made adjustments to existing practices or had been presented and discussed in detail on second reading and had broad support. Twenty-Two of these bills passed the house this week. Most of the time was spent on two bills: Farm-Fresh Milk and Affordable Housing and Smart Growth Development.

I expect four others to pass easily next week. These relate to Juvenile Judicial Proceedings; Child abuse or neglect; Educational Opportunities for Pregnant and Parenting Students; and UVM Retirees. A bill to Ensure Health and Safety on Public Construction by OSHA, designed to reduce Worker’s Comp. Claims and lower insurance rates by promoting safety, is generating some discussion as it came out of committee on a 5-3 vote. The need is great as Vermont’s workplace accident rate is 50% higher than the national average. New York, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut, and Rhode Island already have this requirement in place. Maine’s legislature is actively working on it this year.

On Tuesday, House Committees will be assigned bills that have arrived from the Senate. I expect Education will receive those dealing with dropout prevention and with abolishing the Board of Education and placing the Department of Education under the direct control of the Governor.

The common denominator that all committees have is that a bill that requires funding will not pass unless the additional spending can lower costs to a greater amount somewhere else. It is very unlikely to see any new programs unless they replace something more expensive or serve a more basic need than a program that is being reduced or eliminated. It should be an interesting next couple of weeks.

Please let me know how you feel about these or other issues. I also invite you to come to Montpelier to see the legislative process in action. I can be reached during the week in Montpelier by calling toll free at the State House 1-800-322-5616, by E-mail at ggilbert@leg.state.vt.us, or at my home answering machine at 849-6333.

Gary Gilbert
State Representative
Franklin 1
Fairfax/Georgia