Tackling the Budget and the Jobs Bill April 2010

The Legislature is beginning to wrap up its work, and adjournment is expected within the next two to three weeks.  While we started the year working long hours in our committees reviewing legislation, we are now completing the cycle by passing legislation during long hours in full session on the House floor.

Going into this year’s session, we faced a $150 million shortfall in fiscal year 2011 (July 1, 2010 – June 30, 2011).  The House completed its version of the FY11 General Fund budget last month.  While the Senate worked on its response, House committees addressed the Challenges for Change proposals to cut the remaining $38 million needed to close the budget gap.  This effort was especially difficult because several programs earmarked for closure or substantial reduction by the executive branch were funded by the House in the General Fund and capital budget.  Not only are some of these programs very popular with Vermonters, but they are initiatives with track records of spurring economic development.  In our Challenges for Change deliberations last week, we debated ways to achieve significant efficiencies in government operations.  $20 million in savings were found.  If the Senate agrees, the executive branch must propose alternative ways to achieve the additional $18 million needed to balance the FY11 budget.

Job creation is the key to economic recovery.  One of the major pieces of legislation to pass the House is S.288, a Vermont Jobs Bill.  S.288 makes significant investments in our workforce through the Vermont Training Program, which helps workers and helps our businesses sustain themselves, position themselves for recovery and take advantage of new entrepreneurial opportunities.  In addition, the bills helps businesses grow through better access to capital through VEDA interest rate buy down, through an investment in the Seed Capital Fund and in proven micro-lending strategies.  Other features of the bill are that it: 1) tackles the problem of bringing broadband to the last mile, one of our most challenging problems; 2) helps four season tourism and marketing in promoting the Vermont Brand: 3) supports agriculture by helping farmers through the Ag Credit Corporation and makes investments in diversified agriculture initiatives; and 4) helps our friends and neighbors who were severely impacted by the sudden closing of the Champlain Bridge.

S.288 distributes the remaining $8.66 million dollars of the federal stimulus funds the state received last year and adds a number of economic development policy recommendations that came from members of the House, Senate, and administration.  The bill extends our digital corporations law to not-for-profits. It strengthens the International Trade Commission by giving it a meaningful role in the executive branch’s implementation of International Trade Agreements. Finally, the bill improves access to capital for businesses at VEDA and the Vermont Public Power Supply Authority.

The State House is a great destination for South Burlington families at any time, but especially during April school vacation week.  The Legislature will be in session Tuesday through Friday that last week of April.  The State House grounds are full of flowers and are the perfect place for a picnic after a visit to the Vermont Historical Society’s Freedom and Unity exhibit at the Pavilion Building next door.  A stop at Ben & Jerry’s factory in Waterbury can sweeten the ride home!

Safe Housing, Foreclosures, and Military Custody February 2010

My House committee – General, Housing & Military Affairs – has worked on several important bills this session.  This column highlights three of those bills.  One bill addresses electrical installations in single family homes.  Another focuses on mediating home foreclosures.  The third bill protects the parental rights of our service men and women who are being deployed.

H.132 would require that single family homes be wired by licensed electricians. The bill would exempt homeowners who perform their own installations.  Vermont is one of the only states without this requirement. Testimony revealed that it is common for non-licensed electricians to be hired for installations, often with major safety consequences. Vermont’s fire death rate has been among the highest in the nation.

During testimony on H.132, we learned that some members of our growing photovoltaic (solar energy) industry perform installations without benefit of specialized electrical training. Electrical training opportunities are growing within the renewable energy industry, while licensed electricians are adding photovoltaic training to their training (apprenticeships and continuing education).  We are working with public safety officials, licensed electricians and the renewable power industry to make sure H.132 balances the intent of the bill with our desire to ensure that an important, maturing industry continues to evolve safely.  

In response to the growing number of home foreclosures, H.590 was drafted.  Our committee is working with the House Judiciary Committee on this bill.  H.590 establishes a program to require mediation in mortgage foreclosure actions on a home of four units or less that is occupied by the owner as a principal residence. The Vermont Supreme Court would administer the program and compile a list of mediators. Court fees paid by the plaintiffs in the foreclosure actions would support the program.
H.590 would require a mediation meeting at which the homeowner would be assisted in considering all available foreclosure prevention tools including reinstatement and loan modification. The parties at this meeting would be the mediator, the homeowner with counsel, and a mortgagee (bank) representative with authority to agree to a proposed settlement, loan modification, or dismissal of the foreclosure action.  Testimony revealed that in Connecticut, where such a program is in place, in 5000 foreclosure cases for which mandatory mediation occurred, 3045 or 61% of the homeowners were able to stay in their homes because of an agreed upon loan modification.

One of the first bills to pass the House this session was H.535, An Act Relating to Military Parents’ Rights. This is a particularly timely and compassionate piece of legislation aimed at the protection of the parental rights of service men and women and the preservation of the parent-child relationship when a child’s parent is absent due to military orders. The main issue is child custody arrangements under these circumstances. The bill provides for speedy court consideration of the needed modifications and custody hearings by phone when necessary; specifies to whom parent-child contact rights may be delegated; and stipulates a requirement by the non-deploying parent to facilitate opportunities for telephonic or other electronic contact with the deploying parent. 

Additionally, the absence created by deployment “shall not be the sole factor supporting a change in circumstance or grounds sufficient to support a permanent modification of the parental rights and responsibilities or parent-child contact established in an existing order.” In other words, changes to custody arrangements that would result in the deployed parent losing custody of the child cannot be based solely on the fact that a parent is being deployed. This has been a major concern to those leaving for active duty. Continually, “the best interests of the child” is articulated, but Lt. Col. Ellen Abbott who has served in Iraq described what a devastating impact lack of contact with children has on the soldiers and consequently the importance of this legislation to them. 

Paid for by the Helen Head Campaign, Francis X. Murray, Treasurer 65 East Terrace, South Burlington, Vermont  05403