It’s a lot different on this side of the table

The last several weeks have been busy, as a number of major bills introduced in the House needed action so we could send them to the Senate for consideration. The budget bill and the tax bill were the subject of much debate and differences of opinion, both among House members and among groups, organizations and all Vermonters with an interest in our state government’s priorities.

We had to close a $113 million budget gap facing us for the fiscal year starting July 1. We did it mostly by making some very painful cuts across many state programs. These cuts will have an impact on all Vermonters in one way or another. I heard from many people in the district who would be affected. It was not easy voting for a budget that cuts programs I support, but I did.

We also filled the gap to a lesser degree by raising $35 million in additional revenue through changes in the Vermont income tax that affect deductions. I had also supported an amendment to raise a small additional amount to avoid at least some of the cuts, but that amendment was unsuccessful, and I then voted in favor of the proposal the House Ways and Means Committee put forth.

I also voted in favor of the water quality bill that the House Fish, Wildlife and Water Resources Committee proposed. It is urgent that we begin to deal aggressively with water quality, not just in Lake Champlain, but in all of Vermont’s lakes and rivers. I believe this bill will go a long way to educate and assist those who can reduce runoff from farms, roads and other sources, as well as to use enforcement methods when that is necessary.

The budget, tax and water quality bills will see changes in the Senate, and then the two bodies will need to work out their differences so these bills can be signed into law.

More recently, I voted in favor of H.187, which will assure that working Vermonters who have been on the job for a significant time will have available to them a few days of paid sick leave. Most Vermont employers, both small and large, already provide paid leave, in most cases significantly more than the very modest amount called for in this bill. So those employers will not be affected.

Employees who do not now have sick leave are most often working in lower-paid service jobs, including food service and child care. Employees who take care of young children or who prepare, handle or serve food should not have to choose between losing much-needed pay or coming to work sick. They should be able to stay home to care for a sick family member and should not have to send their child to school sick to avoid loss of pay, either.

Although some argued that this was bad for business and would hurt our economy, other business groups and business leaders supported the bill, including some business owners in our district. The Unites States is the only country in the developed world where paid leave is not available to all employees, and some states have recently instituted paid sick leave requirements. I believe this is a much-needed improvement for lower-paid working Vermonters, and will help assure a healthier and more stable workforce.

As a member of the House Health Care Committee, it has been a frustrating experience to put a great deal of work into a bill that will truly reduce health care costs, control the rise of private insurance costs, and make our incredibly complicated payment systems more understandable and rational for patients, employers, health care providers and insurers alike. Unfortunately, there was often more debate and argument about which tax proposal attached to the bill people liked or disliked the most, without much focus on the important improvements to our health care systems our committee was proposing.

As I write this, a very modest bill, much reduced from what we had recommended, will likely be brought to the House floor in the coming days. It is important that the bill pass, even though in some ways it is only a maintenance-of-effort proposal that does not move us forward very much. Once it gets to the Senate, I am sure it will change again. Some senators appear skeptical that there is much of a problem, while others would support some of the initiatives that have been stripped out of the House proposal.

There have of course been many other issues and bills dealt with by the House, and more to come. As always, please contact me if you have questions, concerns or comments about activity at the Statehouse.