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Thank you
Thank You
Mike Yantachka • State Representative, Chittenden-4-1
I am writing to congratulate Chea Waters-Evans for winning the Democratic primary race for State Representative in the Chittenden 5 district.
I sincerely want to thank all those who voted for me for their support. It is very much appreciated.
It has been an honor and a privilege to serve Charlotte and the southwestern corner of Hinesburg in the Vermont House. The work I have done has been very satisfying, and I hope it has been a great benefit not only to the citizens of this district but also to all of Vermont.
Rep. Mike Yantachka
My answers to the Q&A of The Citizen 7/12/2022
Could you summarize your position on abortion
rights and Prop 5, the Reproductive Liberty Amendment? If your position has
evolved, please explain?
I support the right of a woman to make her own
reproductive choices. I voted for H.57 (Act
47 of 2019) preserving the right to abortion. I also voted for Prop 5 that
year. In February 2022 as Prop 5 came up
for a vote, there was more controversy around this constitutional amendment
that gave me concern. I felt the amendment was overly broad and voted against
Prop 5. As a result of the criticism I
received on this issue from my constituents and the arguments presented as to
why Prop 5 is important to guarantee reproductive autonomy without interference
from the state, I reevaluated my rationale and came to the conclusion that I
should have voted for Prop 5 the second time. Reproduction is a personal choice
that cannot or should not be interfered with, trusting that each woman is
capable of determining what is best for her.
How far should the state go in addressing
climate change? What initiatives do you support that will move the state’s energy
grid toward sustainable sources of energy? Do you support the Clean Heat
Standard, and if so, how will you ensure that middle-income Vermonters aren’t
hit with massive increases in home heating costs and weatherization
requirements? Did it concern you that lawmakers seemed unable to explain how
the standard would affect Vermonters financially?
Climate change is an existential threat to our
lives and to the future of humanity. It
is happening now and will only get worse without effective measures to reduce
our greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. We have to do all we can to reduce GHGs,
75% of which are generated primarily from fossil fuel use in transportation and
heating in Vermont. In contrast our electricity generation is 65% renewable and
is on track to become 75% clean by 2032. We must take measures like
weatherization of our homes and using electricity driven heat pumps to reduce
our heating dependence on fossil fuels, and we have to help Vermonters heavily
dependent on personal transportation to move to more fuel-efficient vehicles,
including EVs and hybrids. Vermonters
are already being hit hard by high and volatile fossil fuel prices. The Clean Heat Standard is a way to help
Vermonters transition to cleaner heating technologies with the assistance of
fossil fuel suppliers. The CHS bill (H.715) tasked the Public Utility
Commission and the Department of Public Service to define the criteria
obligating fossil fuel suppliers to help with the transition. The bill had special provisions to help
inoculate low- and moderate-income households from untenable cost increases.
The increased costs of fossil fuels due to the CHS, however, would be no where
near the cost increases we have seen since February, which are generating huge
profits for fossil fuel companies at the expense of the American people and
economy.
What are the top three issues facing Charlotte
and how would you propose to address them?
Charlotte is a very wonderful community but has
very little to offer in affordable housing.
I hope that our village centers will be able to host more affordable
housing options while maintaining our rural character. Charlotte residents will
have an opportunity to present their vision of what Charlotte should be when
the Community Heart and Soul project under consideration by the Charlotte
Community Partners kicks off.
A second issue is maintaining a profitable
agricultural base which helps maintain our rural character. I sponsored the agritourism bill (H.89 – Act
31 of 2021) with 49 cosponsors - Democrats, Republicans, Progressives and
Independents - which limits the liability of farms engaged in agritourism. This provides another source of income from
participating farms aside from their regular operations. Several farms in
Charlotte are beneficiaries, including Philo Ridge and Sweet Roots Earthkeep Farmcommon. Note: Earthkeep Farmcpmmon was misidentified by me in the printed version as Sweet Roots farm.
A third issue I think is important is making
sure that every Charlotte resident has access to high-speed broadband. The Vermont Community Broadband bill, which
was developed by my committee in 2021, has a provision that allows small
telecom providers like WCVT to have access to the federal funds for
broadband. I have been working with WCVT
and our Selectboard to access funding to complete fiber cable buildout throughout
the rest of Charlotte.
Currently, Vermont state lawmakers earn $774
weekly during the legislative session, with no health care benefits, for an
annual base pay around $13,932. Do you think this prevents some Vermonters from
serving and results in less diversity of thought in the Legislature? Should pay
be increased?
Since legislators get paid only from January
to about mid-May, it is difficult for younger individuals who must support a
family to both serve and maintain a job that pays for living expenses. A pay increase would help, but the challenge
would remain depending on flexibility of employers or the ability of the
individual to support themselves.
As for diversity of thought, the 150 members
of the House put a lot of thought and study into issues and hear from every
conceivable side of every issue through the committee process. Dialog is open
and robust, and new ideas are exchanged not only formally but through the many
caucuses one can participate in. I am a member of the Climate Solutions Caucus,
the Rural Economic Development Working Group, the Working Vermonters Caucus,
the Social Equity Caucus, and the Tourism Caucus. All attempt to collaborate
across demographic and party lines to propose policies that committees can
consider.
The governor signed the Legislature’s new education formula into
law, which could mean the Champlain Valley School District will have to face
tough choices in coming years, either hefty spending increases, cuts to the
education system, or a combination of both. How would you explain to a
voter/taxpayer your support or opposition to this measure?
I voted for the bill that
bases the new funding formula on pupil weighting. This system assigns more weight to students
who are from low-income families, English language learners, and small rural districts.
This is because the cost of educating those students to their potential are
higher. The Champlain Valley School District is fortunate to have fewer
students who fall into those categories, and so will have a smaller cut of the
education pie. It is important to
remember that 1) it is the constitutional responsibility of the state to
provide an equitable education to all Vermont students, 2) the amount of education
spending is determined at the local level with input from voters in each school
district, and 3) it is the obligation of the state to provide the revenues
necessary to fund the budgets that were passed by the voters. Achieving equity is always challenging and
requires give and take. Hopefully, it results in a system that is fair as well
as beneficial to all students.
Why should voters pick you over your opponent?
I stand on my record. I have represented my district of Charlotte
and part of Hinesburg effectively for 12 years.
I believe I have represented it well and contributed to a better, safer,
more prosperous, cleaner, and healthier Vermont. While my work as a member of
the Energy and Technology Committee focuses on energy, the environment, and
telecommunications, I have not neglected other needs and concerns of our
people, especially working families. The
endorsements of Vermont Conservation Voters, Rights And Democracy, and the
Vermont State Employees Association are acknowledgements of my work. With the
support of the voters of Charlotte and Hinesburg I hope to continue this work
for the next two years.
Legislative Report 5/16/2022 - Legislative session comes to a productive end
The last couple of weeks of a legislative session are
marked by a frenzy of movement as bills pass back and forth between the House
and Senate with proposals of amendment and further proposals of amendment. When
agreement can’t be reached through the amendment process, conference committees
are appointed to work out a compromise acceptable to both chambers. This year the processes worked smoothly, and
agreements were able to be reached on most of the key bills. But there were a few disappointments.
The governor used his veto pen liberally. An earlier
veto of a housing bill resulted in going back to the drawing board to remove or
adjust provisions he objected to. Another was the ban on firearms in hospitals
which contained a provision to close the “Charleston loophole,” which allowed a
firearm to be purchased if a federal background check didn’t complete in 3
days. Senate bill S.30 required a
completed background check, regardless of how long it took, for a sale to be
legal, which the governor felt was unacceptable. A compromise was reached to permit a sale
after 7 business days if the background check didn’t complete, and the governor
signed the bill.
After a summer of negotiations involving legislators,
representatives from the teachers’ and state employees’ unions, the State
Treasurer and the Commissioner of the Department of Financial Regulation, a
pension bill was passed with the agreement of all parties to the negotiations. The bill, S.286, passed with unanimous
support in the House and Senate. Because the bill didn’t include allowing
defined contribution plans (401(k)-type plans) for new employees, a last-minute
demand of the governor, he vetoed it. The consensus is that including that
option would undercut the sustainability of the pension system and bring us
back to square one. For the first time
in Vermont history, the veto was overridden by unanimous roll-call votes in the
House and Senate.
Two more vetoes, one on a Burlington charter change
that required a just cause for evictions and another on the Clean Heat Standard
bill, H.715, which my committee worked on, were upheld by a one vote
margin. With 100 votes required to
override, both override efforts failed on a 99 – 51 vote, very disappointing on
both counts. The governor objected to the Clean Heat Standard bill after it was
passed by the House because the costs are unknown, and there would be no chance
for the legislature to weigh in after the Public Utility Commission designed
the program. With that objection in mind
the Senate amended the bill to require legislative review and approval of the
program before it could start. He vetoed the bill anyway.
Vetoes aside, the session was very productive because of the huge influx of federal ARPA and infrastructure bill money. Bolstered by strong state revenues, many programs were enacted using one-time federal money to help low- and middle-income Vermonters, children, students, and workers who have been struggling in the COVID-impacted economy. These appropriations included $95M for broadband; $70M for housing, including $20M for the “missing middle” and manufactured housing; $26M for mental health, developmental disability services, and home health care; $138M for workforce development including nursing education, skilled trades and worker re-training; $35M for the Vermont state college system; $50M for IT systems modernization; $215M for climate initiatives including weatherization, municipal energy resilience, advanced electrical metering, and EV incentives; $104M for clean water initiatives including municipal water and wastewater systems; and many other services for a total budget of $8.3 billion. In his closing remarks to the House just prior to our adjournment on Thursday evening of May 12, Governor Scott praised the legislature for its work for the people and the economy of Vermont.
As always, I welcome your emails (myantachka.dfa@gmail.com) or phone calls (802-233-5238).
Announcement 5/5/2022 - I am running for re-election to the House
It has been my privilege to serve as the Charlotte-Hinesburg State Representative for the past 12 years. I am taking this opportunity to announce that I will be running for re-election this year for another term.
During my time in office, my priority has always been to support policies that benefit Vermonters and make Vermont, and our community in particular, a better place to live and work. I believe in a strong democracy in which all citizens can participate through their right to vote. I have advocated for a livable minimum wage, for mental health benefits for first responders, and for sustainable pension funds for our hard-working teachers and state employees, as well as many other policies to support working families. During the worst days of the pandemic I helped many employees, small business owners and self-employed persons in Charlotte to access state and federal economic assistance programs. Through my work on energy and environmental policy, Vermont has taken significant steps to address climate change. However, much more needs to be done to further reduce our greenhouse gas emissions while helping folks save money on their heating bills and adapt to the changing weather patterns.
One of my most important responsibilities is keeping you informed through my bi-weekly Legislative Reports in our local newspapers and occasional Front Porch Forum posts. You can access those reports at my website, MikeYantachka.com, for a look at what I've been working on throughout my legislative career.
With your support I will continue working to support policies that will benefit the social fabric, the economic vitality, and the natural and lived environment of Vermont. Thank you for the opportunity to serve.
Rep. Mike Yantachka
Chittenden 5 District
of Charlotte and Hinesburg
Chittenden 5 District
of Charlotte and Hinesburg
Legislative Report 4/18/2022 - Legislature takes responsibility for integrity and pension systems
Code of Ethics for state government
Back in 2015 the Center for Public Integrity gave Vermont
a failing grade from the State Integrity Investigation ranking Vermont 50th out
of 50 states in the category of ethics enforcement because it previously had no
ethics body of any sort. In response
Vermont passed Act 79 of 2017, enacting its first comprehensive state ethics laws
and creating the State Ethics Commission. This week the Legislature took
another important step by passing S.171 which creates Vermont’s first statutory
State Code of Ethics. Vermont was one of only five states without a code of
ethics. In 2020, all six statewide elected officials, the Governor, Lieutenant
Governor, Secretary of State, Auditor, Treasurer and Attorney General, called
for passage of legislation to create a code of ethics for Vermont’s public
servants in all three branches of government.
The Code of Ethics applies to elected and appointed State officers, the General Assembly, members of the Judiciary and state employees. The Code of Ethics provisions include:
- disclosure and recusal for conflicts of interest;
- not using a state position, resources or information for personal or financial gain;
- limits on gifts to public servants; and
- limits on other outside and post-state employment.
S. 171 also provides protection for whistleblowers who report a Code of Ethics violation and mandatory training on the Code of Ethics. By setting out clear rules that public officials must abide by, Vermonters can have confidence in the integrity of our state government.
Pension systems find support
In 2021 the sustainability of the public pension
systems covering state employees and teachers was called into question. State
Treasurer Beth Pearce announced that the state pension funds for teachers and
state employees were underfunded by about $3 billion and recommended that
action be taken, including painful changes to pension benefits. These included
increasing the retirement age, increasing employee contributions, and lowering
the payouts. Teachers and state employees reacted immediately to protect the
benefits they had earned by contacting legislators to plead their case. After a
considerable amount of controversy within the Legislature and between the
Legislature and the unions, a task force consisting of the Treasurer,
legislators, and representatives of the unions and of the administration was
created to address the problem. This task force worked throughout the summer of
2021 and hammered out a solution that all parties agreed to.
S.286, as passed by the Senate, implements the final recommendations of the task force which are expected to reduce Vermont’s long-term unfunded retirement liabilities for state employees and teachers by approximately $2 billion by prefunding other post-employment benefits (retiree healthcare), modifying the pension benefit structure and making additional State and employee contributions into the retirement systems. The bill contains a $200 million one-time General Fund appropriation to the state employees and teachers’ pension systems to pay down unfunded liabilities. An additional $13.3 million one-time Education Fund appropriation for FY 2022 is made to the Retired Teachers’ Health and Medical Benefit Fund to begin prefunding health care benefits for retired teachers. S.286 was voted out of the House Government Operations Committee and sent to the Ways and Means Committee for review. It is expected to pass and be sent to Governor Scott by the end of this week.
As always, I welcome your emails (myantachka.dfa@gmail.com) or phone calls (802-233-5238).
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