Dear Voters of Charlotte and the southwest corner of Hinesburg,
Thank you again for your support and trust.
Rep. Mike Yantachka
Charlotte-Hinesburg (Chit 4-1) District
House Energy & Technology Committee
(802) 233-5238
Thank you!
Rep. Mike Yantachka
Charlotte-Hinesburg (Chit 4-1) District
VOTE! YOUR VOICE MATTERS!
Today is ELECTION DAY!
More than 260,000 votes have already been cast in Vermont, 71% of all the votes cast in 2016.
This is one of the most important elections in our lifetime. The fate of democracy is literally on the line at the national level. Four more years of a Trump presidency will lead to the most autocratic administration the United States has ever seen.
While Governor Scott has handled the Coronavirus pandemic well, his failure to work with the legislature to make Vermont more affordable for working families, to protect Vermonters from the effects of toxic spills, and to take effective steps to curb emissions contributing to global warming has resulted in a failure of leadership. Electing Lt. Governor David Zuckerman to replace Phil Scott and Molly Gray to serve as Lt. Governor will give Vermont the leadership we need to move forward for a more resilient, affordable, and growing economy.
If you haven't sent in your ballot, DO SO TODAY at your polling station.
In Charlotte, the polls are open from 7 AM to 7 PM at the Town Office on Ferry Road.
Legislative Report 10/1/1010 - Legislative Session Finally Ends!
When the Legislature convened on January 7th this year, no one thought we would still be meeting in September. We finally adjourned Friday, September 25th, after the longest legislative session in Vermont’s history. The Coronavirus pandemic constituted a major disruption in the lives of everyone on the planet and is still doing so. After shutting down the Statehouse in March, the Legislature adapted. We came together virtually, stronger and more united in purpose, and immediately led with our values to support Vermonters and our communities through this trying time. We moved swiftly, always putting people first. We supported our neighbors with the help of aid from Congress and passed major legislation addressing other issues as well, including climate change and racial inequities.
There
is no doubt that 2020 will go down in history as a momentous year. Along with COVID-19 and unprecedented
wildfires throughout the west, it was marked by several high-profile killings
of people of color and, most recently, by the death of Supreme Court Justice
Ruth Bader Ginsburg. In the same week
RBG was being laid to rest, a grand jury in Louisville, Kentucky, failed to
indict police officers for the killing of Breonna Taylor in her own apartment. Nationwide
demonstrations over the killing of Taylor and George Floyd in Minneapolis,
Minnesota, persisted throughout the summer and were inflamed this week by the
results in the Taylor case. Locally, demonstrators in Burlington’s Battery Park
have been demanding the firing of three police officers who were involved in
several use of force incidents.
In recognition of the systemic racism impacting people of color, the Legislature took weeks of testimony regarding racial equity and police reform and passed two bills, S.119 and S.124. These bills build on S.219, an act addressing racial bias and excessive use of force by law enforcement, which passed in June and was signed into law in July. S.219 requires state law enforcement agencies to comply with reporting requirements on race data and use of force, including threatened force, during roadside stops. It also amends unprofessional conduct parameters for law enforcement to include 1) using a prohibited restraint on a person that may prevent or hinder breathing, reduce intake of air, or impede the flow of blood or oxygen to the brain, and 2) failing to intervene and failing to report to a supervisor when an officer observes another officer using a prohibited restraint or otherwise using excessive force on a person.
S.119 modernizes statutory standards for law enforcement use of force and requires the standards to be implemented statewide. The last time the legislature put restrictions on police use of force was in 1840 providing that a law enforcement officer will be guiltless if he kills or wounds someone while serving legal process, or in suppressing opposition against him in the just and necessary discharge of his duty. The updated standards provide that the use of force by law enforcement is lawful if it is ‘objectively reasonable, necessary, and proportional’; and the use of deadly force is lawful if it is ‘objectively reasonable and necessary in defense of human life.’
S.124 reorganizes the Criminal Justice Training Council as the Criminal Justice Council, whose job it is to train and professionally regulate law enforcement officers. It will now be a balanced council made up of civilians, including people representing BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People Of Color) communities, people who have lived experience with mental health conditions or psychiatric disorders, and a mental health crisis worker as well as representatives of law enforcement and the Attorney general’s office. The Council will recommend statewide policies on officer qualifications, testing, and training, and will propose policies on use of body cams, surplus military equipment and facial recognition technology.
Additionally, this year’s budget allocates about $525,000 to embed mental health professionals with law enforcement. Hopefully, by clarifying the parameters of use of force and providing an alternative approach to de-escalating potential violence, we will be able to avoid excessive use of force incidents in the future.
Finally, voting is underway with ballots mailed out statewide for the November election. Your vote is your voice. Use it! I welcome your emails (myantachka.dfa@gmail.com) or phone calls (802-233-5238).
Legislative Report 9/15/2020 - House Acts on Budget and Climate
The legislature moved closer to final adjournment last week with the passage by the House of the Fiscal Year 2021 (FY21) budget. Since all money bills, both taxation and spending, must originate in the House, the next step is for the Senate to weigh in. With a tri-partisan vote of 140 to 4, the House-passed budget (H.969) preserves services to vulnerable Vermonters while also seeking to ease the burden of pandemic impacts by appropriating federal Coronavirus Relief Funds (CRF). It is a full-year budget that incorporates the first quarter elements that were passed in June. H.969 allocates dollars to make child care more affordable, integrates physical and mental health care funding so that health care services for Vermonters are coordinated, provides resources for existing businesses and for vulnerable Vermonters looking to start a business, and invests in public transportation and incentives to reduce the cost of electric vehicles. The bill also ensures Vermont colleges are strong by making a record investment in post-secondary education, including $23.8 million in bridge funding for the Vermont State Colleges System. This is a balanced budget that ensures there are no cuts to the services Vermonters count on. At the same time, it fully funds future obligations, and keeps our reserves full to ensure we are in a strong financial position heading into the uncertain months that lie ahead.
In a separate bill, H.968, the VT House voted 129 to 15 to create a Coronavirus Economic Stimulus Equity Program that will provide $5 million in relief payments to Vermonters ineligible for federal assistance because of immigration status. Approximately 4,000 adults and 1,000 children without Social Security numbers who reside in Vermont, including Green Card holders whose spouses cannot work, will be granted one-time payments mirroring the federal economic stimulus payments that most Americans received last spring due to the COVID-19 pandemic ($1,200 for adults; $500 for children under age 17). These workers, many of whom have kept the state’s dairy and vegetable farms operating seamlessly through the crisis, were declared “essential” by executive order. Governor Scott included this concept of aid to immigrant and undocumented Vermonters in his recently proposed FY21 budget. The House Appropriations Committee recommended a stand-alone bill apart from the budget to fund this program and identified additional monies to cover all potential recipients statewide. The program would be paid for with General Funds ($2 million) and monies from the 2018 Tobacco Litigation Fund ($3 million). All payments would be awarded by June 30, 2021 and any unspent funds would revert back to the Tobacco Fund.
The House also took a major step toward addressing climate change, a priority voiced by Vermonters for several years, by accepting the changes proposed by the Senate. On a vote of 102 to 45, the Global Warming Solutions Act (GWSA), H.688, was passed and sent to Governor Scott. Scott has five days to sign it, veto it, or allow it to become law without his signature. The veto-proof votes in both the House and Senate demonstrate that Vermont takes its responsibility to fight climate change seriously. The GWSA converts Vermont’s emissions goals into achievable and realistic requirements that meet the targets in the Paris Climate Accord. The Climate Action Plan will be created by a Climate Council composed of representatives from state agencies and departments and from the business community and environmental organizations. Details of the GWSA can be found on my website at https://www.mikeyantachka.com/2020/02/legislative-report-2202020-building.html.
I
welcome your emails (myantachka.dfa@gmail.com)
or phone calls (802-233-5238). This
article and others can be found at my website (www.MikeYantachka.com).
Legislative Report 9/3/2020 - Back in Session
The Vermont legislature returned, virtually, to Montpelier last week to complete the work of developing a budget for the last three quarters of fiscal year 2021. While this is our primary objective, we are not ignoring other important issues that require our attention. The pandemic continues to require making adjustments, and there are a number of issues that can’t be shunted aside while we wait for a return to “normal”.
As we got started last week, we passed two bills, S.233 and H.967. S.233 eases the ability to transfer certain medical and trade licenses from states with similar licensing requirements. Equivalent skills learned in the military will also qualify for Vermont licensure. H.967 will allow a family childcare home to care for school age children for a full day when the child’s school has scheduled the child for remote instruction. Current law limits the care to four hours per day on school days.
As the state is putting the billion dollars of Coronavirus Relief Funds to work in the programs authorized by the legislature in June, the Governor presented his budget for the remaining $200 million to the legislature. With due diligence, the House Appropriations Committee with the help of other relevant committees is reviewing the proposal. One of the Governor’s proposals for CRF money is to give every household a $150 payment that could be used for purchases from local merchants using a phone app. While it might be a good idea, this is raising several questions. Since CRF money can’t be used for direct payments to taxpayers, is this a legitimate use? What about households that don’t have access to a smartphone? Local businesses would have to opt-in to receive payment from the app. Would everyone have reasonable access to participating merchants? The Commerce Committee is currently taking testimony on this and will very likely propose changes.
The protests this summer in response to the many tragic killings of black men and women by police and by individuals acting as vigilantes has awakened the American consciousness to the systemic racism and societal bias present in our nation. National politics has fueled the divisiveness as people choose sides between supporting the Black Lives Matter movement and respect for police. There is a danger in viewing this issue in either/or terms as well as ignoring its implications in Vermont. Choosing sides is akin to tribalism. Neither side should be painted with a broad brush. Instead, we should be looking at the conditions which create bias in policing and correct them. We also need to be respectful of protestors and their right to protest peacefully. There must be room for dialog. Only then can the problem be solved. There are several bills that are currently under consideration in the House that will clarify the policy on use of force by police and training requirements in unbiased policing. A recent study by UVM has indicated that black drivers in Vermont are significantly more likely to be stopped and searched than white drivers yet have a significantly less incidence of possessing contraband than white drivers. Recognition of a problem is the first step toward change.
Climate change hasn’t stopped because
of COVID-19. When we went into lockdown
in March, there was a noticeable decrease in driving for a couple of
months. This probably resulted in a
reduction of carbon dioxide emissions during that time. The new phenomenon of “Zooming”
has also decreased the need to jump in the car for meetings and work, but
people are becoming Zoomed-out and yearn to get back to face-to-face meetings. If
you’ve been out recently, you probably noticed that traffic is almost back to pre-COVID
levels. We need to keep our attention on our efforts to reduce our greenhouse
gas emissions. The Senate passed the Global Warming Solutions Act (GWAS) with
minor changes, and the House is expected to concur with the Senate’s amendments
and send the bill to Governor Scott for his signature. You can find my article explaining
the GWSA on my website. As we head into
winter, we also want to be sure that funds for weatherization are available for
low- and moderate-income families. A
Senate bill (S.337) that will allow Efficiency Vermont to increase assistance for
weatherization has passed in the House this week.
I welcome your emails (myantachka.dfa@gmail.com) or phone calls (802-233-5238).
9/2/2020 Senate's Energy Efficiency Bill Is Passed by the House
The House has passed a bill that allows Vermont's Energy Efficiency
These strategies will be tested in small pilot programs for 3 years, and funded out of existing revenues with no increase in electric rates.
Details
Program funding is limited to no more than $2 million (less than 5%) of existing revenues — in fact the overall electric efficiency budget for the three-year pilot period is required to stay at or below the current three-year period, or else the pilot programs will be discontinued. Though targeting greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, the bill, S.337, stipulates that programs must have a nexus to electricity — essentially this means encouraging "beneficial electrification," or replacing high-GHG fossil fuel use with low-GHG electricity.
Efficiency Vermont and Burlington Electric Department must consult with State agencies to avoid duplicating programs. They must also cooperate with other utilities, and the pilot programs must complement and not replace or compete with utility programs. The programs must maximize cost-effective GHG reductions, and must be delivered statewide and reasonably proportional to electric efficiency charges collected in each utility territory.
Front Porch Forum Post: Trouble with Poor Internet Service at Home?
Mike Yantachka • State Representative, Chittenden-4-1 8/2/2020
| Announcement |
HAVING TROUBLE WORKING, LEARNING, OR ACCESSING NEEDED HEALTH SERVICES FROM HOME BECAUSE OF POOR INTERNET?
Act 137 recently passed by the legislature provides for assistance to Vermont residents and businesses to improve internet access speeds using Coronavirus Relief Funds. This assistance is being administered by the Department of Public Service. If you work from home or have kids that need to learn remotely, DPS may be able to help. The web site is https://publicservice.vermont.gov/content/having-trouble-working-learning-or-accessing-needed-health-services-home-because-poor.
Tell the Department of Public Service about your need for high-speed internet by completing a quick survey at https://publicservice.vermont.gov/content/interactive-broadband-map. NOTE that you have to enter your address in the upper left search field of the map to access the survey.
If your Internet speeds are too low for you to easily load the map and survey, call 1-800-622-4496 for help filling them out. The Department is developing programs to bring high-speed internet to areas where there is need.
Financial assistance to help consumers who live just beyond the reach of existing broadband services is also available. For details about this program go to https://publicservice.vermont.gov/content/vermont-covid-19-line-extension-customer-assistance-program.
Additionally please help the Department improve internet availability in your school district or catchment area by providing your physical (E911) address where you do not have adequate high-speed internet service. The Department will use this information to seek funding and coordinate service providers to bring high-speed internet to areas where it currently isn't available. If you've already filled out the map and survey, thank you. Your efforts will help secure additional resources.
GOOD NEWS! THE VERMONT SENATE PASSED THE GLOBAL WARMING SOLUTIONS ACT
The Vermont Senate passed the Global Warming Solutions Act (H.688) this afternoon (6/26/2020) with minor amendments. The legislature adjourned this evening until August 25th after passing $1B in Coronavirus Relief Funding provided by the federal CARES Act to help Vermonters and the Vermont economy respond to the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The legislature will reconvene on August 25th to complete the FY21 budget with updated financial data. I predict that the House will concur with the Senate's amendments and send the bill to the Governor. The GWSA will form the foundation of Vermont's response to the other existential crisis of climate change. Thanks to the many citizens, including students, who kept the pressure on last year by rallying, testifying and persisting at the statehouse to drive the message home that action is necessary. This is a beginning, not the end of the action we must take to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and mitigate the effects of climate change that we are already experiencing.
https://www.mikeyantachka.com/…/legislative-report-2202020-…
Legislative Report 6/25/2020 -The House Appropriates $1 Billion of Coronavirus Relief Funds
Ever since Vermont received $1.25 billion in Coronavirus
Relief Funds (CRF) as a result of the federal CARES Act, Governor Scott and the
Legislature have been trying to decide how to allocate those funds to relieve
the economic distress caused by the “stay home, stay safe” response to the
virus. More than $90M was used almost immediately to help unemployed Vermonters
and small Violating the
guidelines would put Vermont at risk of having to return the money to the U.S.
Treasury next year. To be eligible for
CRF, the spending must: 1) be necessary expenses incurred due to the COVID-19
emergency; 2) not have been accounted for in the budget most recently approved
before March 27, 2020; and 3) be incurred between March 1 and December 30,
2020.
Over the three-month period since the emergency went into
effect, House committees, with stakeholder input, have been looking for
eligible avenues within their areas of jurisdiction that would help all aspects
of the Vermont economy, including individuals, businesses, non-profits, and those
in need of social services.
With the goal that no Vermonter or Vermont community should
be left behind because of COVID-19 impacts, several bills were passed during
the last two months of the session that allocated $1.04B of CRF money to help
Vermont and its citizens get back on their feet. The appropriations include:
- $356M to stabilize our health
care system, including $257M for provider stabilization, as well as
funding for mental health, childcare, senior services, and suicide prevention;
- $196M for assistance to
businesses, including restart grants, marketing and tourism, public
safety, and the Arts;
- $170M for pandemic frontline
workers, including $20M for hazard pay;
- $91M for housing
assistance including eviction and foreclosure prevention and homelessness
assistance;
- $73M for higher education;
- $50M for Pre-K education;
- $43M for broadband
connectivity assistance both for residential affordability and network
expansion, E-911 system expenses, and to cover utility accounts that were
90+ days in arrears due to the pandemic;
- $35M for agriculture and
forestry relief;
- $16M for the judicial
system; and
- $13M for municipalities.
This is the largest emergency recovery program ever passed
by the Vermont legislature and reflects an enormous amount of work by the members
of the House and Senate, our legislative staff, the administration, and the
Joint Fiscal Office. While there still may be some changes as agreement on the
details of the bills by the House and Senate are negotiated, we expect to
finish our work by the end of this week and recess for the month of July. We will be back together in August to
complete the final three-quarters of the FY21 budget.
The Word in the House 6/5/2020 - House Passes Major Bills in Prolonged Session
As the lockdown of the Vermont economy continues to ease,
the legislature has continued its work remotely via video-conferencing. Meeting as an All-House Caucus each week on
Tuesday, briefings are provided to all members on bills that will be coming up
for a vote in the Wednesday and Friday floor sessions. Members hear the reports of the committees that
prepared the bills with an opportunity to ask questions and make comments. Those
bills are then debated during the floor sessions, amendments are considered,
and votes are taken. During a normal
session, this process is open to anyone who comes to the statehouse or who might
tune into VPR’s live stream of the proceedings. Our virtual sessions, however,
open up the proceedings to anyone with an internet-capable device at https://legislature.vermont.gov/. There
you can find the links to the House or Senate sessions as well as to scheduled committee
meetings that take place during the week. Click on the Announcements link to
find the times for the proceedings.
In recent weeks, the House has passed several major bills to keep the state on an even keel
during the uncertainties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Supplemental Budget
Adjustment (SBA) bill will take us through the rest of the 2020 fiscal year
which ends on June 30th. With the deferral of the income tax filing
deadline to July 15th as well as certain other tax payments,
revenues expected in this fiscal year will not be received until the first
quarter of FY21 and are anticipated to be lower than was expected in January. The SBA bill adjusts spending but also allows
borrowing from funds controlled by the State Treasurer until the deferred
revenues are received. It sets a date
certain for repayment of those loans with interest. The SBA bill is now under
consideration by the Senate.
At the same time, the House has been working on the “Skinny
Budget” bill for the first quarter of FY21. The plan is to map out the first
quarter, see where we are with respect to the economy, federal assistance and
revenues at the end of August and then reconvene to create a budget for the
rest of the fiscal year. The major components of the budget consist of the
Capital Bill (H.955), the Transportation Bill (H.942), and the Yield Bill (H.959).
These will be folded into the Appropriations Bill that defines the budget. The Capital Bill addresses the spending needed
to administer and maintain state properties and infrastructure including correctional
facilities, office buildings, state parks, etc. The Transportation Bill does
the same for the Vermont Agency of Transportation and includes roads and
bridges, aid to municipalities, rail, mass transit, etc. The Yield Bill sets education
tax rates based on the budgets approved by school districts in March. However, some districts have not yet voted on
school budgets, and less money is expected from the sales and use tax, which
goes entirely into the Education Fund. Those reasons and the uncertainty of federal
education assistance due to the pandemic led the Ways & Means Committee to
set the property tax rates at the same level as was expected prior to the
pandemic in order to provide municipalities firm numbers to work with for local
tax rates. Legislation later this summer
will adjust these expectations as necessary. The bill also allows towns to
borrow money for the education tax payments due the state with the interest
covered by federal CARES Act money. All these bills will require passage by the
Senate.
Legislative Report 5/28/2020 - Ensuring Our Right to Vote
Note: This article was also published as a Word in the House article in The Citizen.
Our United States Constitution guarantees American citizens
many rights, most notably those contained in the first ten amendments, the Bill
of Rights. The right of every eligible citizen to vote is fundamental to our
democracy and ensures that our other rights are protected by holding government
accountable. While originally reserved only for free male citizens of age 21 or
older, the right to vote was extended over time by subsequent amendments to
freed male slaves, women, and citizens of age 18 and older. In fact, this year is the 100th
anniversary of the 19th Amendment that gave women the right to vote.
After the Civil War and up until the 1960s African Americans’
right to vote was suppressed by southern states through the use of poll taxes
and literacy tests. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 eliminated those measures in those
states and jurisdictions with a history of discrimination, and any changes to their
voting laws required federal oversight (preclearance). However, in 2013 a
divided Supreme Court struck down the preclearance clause of the act. This allowed
a wave of measures enacted by many conservative states to make it harder to
vote or skewed the vote by redrawing districts, a practice known as gerrymandering.
Requiring voter IDs, reducing the number
of polling places in minority-heavy districts, and mass purges of names from
voter lists have all eroded this fundamental element of our democracy.
On the other hand, many states, including Vermont, have made
it easier for eligible citizens to vote. Five states conduct all elections by
mail: Colorado, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington and Utah. Vermont allows people to
register to vote right up to voting day.
We maintain a statewide voter database to reduce duplication of
registration. We allow absentee and early voting to begin 45 days before the
election. Several weeks ago, in the midst of the Coronavirus pandemic,
Wisconsin voters had to risk their health by standing in line to vote in person
because the Wisconsin Supreme Court would not allow absentee voting without a
valid excuse. Subsequently, a University of Wisconsin study found a “statistically
and economically significant association” between in-person voting and the
spread of COVID-19 after the election.
We don’t know at this time whether COVID-19 will still be widespread
at the time of the primary election in August and the general election in November.
Vermont has been relatively successful in suppressing the spread of the
virus. As the restrictions on social
participation are relaxed, we hope that we will not see a second wave of infections. However, we can’t take that for granted. We should be preparing now for both elections
to be held primarily by mail. House bill H.681, which passed both the House and
Senate and was signed into law by Governor Scott, gives the Secretary of State
temporary authority to change the way we hold elections during the COVID-19
emergency.
Secretary of State Jim Condos in consultation with Governor
Scott is exploring options for the primary and general elections. This will
certainly include an expansion of Vermont’s existing early and absentee voting
system. It’s a safe and secure process that allows any registered voter to cast
a ballot by mail and is the method recommended for Charlotte’s budget and
trails vote on June 23rd. (You can vote now!) The polls will still be
open on election day in some safe, modified way for people who prefer to vote
in person.
As individuals we can prepare now for whatever form future
elections take. The first step is to visit the “My Voter Page” (https://mvp.vermont.gov/) of the Secretary
of State’s website. You’ll see two green buttons where you can register to vote
or confirm that you’re registered to vote. If you know you’re registered to
vote, but the site says you’re not, then check with our Town Clerk. I was unable to find my record and called the
Town Clerk’s office. I learned that my birth date was set to 1/1/1900 in the
database, which was easily corrected. Then I was able to confirm my registration on
the website. You can also verify that your
address is correct, which is important if ballots will be mailed. Finally, you
can always ask for a mail-in ballot by calling our Town Clerk.
Vermont has a better record of voter turnout than most
states, ranking 11th in 2018 with a 56% showing. Absentee ballots
accounted for about 30% of votes cast in both the 2016 and 2018 general
elections. Vermonters take their commitment to democracy seriously. We will not let even a pandemic get between
us and that commitment.
Legislative Report 5/14/2020 - Navigating the Unemployment System Jungle
We are now two months into the societal shutdown caused by
the COVID-19 pandemic, but it honestly feels much longer. It’s seems hard to remember when we nonchalantly
shook hands, greeted others with hugs and pats on the back, and could see the
faces of folks we encountered in a grocery store. It isn’t bad enough that the
pandemic economy shutdown has caused unprecedented job losses, but help for many
of those who lost jobs or their businesses or had their hours cut back has been
tangled up in a jungle of bureaucracy compounded by a 50-year old, antiquated
computer system. Because of the success of
Vermont’s response to the pandemic in flattening the curve and avoiding an
overwhelmed health care system, Governor Scott is gradually “opening the spigot,”
as he puts it, to allow some businesses to reopen while maintaining proper
hygienic measures.
However, the problems with unemployment assistance continue
to plague many Vermonters who are having trouble obtaining the benefits they
are owed and are running out of money. There
are several reasons for this situation that amounted to a perfect storm for the
Vermont Department of Labor (VDOL). (It should be noted that most other states
are having similar issues.) Take the age
of the computer system that handles unemployment claims. It is running on a mainframe computer that
was state of the art in the 1970s but is woefully outdated now. It is programmed in a language called COBOL. Programmers
familiar with COBOL are long-retired or about to retire. Large scale updates to the software are not
feasible or practical. Two attempts over
the last decade to replace the system, both of which were part of a consortium of
several states to share the cost of development, have not been successful.
So, now we’re stuck with an inadequate system that was
working fine when there were 200 to 400 applications per week but can’t handle the
87,000 that were generated en masse since mid-March. The 65 regular VDOL
employees who input and process claims were overwhelmed. Calling into the department became virtually
impossible. Since the initial flood of claims, 200 additional personnel were
hired, including a call center firm called Maximus. At the same time, the federal CARES Act
allowed self-employed persons, who don’t qualify under the regular system
because they don’t contribute to the unemployment insurance (UI) fund, to sign
up for benefits. As a result, a new, unfamiliar Pandemic Unemployment
Assistance (PUA) system had to be set up alongside the UI system to handle an
additional 17,000 claims. To complicate
things further the relaxed rules for claiming unemployment were relaxed were
not reflected in the programming which caused some applicants to be incorrectly
disqualified.
Every one of the 180 members of the Vermont House and Senate
have heard from constituents who are rightly frustrated at their inability to navigate
the jungle that is currently the state’s unemployment system. After hearing from constituents for weeks, the
House created a spreadsheet to allow legislators to record the complaints and
situations of their constituents for referral to a special Labor Department
team. In addition, 24 legislators have volunteered
to assist in connecting claimants on that list to appropriate department
employees. The Labor Department has also taken steps to reverse negative
eligibility codes received by many applicants. As of May 10th, 54,000 of the 61,000
UI claimants determined to be eligible have been paid, and 8,600 of the 17,000
PUA claimants have received payment. Both the administration and the
legislature know that more must be done, and we are working cooperatively to
achieve that for our constituents. Be
well, stay safe, and persist.
I welcome your emails (myantachka.dfa@gmail.com) or phone
calls (802-233-5238).
Legislative Report 4/30/2020 - The Legislature Continues Its Work Remotely
The daffodils and hyacinths are finally blooming in the
yard, the ground isn’t quite as soggy as it was last week, and May is upon us. Ironically,
unemployment is at depression-level highs around the world as a result of the
COVID-19 pandemic. Here in Vermont, the infection and hospitalization levels have
been well-controlled as a result of steps taken early by Governor Scott under
the direction of Health Commissioner Dr. Mark Levine and State Epidemiologist Patsy
Kelso. The curve has been flattened,
allowing some easing of restrictions on outdoor work like landscaping and
construction if social distancing and hygienic guidelines are observed. And the
difficulty many Vermonters who tried to apply for unemployment benefits experienced
should now be easing with additional personnel staffing the Department of
Labor. Anyone still having a problem should contact me to see if I can help.
The legislature finally met in session using Zoom to approve
the change to House Rules allowing us to vote remotely and to pass several key
bills related to the health crisis. The change of rules required a 3/4 majority
approval to take effect, and the vote was unanimous by the 147 legislators in
attendance. With that approval, the House took up four bills pertaining to
changes in the law for the duration of the COVID-19 emergency. These bills provide for the administration of
the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program which relates directly to
independent contractors and others who are self-employed, permit remote
execution of a will and notarization of documents without having to be in
direct contact with other people, and provide our State Treasurer with tools to
proactively manage State and local cash flow needs. We expect to hold more
floor sessions in the weeks ahead. You can watch recordings of House meetings,
and live floor sessions, by following our legislative page on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCC1w34Iyg1vB_HT6dt_4eMA
This is an unusual session for many reasons, not the least of
which is the uncertainty of the financial future. The economic fallout will certainly reduce
revenues coming into the state from income and corporate taxes, sales and use taxes,
and transportation fuel taxes. Since all sales and use taxes now go into the
Education Fund, there will be less money to support the school budgets that
have been passed. There is also a lot of uncertainty about what aid the federal
government will provide to the states. As
the legislature adapts to all this uncertainty, we will work to pass an interim
budget that will get Vermont through the first quarter of the next fiscal year
(FY21). The plan is to adjourn in late May or early June and return in August
to pass a more complete budget for FY21.
In the meantime, the proposed closure of three Vermont State
College campuses last week surprised everyone and created an immediate
backlash. While the legislature in recent years provided less funding for the VSC
system than requested, its costs have mounted, and the current crisis has
exacerbated the deficit, The backlash by
students, faculty, the public, the Governor and legislators caused the proposal
to be withdrawn. The legislative leadership of the House and Senate have
committed to taking a serious look at VSC configuration as well as funding. VSC
must provide an affordable and accessible opportunity for post-secondary
students across Vermont to get a college degree.
* This meeting notice was published prior to May 1.
Legislative Report 4/16/2020 - 2020 Town Meeting Survey Results
It’s been more than a
month since Town Meeting, and oh, what a month!
In past years I published the results of the Legislative Survey, which
140 Charlotters filled out this year, within a week or two of the meeting. This year we have all been preoccupied with
something else called COVID-19. Unfortunately, that little problem has sucked
all the oxygen out of the legislative chamber and reset our priorities for the
rest of the session, rightfully so. Nevertheless, I appreciate everyone who
took the time to fill out the survey.
While we are
now focused on one existential crisis, the novel Coronavirus pandemic which is
an immediate threat, we mustn’t forget about the other existential crisis of
climate change. Ironically, the former
crisis is having a mitigating effect on the latter. The abrupt and broad
economic shutdown is resulting in a significant reduction in transportation fossil
fuel consumption, which had been the largest contributor to greenhouse gas
emissions in Vermont and the United States. I think we could all agree that
this is not the way we would have liked the reduction to occur. (Is Mother
Nature telling us something?) A
preferable approach would have been a controlled reduction by making a conscious
choice to wean ourselves off fossil fuels by transitioning to cleaner electric
energy with incentives to do so. That,
however, would require what I consider to be a small sacrifice in the cost of
transportation and heating fuels to generate revenues for weatherizing homes,
electrifying transportation, and actually saving consumers money in the long
run.
Three of the
questions in the survey tried to assess the support for that approach in our
community. While 90% of respondents consider climate change to be an important
problem, only 76% seemed willing to spend an extra 2 cents per gallon to
generate revenues that could be reinvested in fossil fuel reduction. While 78 cents of every dollar spent on
fossil fuels, or $1.95 of every gallon, leaves the state, the 2 cents per
gallon would generate $15M that would be spent in-state.
There’s pretty
strong support for a tax and regulate system for recreational marijuana sales,
but Charlotters are pretty evenly divided (39% Yes, 37% No) on whether we
should allow sales in Charlotte. A significant percentage (24%) were undecided.
Establishing a
Paid Family Leave Insurance Program for employees was favored by a 3 to 1
margin, with 11% not sure. Ironically, the COVID-19 relief package passed by
Congress contains funding for paid family leave during the emergency. This
could be a catalyst for continuation of the program beyond the emergency.
Because the
efficiency of the country’s vehicle fleet has been increasing as a result of
the EPA vehicle efficiency standards, which the current EPA just set aside, the
state Transportation Fund has experienced a decline in revenues. There is less
money each year to support our roads and bridges, including municipal
infrastructure. Increasing the gas tax, a move supported by the Vermont League
of Cities and Towns, would help fund municipal roads. Slightly more than half of respondents are
willing to pay 4 cents more per gallon for this.
Finally, there
is strong support for banning flavored vaping products, which appeal to young
users and increase addiction to nicotine after decades of successful reductions
in youth smoking rates. I included the last two questions regarding composting
and appeal of electric vehicles to assess respondents’ attitudes on those
policies.
Q#
|
Question
|
Yes %
|
No %
|
Not Sure %
|
1
|
Is climate
change an important issue for you?
|
90
|
8
|
2
|
2
|
Are you
aware that 78 cents of every dollar spent on fossil fuels (gasoline, natural
gas and heating oil) leaves Vermont?
|
25
|
67
|
8
|
3
|
Would you support
a 2 cent per gallon increase on fossil fuels to support programs in Vermont
to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the major contributor to climate change?
|
76
|
19
|
5
|
4
|
Do you
support a tax and regulate system for recreational cannabis (marijuana) sales?
|
69
|
20
|
11
|
5
|
Should Charlotte
allow recreational marijuana sales in town?
|
39
|
37
|
24
|
6
|
Should Vermont
establish a Paid Family Leave Insurance Program for all employees with a 0.2%
premium payroll deduction (20 cents per $100 of wages)?
|
67
|
22
|
11
|
7
|
Would you be
willing to pay 4 cents more per gallon of gasoline to maintain municipal
roads?
|
54
|
36
|
15
|
8
|
Should flavored
vaping products be prohibited in Vermont?
|
83
|
9
|
8
|
9
|
Do you
compost or pay a hauler to compost your household organic waste?
|
77
|
21
|
2
|
10
|
Do you own
or are you considering buying an electric vehicle (EV) in the next two years?
|
42
|
48
|
10
|
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