Henry Raymond

Fairfax News => Political Issues/Comments => Topic started by: Barbara on January 17, 2020, 01:53:19 PM

Title: News from Montpelier 2020 week 2
Post by: Barbara on January 17, 2020, 01:53:19 PM
The House has seen the Floor introduction of a flurry of bills as the deadline for doing so closed. They have been assigned to relevant committees for further action. A few caught the attention of the media, but this is not an indication of a Committee focus.

A Resolution, HCR 191 was read designating January 2020 as School Board recognition month. The House was asked to recognize Don Collins a past Fairfax resident, superintendent, Senator, and Vermont School Board Association board member who was present in the Gallery for the reading.

Floor action on Tuesday sent S23; an act relating to increasing the minimum wage and H107; an act relating to paid family and medical leave, each to a Committee of Conference to settle the disagreeing votes of the two Houses. H107 was on the Senate calendar Friday for action on the decision. The Senate voted to pass the Conference Committees decision on H107 and send the bill back to the House.

The Transportation Committee took testimony on many subjects of interest that will be studied during the session. The Governor’s budget address next Tuesday will draw the focus to priorities identified by the Administration as well as those of the Legislature. Sponsors of bills that have been assigned to the Committee have been invited to give a ten minute “pitch” of their bill. This may be the only attention the bill gets, or it may ignite interest that will direct the Committee to schedule further testimony.

Tom Kavet, a Legislative Economist gave a revenue briefing to the committee at the end of the afternoon Thursday. A quote from the January 2020 Economic Review and Revenue Forecast Update his team presented earlier in the day to the State of Vermont Emergency Board and the Legislative Joint Fiscal Office speaks to the economic costs of climate change. This is echoed in the discussion as the Transportation committee looks to opportunities to diminish the contribution of Green House Gas from this sector of the economy but also the needs presented by infrastructure maintenance and repair of damage such as the failure of the I89 Exit 18 culvert during the Halloween storm.   

For more information or to contact me please email me at bmurphy@leg.state.vt.us or call 802-849-6545 or mail to 7 Lily Rd Fairfax VT 05454. The Sergeant at Arms at the State House will also relay messages.