Legislative Update - Week 3

Last week the House Education Committee heard evidence on two programs that are not fiscally sustainable unless alternatives are found that do not rely on the resources of a single school district. The reduction in federal funds for families in need leaves the Teen Pregnant and Parenting program $400,000 short. This program is a necessity for those young parents who do not have family support at a time when they leaning how to be an effective parent while not yet an adult themselves. Autism continues to have a major impact on school budgets when needs exist that are beyond the capabilities of local districts. An autism information and broad-based services clearinghouse for parents and school personnel that is shared by 20 or more districts may have some promise.

Next week we will be dealing with the technical corrections bill – a chance to address laws that did not clearly follow the intent of the legislation when they were written. Among these are the construction aid suspension and the unintended consequences of that practice, and the two-vote provision of Act 82. Some have called it a “think twice”. I think of it as “just say no.” Some say that the first vote represents the maximum that a school should spend based on the average. I say that the first vote represents the minimum necessary to run a school at average levels. The second vote is the amount that your school board feels is necessary to run your schools based on their communities needs. I trust my school directors to be more responsible than an average set by a machine. For me it is a vote yes.

On a lighter note, (with apologies to the satirist Jonathan Swift 1667-1745) Vermonters will not sell their children off as he suggested the poor should. But we are considering selling our lottery to the financial classes that would own all of us. Should we sell the state parks next? We need do neither. We could use lottery tickets to pay the salaries of any state official that thinks lotteries are beneficial. They would be able to put their beliefs into practice. Lottery tickets could also be the pay for those working in public relations positions for the administration. We would thus increase the distribution of tickets, enhance the dollars available to the education fund, and perhaps even produce a lottery winner in Vermont who would then pay a capital gains tax. Of course this could never happen. We would be more realistic in how we address our needs. Wouldn’t we?

I can be reached during the week in Montpelier by calling toll free at the State House 1-800-322-5616, by E-mail at ggilbert@leg.state.vt.us, or at my home answering machine at 849-6333.

Gary Gilbert
State Representative
Franklin 1
Fairfax/Georgia