CRAFTSBURY – We’re back at the statehouse and moving full steam ahead on a number of key issues including housing, flood recovery and climate resiliency, and affordability. Already, in the first two weeks, we’ve had several bills come to the House floor for votes, powerful testimony on bills under consideration in committee, and many events by advocacy groups to discuss priorities for 2024.
Bills in Motion: The first bill to pass this year, H.27 will help judges grant abuse prevention orders to Vermonters whose intimate partners are inflicting emotional and mental abuse on their partners, before the abuse becomes physically violent. My Bill Introductions: During the off session I worked with a variety of stakeholders and legislators to draft a number of bi-partisan bills. Here’s a bit more about a few of those bills:
H.710 Housing Bill: Vermont faces a housing crisis affecting families of all sizes, income levels and service needs. Building on the work from last session and the recent recommendations from several housing related reports, this bill proposes to make changes to Act 250, updates to municipal zoning laws, and provide strategic investments to quickly create more housing opportunities in communities, and for families, who need them most.
H.622 Emergency Medical Services: We all expect an ambulance to come when we call 911, but because current reimbursement rates do not cover the full cost of service delivery, EMS services are struggling to keep pace with the needs of our communities. In order to reverse the current inadequate condition of the EMS system in this State and ensure that we have an equitable, sustainable structure to support these services, this bill proposes to make changes in EMS funding, system coordination and workforce development.
H.624 Forest Economy: Timber harvesting and hauling are distinct and impactful components of Vermont’s rural economy. Occupations from this industry are inextricably linked to the health and long-term management of Vermont’s forests, which cover 75% of the state. Yet, the warmer and wetter weather is making it harder and harder to harvest and haul timber. This bill would create a Forest Management and Climate Resilience Grant Program to financial assistance to logging contractors to ensure implementation of effective water quality protection and climate adaptation practices on harvest sites.
H627 Climate Resilience: As we saw this summer with the July flood, climate change is a fundamental threat to Vermont’s economy, environment, and way of life. Our state is becoming both warmer and wetter. The costs of cleaning up after a disaster are significant with the cost of the July flood expected to exceed $120 million. This bill proposes multiple provisions related to State emergency response and emergency preparedness, including establishing the Resilient Communities Fund to provide financial assistance to municipalities in the State to plan for and respond to disasters.
H.611 Revenue Sharing: The last few years have punctuated the fact that communities that have more capacity and are more adequately resourced are the most successful in responding to not only the ordinary needs of their residents but also the emergencies of the moment. The effect is a growing divide between the municipal haves and have-nots, leaving many small Vermont towns behind. This bill proposes to create a study committee to determine how Vermont could have uniform local share of sales and use tax revenue for all municipalities. The committee will also examine other ways that State revenues can be shared between municipalities.
