Week 6 - February 6th to February 9th

Snow, Forensics and Water

Panorama of Montpelier in the Snow

A snow storm dropped about eight inches of the white stuff on Montpelier this week. All the storms this winter have hit while I was spending the night in town. I haven't had to commute through that treacherous weather.

Montpelier is beautiful in the snow. There's a real feeling of small town Vermont even though this is the Capital City.

Work this week centered on our continual struggle to understand the facility needs of both the Corrections and Mental Health communities, and those caught in between. I'm working on a seperate blog post that will explain those populations. Clean Water also came to the fore as we took testimony regarding how the Governor proposes to use bonded dollars for Clean Water projects throughout the state.

Deadlines for submitted bills are fast approaching. Town meeting day (March 6th) is roughly the target date for getting any House bills over to the Senate, so my committee has also been taking testimony on bills assigned to us by the Speaker. We'll take Committee votes and push them out onto the House floor over the next couple weeks. If they don't make it over to the Senate by March 2nd they're dead for this biennium and will have to start all over again in 2019.

Weekly Summary

• Tuesday 
• 10:00- 12:20  On the floor for most of the morning with what turned out to be a controversial bill (H.562) having to do with Parentage. The bill modernized the legal definition of a parent. This is a complicated matter involving many combinations of individuals. Much of the problem comes when there is disagreement over who is a legal parent. But most of the controversy (and a roll-call vote) dealt with destroying genetic samples when they are taken from someone outside the immediate legal proceeding.
• 12:20 - 1:15  Lunch
• 1:15 - Public Democratic Caucus - Rep. Emmons (Corrections and Institutions Chair) explained that the 10-year vision of a 195-bed Corrections facility in northwest Vermont is only a proposal.
• 2:15 - 3:00 Back in Committee for testimony on several lines of the Capital budget regarding the Police and Fire Training Academy in Pittsford.  There are line items for a new Burn Building and the renovation of the East cottage.
• 3:15 Forensic clarification and facilities. We are having continued discussions on exactly what population needs to be in what facility.
• Michael Kuhn, Design & Construction Program Chief, Building and General Services (BGS) testified regarding the Psychiatric Care we visited last week.
• Wednesday
• 8:30 - 9:30 Diane Bothfeld, Director of Administrative Services, Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets (AAFM) testified about items they have in the Capital budget. She explained a line item that the governor has recommended adding providing $1.6 million for Best Management Practices (BMP). This is funding for the Clean Water Initiative in the form of grants to farmers for various improvements needed to meet permit requirements. Depending on the project there are degrees of cost sharing required on the farmer's part. One problem with these is that the farmer does not get reimbursed until the project is finished, so he is on the hook to contractors etc. until then. But these are usually fairly small grants and there are means to help.
• Bothfeld also explained the Clean Water Initiative grant Program (CWIP), which is another set of grants for innovative ways to reduce phosphorus. This might be additional equipment to extract phosphorus from manure. The governor's dream is that the extracted phosphorus will be sold and/or exported from the state. That's another $1.6 million.
• 9:45 - Secretary Julie Moore, Secretary, ANR and Perry Thomas, Program Manager, Watershed Management Division, DEC to testify about their line items in the Capital Bill Adjustment recommendation. The governor is proposing $200k for an Aeration System at Lake Carmi that will, allegedly, prevent the kind of algae blooms they had last summer. It's basically a hose that runs along the bottom of the lake bubbling oxygen into the lower level of the lake. There are all kinds of issues with this proposal and the cost may well be higher.
• Moore also explained a Reverse Pitch program they're trying. Instead of the state specifying a project to solve a problem (phosphorus in our lakes), they say "Here's the problem. Sell us on your solution."
• 10:35 - Rebecca Ellis, Deputy Commissioner of DEC testified about the Capital Bill dollars in the Ecosystem Restoration Fund. These funds are used for Clean Water Projects throughout the state. The grants are used for non-point-source pollution control projects: drainage improvements and stream buffers, rather than Sewer Treatment plants. We put $6 million into this fund for FY18 and $5 million in FY19. The governor want to boost that FY19 figure by a little more than $3 million. We want to know where the money is going. There have been numerous other reports submitted, but wading through all that information is tough.
• Ellis also discussed the roughly $2.5 million going to the Municipal Roads Program.
• 11:23 Sue Scribner, Director, Municipal Assistance Bureau, Agency of Transportation (AOT) informed us of the funds VTRANS is using for Clean Water projects.That's another $2.4 million.
• 12:00 to 1:00 Lunch
• 1:00 On the floor to consider bills. Nothing exciting. All voice votes.
• 2:00 Back in committee for testimony on Corrections. We are trying to understand the characteristics of  those in the Corrections system that are called Detainees. A detainee is being held in a Corrections facility, but could, theoretically be released. They may be awaiting trial and cannot make bail. They may be awaiting trial and held without bail. There are about 350 such individuals in the Vermont Corrections system. The problem is that they have been charged, but not convicted, of any crime. Prison becomes a crime school for many of these inmates that might otherwise not become hardened criminals. Commissioner Menard's report gave us some idea of what sort of facility is required for this population.
• 3:03 Break
• 3:15 Back to Clean Water. This time to review a report from the Vermont Citizen Advisory Committee regarding Lake Champlain.
• 3:45 Testimony regarding H.718 setting up a study committee on the use of restorative justice for handling individuals charged with domestic violence. Current state law prohibits the use of restorative justice for domestic assault cases.
• 4:15 Done for the day

• Thursday 
• 8:30 DOC Commissioner Lisa Menard and Ben Watts, DOC Health Services Administrator, to talk about Medically Assisted Treatment (MAT) of opioid addiction within Corrections. There is a bill (H.773) which directs DOC to establish Opioid Treatment Programs within two Corrections facilities. This would enable Corrections to more easily distribute Methadone and initiate MAT for an addicted inmate. It's messy. Currently, Vermont is on the forefront with regard to the use of MAT in Corrections. There is also a Senate (S.166) concerning MAT in Corrections.
• 10:00 Break while I talked to Seth Lipschutz from the Office of the Defender General about complaints I received from Vermont inmates at the Camp Hill Corrections Facility in PA .
• 10:10 - 11:10 - Back in committee to hear Ken Schatz, Commissioner of DCF, about the future of the Woodside Juvenile Rehabilitation Center and its current status. The current facility is not conducive to rehabilitation and has lost Medicaid funding. A new facility at the same location may solve both problems.
• 11:10 to Noon: Committee Discussion. Committee Discussion means we get a chance to talk without someone giving testimony. Often there is no one else in the room, so we get to be a little more free ranging in our remarks.
• 1:00 - 2:45 On the floor for a rather extensive session with two roll-call votes. One was a resolution (H.R.19) supporting Black Lives Matter (130 yes, 6 no). I voted yes, though I question the value of the resolution. Sometimes it just seems to bring up what is a slightly divisive issue requiring several speeches of support. The second roll-call vote concerned an amended version of a bill (H.690) dealing with Advanced Directives. This was a little ridiculous as it passed with 135 yes votes and not one no vote. A roll-call vote takes about a half hour.
• 3:00 Julie Moore Commissioner of DEC and Rebecca Ellis, Deputy Commissioner, to talk about H.777 allowing the Clean Water State Revolving Loan Fund to be used for loans to private enterprises. There's about $80 million sitting in the fund and they want to get it out the door.
• 3:40 - 4:30 Sarah Buxton testified regarding money for Technical Education Centers. The governor wants to give the agency of education $500,000 of Capital Bill funds to purchase equipment for adult technical education.
• 4:45 - Done for the day.
• Friday 



The Speaker Thanks a Page

• 8:35 - 9:30 - Lisa Menard, Commissioner of DOC and Karen Barber, General Council for the Department of Mental Health (DMH) to explain what the state's forensic mental health needs are. We've finally decided to do away with talk about little-f-forensic and big-f-forensic. No one really understood what the difference is. Now we have Hospital Forensics and Non-Hospital-Forensics, which is a little clearer. I'll explain them in detail in a separate post. Similar to the Detainees discussion mentioned above, this reflects a desire to truly understand the nature of the various populations within Corrections and Mental Health.
• 9:30 - on the floor, This was long because there was a lot going on. Not much of it related to voting on bill, but it was still important. 
• House Pages - The House Pages, 8th graders, are in the House for two 6-week rotations. On this day the first group left. The Speaker gives a speech. Much applause and photos of each page with the Speaker at the podium. 
• Eagle Scouts - This day we also honor this year's new Eagle Scouts. So the gallery was filled and there were speeches and applause.
• 10:48 Back in Committee to hear reports from several people about how funds we routed to the Vermont Housing and Conservation Trust were used. It was good to hear some of the positive results of our efforts. 
• 11:37 - More Building and General Services (BGS) testimony about various lines in the Capital Budget: 
• The wall at Marble Valley Corrections Facility in Rutland
• Asa Bloomber building, also in Rutlnd - This one is going to be a big project - Several million when it is done.
• 12:07 - Break for Lunch
• 12:50 -1:58 Drones in Corrections. DOC has proposed legislation (H.615) to restrict the use of drones over and near Corrections facilities. This has just started to be a problem. There are fears that drones will be used to drop contraband within the facility or to observe a facility at close range and in real time.
• 2:00 - Done for the week.

Food

I believe I have remarked before about the amount of free food available to legislators. This week it peaked (I hope). I'm really trying to keep from gaining, again, the weight I gained during the last session (15 pounds!). I end up having to loose it all before the Colchester Triathlon in July, and that's work.

In the Cafeteria After Hours

Cedar Creek Room

There are several prime locations for food

• The Cedar Creek room in the State House. Several days, around 4:00 pm, this week there were receptions in the Cedar Creek room. This is generally meat balls, cheese and crackers, stuffed mushrooms, crudites, free beer and wine. 
• The side bar at the cafeteria - These are generally breakfast fare: doughnuts, muffins, apples, oranges, yogurt, coffee and hot water for tea. This week there were also pancakes and one afternoon there was ice cream.
• The cafeteria - Occasionally there are events in the cafeteria with all kinds of free goodies from various organizations. One this week. That's the picture above.
• The Capitol Plaza - This week there was also two events in the dining areas of the Capital Plaza hotel. The Speaker's Dinner, for Democrats, with hors d'oeuvres and a cash bar was one. The next night was the Taste of Vermont event with heavy hors d'oeuvres and a cash bar.
• Our Committee Room - I've mentioned before that two members of my committee bring food in. One brings the healthy stuff: cut fruit, grapes, clementines, etc. and the other brings the sinful stuff: snacks, coffee cake, nuts etc.

At the Capital Plaza

I've done well so far in avoiding most of these temptations. But a guys gotta eat.