Legislative Update
Rep. Anne Donahue
March 19, 2016
The House passed some 29 bills last week to get them
over to the Senate in time for action this session, but they ranged widely in
importance. Some were clarification of existing law and some set out study
committees to research more tangled questions of law.
This coming week will be the heavy lifting: the
state budget (with increases), the tax bill (with increases), and the fee bill
(with increases.) Amongst House
committees, many eyes will be on Judiciary, which is beginning to take
testimony on marijuana legalization.
I sympathize when people say we pass too many laws,
so I’ll offer one example of a minor bill that nonetheless made sense to act
on. Sports teams on the college level or above often travel with their own team
doctor. When our teams go out of state, their doctors are usually permitted to
practice in that state, as long as they only treat their own team players or
staff.
We don’t offer the same courtesy to those coming here,
simply because we never passed a law authorizing that exception from medical
practice laws. That was one of last week’s 29 bills.
A sampling of others:
Health
Care Reform
My bill establishing limitations on the governor’s
proposal for a federal waiver for health care payment reform passed on a 124-2
vote of the House. For the first time, we have laid out in law that reform
agreements must bar the state from touching any Medicare money.
The bill – described in detail in my previous update
– also would establish state regulation of the federally-created “accountable
care organizations” that are gaining an increasing role in coordinating, and
paying for, health care in the state.
Suspended
Licenses
Many Vermont drivers are so overwhelmed by accumulated
motor vehicle fines that, unable to pay them, they drive with a suspended
license, and then get sucked further down by new fines. This bill proposes an
amnesty period with reduced fines, and a new system that will allow for payment
plans and fewer suspensions.
There is a fundamental inequity about offering
amnesty when thousands of other Vermonters have faithfully paid their fines in
the past, even if it was a huge financial struggle for them.
Unfortunately, two counties in Vermont already ran
amnesty programs for their own unpaid tickets. That meant relief from old
tickets was based purely on what part of Vermont you live in. To me, that is an
even greater injustice, and it led me to support the bill.
By rebuilding the system to help people to avoid
losing their licenses for failure to pay fines, we will raise less money in the
future for the transportation fund in “driving while suspended” fines. That
lost revenue will cost each of us a dollar a year in increased vehicle
registration fees.
E-Cigarettes
Electronic cigarettes are getting more and more kids
hooked on nicotine, and many of them move on to smoke tobacco. Although sale is
already banned to those under 18, they are being widely marketed as though they
were not dangerous to health.
This bill had two parts: extending the requirement
that e-cigarettes be sold out-of-reach of customers along with tobacco
products, and extending “no smoking area” bans to e-cigarettes.
I asked that the bill be divided in order to vote in
favor of the store restrictions but against the public smoking bans. Such bans
are based on protecting persons from the actions of others, and there is not
clear evidence that the vapor that e-cigarettes produce have the “second hand
smoke” risks of tobacco. Both sections passed, so I did vote for the final
bill.
A surprise developed in the form of a proposed
amendment to raise the smoking age to 21, on the grounds that it would protect
thousands of younger teens from ever starting to smoke.
It is a rare moment on the House floor to see a roll
call where there is no predictable outcome, and no party-line voting. The amendment failed to get a majority,
stalling at a 71-71 vote.
I did not support it. I think rights and
responsibilities go hand in hand, and our rights as adults include the right to
make bad decisions. We have chosen as a society to deem 18-year-olds able to
make decisions to shoot others and be shot at war, and to be accountable for
criminal actions even to the point of the death penalty. It is hypocrisy to
deem them too immature to make decisions about unhealthy activities.
Ban
the Box
The goal of this bill is to help persons with a past
criminal record to “get through the front door” for job interviews. It doesn’t
stop employers from asking about criminal involvement, or doing background
checks, but it bans asking the question on a first-round written application.
Timber
Trespass
This bill would create civil penalties for cutting
timber on another’s property, and was one of several that promoted the
importance of our forests as a resource, and as worthy of similar designations
as our farm lands.
Corrections
Another bill addressed our aging prisoner
population, focusing on system costs, public safety, and compassionate release.
It would make persons eligible to be considered for parole at age 65 after
serving at least five years, or at age 55 after serving at least 10 years, even
if the minimum jail term had not been served, as long there are no public
safety issues.
Impaired
Driving
This bill would extend the length of license
suspensions for impaired driving, and expand the use of ignition lock systems
that require breath testing before and while a car is being driven.
Potable
Water
We have drinking water standards for well systems,
but not for surface water. As a result, water systems were not receiving
permits if they used surface water as a source. This bill sets up standards to
allow the use of surface water for drinking water systems for private homes.
***
Thanks
for the honor of representing you! You can contact me or Rep. Patti Lewis by email
(counterp@tds.net for me; pattijlewis@myfairpoint.net for Patti) or by leaving
a message at the statehouse at 828-2228. We welcome your feedback and input.
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