Rep. Kurt Wright, R-Burlington, plans a field trip Wednesday to Vermont's neighbor -- New York -- to meet with lawmakers there who may have found a way to break a longstanding deadlock over civil confinement legislation.

Kind of a familiar situation. Republican Gov. Jim Douglas pounded away about the need for a civil confinement law throughout his fall campaign even though the Legislature already considered and rejected his proposal. Since Republicans lost, rather than gained legislative seats, Douglas can't expect much change in lawmakers' receptivity during the coming session.

Wright knows the political score. (49 Republicans in the House, 93 Democrats, 6 Progressive and 2 independents while in the Senate there are 23 Democrats and 7 Republicans.) That's why he's traveling to Albany with Reps. Rick Hube of Londonderry and Patti Komline of Dorset to see if New Yorkers have found a compromise that would work here, too. Komline, about to start her second term, is the new assistant Republican leader in the House

Wright praises changes that were made during by the last Legislature that constrain future dangerous inmates, but he said he worries there still isn't a way to keep the "worst of the worst" already in Vermont jails off the streets after they serve their sentences if they haven't undergone treatment.

Wright promises he will bring up the issue again this session. He hopes he will have a compromise for consideration.

By the way, is anybody worried Wright might learn something else while watching New York lawmakers at work?

-- Nancy Remsen