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Political notes from Free Press staff writers Terri Hallenbeck, Sam Hemingway and Nancy Remsen


6.12.2007

 

How busy were they?

The final piece of legislation that Gov. Jim Douglas had to make a decision on was the education cost containment bill. He signed that Monday afternoon.

In all, the governor and his staff had to review 100 bills. During the session, some folks said this was a "do-nothing" Legislature. One hundred bills isn't nothing, although quantity doesn't always mean quality. Some folks would look at a tally of 100 potential new laws and worry the Legislature had done too much.

The final tally of the governor's action on the 100 bills is as follows:

Three vetoes

  • The budget adjustment bill back in the middle of the session because it didn't include the scholarships.
  • The campaign finance bill
  • The energy bill

Four bills that became law without his signature

  • Revisions to the medical marijuana law
  • Insurance provisions for naturopathic physicians
  • Tax exemption on payments to foster families caring for adults
  • Optional change in signature requirements for reconsideration of local votes.

Once all the paperwork makes it way to the Secretary of State, there will be 97 new acts.

Lawmakers could add a couple more to the list if they could muster enough votes at the special veto-override session scheduled for July 11. House Republican Leader Steve Adams of Hartland said Monday, however, that overrides on the energy and campaign finance bills weren't likely if his vote-count was accurate. He said at least one member of the Republican House caucus was flying back from vacation to participate.

-- Nancy Remsen


Comments:
The legislature "not doing anything" has become the mantra of the right-wing zealots. Thanks for pointing out that bills actually were passed. It won't stop the perpetual whining, both in here and on the opinion pages, but every little bit of education helps.
 
I'm not a right wing zealot. Hardly. I'm not even a Republican. I suppose it wouldn't be entirely fair to call this Legislature a do-nothing Legislature. But it would be fair to call it a pathetically unfocused and badly managed one. Al Gore, yes. Impeachment, yes. Global warming, yes. Smoking marijuana, yes.

Property tax reform? Nope. Not even close. Nothing even on the horizon.

School funding reform and education consolidation? Nope. Admittedly, there was a too- little, too-late bill at the very end of the session to try to control future *growth* of school budgets (in this time of shrinking enrollments). This is better than nothing. But there was absolutely nothing about attempting to actually *reduce" school costs.

Legislation to guarantee our energy supply when the long-term contracts expire in a few years with VY and HQ that provide 2/3 of our electricity use? Nope.

Serious land use reform legislation to make it easier to site wind turbines on your property? Nope.

Legislation to seriously address the affordability crisis in this state? Nope.

Legislation to change the anti-business climate in the state so that maybe my kids won't have to leave the state to find a decent high tech or professional job when they graduate from college in a few years? Nope.

Do nothing? I suppose not. An almost totally wasted session? Absolutely.
 
The total number of new acts from this session is 97, not 93 - the 93 bills the governor signed, plus the 4 bills he let become law without his signature. Those 4 will go into the statute books along with the other 93.
 
Obstructionist Governor favors out of state industry over local economy.
 
The two people who obstruct progress of any kind are Shumlin and Symington.
 
Thanks to the individual who caught my mistake about the number of new laws. It's corrected in the text now.
nsr
 
"I'm not a right wing zealot."

Yes, you are.
 
Legislation to change the anti-business climate in the state so that maybe my kids won't have to leave the state to find a decent high tech or professional job when they graduate from college in a few years? Nope.

I hear there are jobs in India.
 
Maybe Douglas can strike a deal in China that will bring some Chinese businesses to Vermont. That might allow Vermont youth to experience the joy of working in a Chinese sweatshop right here in our good ole' state. TO be honest, given China's horrendous labor and environmental policies, I think it's wrong for Vermont to even consider doing business with the Chinese. Feel free to tear me a new one now, all you free marketers.
 
Douglas has no ideas.

He's just there to block any real progress.
 
It's interesting to read the pro-business crowd complain about the cost of doing business in Vermont and the electric utilities express alarm at the rapidly approaching date when the VY and HydroQuebec long term wholesale power contracts expire.

While Chris Dutton was collecting his $1 million salary, and fat cats were collecting their utility stock dividends, the state passed up the chance to buy the hydrodams on the Connecticut River, thanks in large part to the opposition of Chris Dutton and other high paid utility types.

No one paid attention and that opportunity is now lost.
 
You are so right!
 
Please define a "fat cat." How much money do you have to earn to be a "fat cat?" When does your father, mother, brother, uncle, or next store neighbor go from being your relative or friend, and a nice guy, to being a "fat cat?"

Does $75,ooo per year make one a fat cat? How about $100,000? How about $150,000?

Calling businesspeople names is cheap and lazy.

And assuming that anyone who collects a utility stock dividend is a "fat cat" is pathetically stupid. If you own an IRA, you yourself may own utility stock. Does that make you a "fat cat?" Millions of Americans may own stocks in utilities because it's in their mutual fund portfolios.

Please argue without resort to calling names.
 
We could have owned all our dams and now the opportunity is lost.
 
Governor Douglas from the outset wanted no part of the hydro dams on the Conn River. It was originally proposed by Sen Illuzzi of Essex-Orleans.

The end result that year was to set up a study committee to make a recommendation.

However, the Governor stacked the deck by appointing folks with "utility" ties to the committee and the recommendation was not to participate EXCEPT at a very small %.
 
Has anyone ever thought that the Governor vetoed the budget adjustment simply to prove that he could sustain a veto, not because of scholarships? I believe he did the same thing last year, veto one bill early to strengthen his position for the end of the session.
 
Scholarships...doesn't that make you feel all fuzzy and warm inside?

ah, shucks...we wuv you jimmy...
 
Shame on Gaye Symington for considering delaying the veto override session from July 11 to September 11. The Dems obviously don't have the votes to override so they want two more months to twist arms.

When the Republicans controlled the US House, they were justly criticized for keeping roll call votes open much longer than the usual 15 minutes in order to twist arms and change the result. What Symington is proposing is no different from what the GOP used to do in Washington.

The legislators work for us. If they had vacations scheduled on July 11, too bad. If they want to override the veto they should be in the State House on July 11.
 
Where's bubba in all this?
 
Go get Peter Shumlin to bring his group together. Maybe he can just take everyone out for a beer.
 
Lets look to Washington to see who is really there for us.
 
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