Legislative Updates
Legislative Update #1
I’m thrilled to be one of your Representatives in the Vermont Statehouse. It’s been an exciting blur of a start to the legislative session.
I’m on the Agriculture, Food Resiliency and Forestry Committee. While I come to this with experience from my work at the Champlain Islands Food Shelf as a volunteer and Board member, I am learning a great deal about ag and forestry from committee presentations. Currently, my committee doesn’t have any bills (this should change soon), but we’ve shared issues of concerns that we’re going to be working on. One of them is supporting farmers who might be transitioning away from the farming they’ve been doing. Last week I met with a constituent who is using four acres of his family dairy farm to grow hemp as a way to supplement their dairy farm income.
If you’re a farmer, I’d love to talk with you about any issues you might be facing and how my committee can be of assistance.
Other things my committee is focusing on is sustainable farming and forestry, and within that soil replenishment and carbon sequestration. As another committee member put it, “How can I, as a farmer, leave my land in better shape than when I began farming.”
I’m also a member of the Rural Caucus. This caucus looks at all the bills that are being offered to ensure the voices of rural Vermonters are heard. This is a truly non-partisan caucus and a real highlight of my week. As always, I would love to hear your thoughts, comments and questions.
I had the fun of performing stand up at the first legislative cabaret show. It was a lovely way to get to know my fellow legislators outside of the Capitol.
Please feel free to reach out to me whenever you’ve got an issue that you need help with. My email is jleavitt@leg.state.vt.us and it is the best to get in touch with me. Here’s a link to my Facebook legislative page: https://www.facebook.com/josieforstaterep
Update #2
This past week was very busy as my committee really dug into the issues that face Vermont food producers of all kinds as well as the complexity of Universal School Meals. NOFA-VT (Northeast Organic Farmers of Vermont) and the Vermont Farm Bureau came to the committee. The main take-away was our farmers are in trouble and as one farmer put it, “We’re not okay.” She elaborated that dairy farmers are facing the same struggles as other industries: Housing costs, healthcare, and childcare. If you’re a farmer and have particular issues you’d like me to know about, please reach out. I’d love to hear from you.
Some of the issues farmers have addressed have been taken up by the Rural Caucus’ two bills:
Workforce Housing bill. To address the housing shortage, this bill proposes to 1) break down regulations barriers, 2) provide strategic investments, 3) add capacity at the local and regional level for planning and zoning.
Right to Repair Equipment. The bill would reform existing laws so farmers and independent repair businesses can access the same repair documentation, diagnostics, tools, parts, firmware, etc. that authorized dealers have.
My committee also took testimony from Hunger Free Vermont to explain more about the success of Universal School Meals and to start the discussion about making it permanent. To put this in perspective, Alburgh’s Community Education Center has just over 80% of their students qualifying for these meals, and just under half of the students in Grand Isle School qualify. We will hear much more about Universal School Meals this week as well.
I forgot to mention that last week we had a community gathering at the Milton Library where folks could meet all the Legislators and Senators who represent Milton. This was a truly non-partisan event as we’re all striving to keep party politics out of things and focus instead on what people actually need. I was so happy to see over 25 people in attendance. Everyone asked great questions and I was so impressed, not only with the turn out, but the interest and commitment of the audience. Be on the lookout for similar events in Grand Isle County.
Staff at the County Courthouse in North Hero reached out to me to see if I could help with their understaffing situation. This week I met with Teri Corsones, the Vermont State Court Administrator, and she said plans were in the works to help alleviate some of the problem.
As always, please feel free to reach out to me with any questions, concerns, ideas, etc. My email is jleavitt@leg.state.vt.us
Update #3
This week my committee (Agriculture, Food Resiliency and Forestry) spent much of the week focusing on learning more about Universal School Meals and the crisis facing organic dairy farmers throughout the state.
We spent a lot of time hearing about Universal School Meals from five school nutritionists, and from Rosie Kruger, State Director of Child Nutrition Programs for the Agency of Education. It seems abundantly clear that the program is working. One aspect of USM is the Farm Fresh School Meals which uses food from local farmers in school meals. Scaling up to use more Vermont products is something all the witnesses want to do. Currently, the schools who came to us buy 12-27% of their school’s food from local Vermont farmers. The more local food school districts buy from farmers, the more money they get reimbursed from the federal government and the less they’ll use state money. For every $1.00 spent on Universal School Meals, $1.60 is returned to the Vermont economy.
We held a joint hearing with the Senate Agriculture committee to take testimony about the organic dairy farm crisis. Maddie Kempner of NOFA-VT (Northeast Organic Farming Association of VT) started off the discussion by asking that we consider a one-time $9.2 million appropriation for Vermont organic dairy farmers in the Budget Adjustment Act. The BAA is the time mid-way through the fiscal year where the Governor and the Legislature adjust the budget. We stand to lose up to 20 organic dairies in the next few months if nothing changes.
We heard from seven organic dairy farmers about the severe economic issues they’re facing. There has been a snowball effect for these farmers borne of sky-rocketing production costs— from rising fuel costs and feed that’s more expensive than ever because of the conflict in Ukraine, unanticipated inflation increases, and a severe drought last summer that has left many farmers struggling.
These farmers are smart, hard-working and diversifying their farms as much as they can. And they’re still struggling. The price for organic milk has not kept pace with that of conventional milk. Organic dairy farmers do not have the safety net that conventional dairy farmers have because the calculations the Dairy Margin Coverage uses do not take into account the higher costs incurred by organic farmers. The DMC is an insurance program which helps bridge the gap when dairy prices are lower than production costs, and since organic dairy farms don’t have the volume of many conventional farms, their reimbursement from the DMC is insufficient.
Our committee voted unanimously to submit a letter to the Appropriations Committee in support of this one-time $9.2 million appropriation for organic dairy farmers as part of the Budget Adjustment Act.
Legislative Update #4 (2/5/23)
My heart is heavy for our community with the loss of Russell Giroux’s life after the melee at the Alburgh- St.Albans City boys’ 7th and 8th grade basketball game. I saw some of the video and found the violence very disturbing. This was a children’s basketball game, which should be a joyful event. While no one but the spectators know exactly what happened (and I will not speculate), I think violence at any sporting event is absolutely uncalled for and we’ve seen a rise of it throughout the state.
Our culture has normalized violence. Parents fighting at a game sets a terrible precedent for these young athletes about how to resolve conflict. That fans have been banned for the remaining two weeks of the season is a big lesson in consequences, but seems unfair to the majority of parents who behave well. I believe as a community this is a time to reflect on how we can all be better citizens.
On the legislative front things have been busy. I’ve presented H.150 to the Legislature to allow Alburgh Village to change its charter to reflect the town-wide vote last year to appoint a Town Clerk and Treasurer and expand the applicant pool to folks outside of the Village. Any town Charter change has to be approved by the Legislature. Michael Morgan has joined me as a co-sponsor of the bill and it feels good to work together. Stay tuned for another bill he and I are working on.
H.165 an act relating to school food programs and universal school meals has come through the Education and Agriculture Committees this week. I am very proud to be one of the four sponsors of this bill. Both committees will begin taking testimony on the bill as well as hearing from the Joint Fiscal Office on ways to pay for it. One of the biggest thing I’d like folks to keep in mind is for every $1 we spent on school meals, there is a $1.60 return to the Vermont economy. This largely comes from purchasing food from local farmers. I know I said this last week, and I’m going to keep repeating it, because it’s important.
I’m also going to remind folks that Grand Isle County has a very high incidence of childhood hunger. Feeding children two nutritious meals a day ensures that they’re eating. When a family faces hunger, knowing that their kids can get two meals a day at school often means everyone gets to have dinner. We heard in committee how much more focused the kids have been since they’re provided two meals at school. There is no stigma with Universal School Meals, everyone eats and school administrations don’t spend time acting as bill collectors for lunchroom debts.
I believe that feeding people is never a bad thing. The annual cost of this is less than 1% of the entire $2.1 billion Education Fund. As I learn more about funding this (should be this week), I will keep everyone posted.
The Budget Adjustment Act (BAA) was approved along party lines after two days of floor discussion. One of the things in this Act is having $3 million to give to underserved rural towns to help access as the Governor requested to implement and get matching ARPA funding. Currently Isle La Motte is the only town in the district that qualifies. Grand Isle town is close to qualifying and I’ve heard that towns that are close the underserved limit will be able to apply for funding if they need it. The BAA allows funding for $9.2 million of relief for organic dairy farms. Since my last update, we’ve lost four more organic farms.
I’ve heard from many of you about things you like, things you don’t and things you’d like to see happen. Please keep these letters coming. I read all of them and am catching up on responding. As always, the best way to reach me is at jleavitt@leg.state.vt.us
Legislative update #5 (2/13/23)
This update, sadly, begins much like last week’s, with the loss of life in the Islands. Three people have died since Thursday because they fell into the lake while ice fishing. Several first responders also fell into the ice during these rescues. I don’t know how to say it any more clearly than this: Stay off the ice—it’s not stable.
The last week was busy and ended really well. All six of the Milton reps have organized monthly community forums and more than 30 people came to the library on Saturday morning for our second one. I was impressed with the depth of knowledge folks had about bills and their very considered questions. I will be planning a monthly coffee hour for folks on the Islands who want to chat with me about issues/concerns they have about what’s going on in Montpelier. Stay tuned for details also, let me know if you’d like this to be in person or on Zoom.
This week the House passed H.89, which has been referred to as the shield law. The law protects Vermont health providers from being sued for providing medical care that is legal in Vermont but illegal in other states. This applies to abortion care and transgender care for families. Some states place bounties and legal proceedings on providers for certain services, this law protects our providers from both. I was happy to see that this bill had tri-partisan support.
Friday, Sen. Peter Welch came to the committee to talk about the Federal Farm Bill, which sadly, looks like it’ll take two-years to iron out. I was hoping the Federal Farm Bill would address some of the inequities between conventional and organic dairy farming a little faster. The Federal timing places pressure on my committee to do our best for Vermont farmers this term. I think we’re on a good path now that the Budget Adjustment Act is now in the Senate and hopefully will go to the Governor’s desk quickly for his signature.
I continue to marvel at this work. Last week we heard the beginning of testimony from the Farm to School organizations that work to get Vermont food products into the school system. There is one compelling reason to make Universal School Meals permanent. It will allow school systems to work with local farmers earlier in the year when they’re planning their budgets (the schools are doing that this month) so they can contract with farmers before the growing season starts. I look at all the farms we have in the Islands and can’t help but think how much a school contract for carrots, potatoes, or ground beef, etc. would benefit everyone.
As always, the best way to reach me is at jleavitt@leg.state.vt.us
Legislative Update #6
This week found my committee busy hearing testimony about bills that have come to us. Bills (anyone in the Legislature can sponsor one) are assigned to committees by the Chair of the House. They then go on our corkboard in the committee room. We take testimony from all sides to learn more about them, make edits to them, and then at some point, we’ll vote on the bills and either decide to not move them forward, or to take them off the wall and present them to the entire Legislature.
This week we heard about H. 205, an act relating to establishing the Small Farm Diversification and Transition Program. This bill seeks to set up a grants program of $250,000 for small farms wanting either to diversify what they grow, or to transition to a different kind of farming to remain viable. The funding would be an appropriation from the Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets. This was the first time we discussed this, and we’ll be meeting Legislative Counsel to go over the bill and what the legal ramifications might be. You can read about the bill here.
Sometimes, to move forward, you need to look back. In discussions about H.165 Universal School Meals, we needed to learn about Act 67 which created the Local Food Incentives program. This established a tiered system where schools were able to get 15-25 cents back per meal if 15-25% of the food they used was Vermont produced. There are a lot of rules to this initiative, and the committee needs to know all of them to make the best decisions and to get more reimbursement to schools who are using at least 15% Vermont farm products in their food budget.
One of the other bills we discussed from the wall was Act 23-0761 — an act relating to miscellaneous agricultural subjects. One of those subjects was the dollar amount attached to the stipend for Vermont State Fairs and Field Days. This week we heard from Jackie Folsom representing the Fair and Field association. She was asking that their line item in the budget remain as it has been for the last few years. We learned that to qualify as a State Fair or Field Days and therefore be eligible for grant money, the event must run 3 consecutive 8-hour days, have at least 5 judged categories and much more.
This is what I love about being a Legislator. I am learning things I would have never known before from the complexity of dairy farming, to how to feed every kid two meals a day at school, to learning that judged categories at Field Days have to have prizes attached to them and so much more.
I have two loose ends to tie up. When I said last week the ice wasn’t safe, I should have cited a source. Now I have one—the Department of Fish and Wildlife has issued an advisory to stay off the ice on Lake Champlain until the warm spell stops.
Several people have asked me about how Universal School Meals and other bills will be paid for. I don’t know yet. Bills that have an appropriation of funding attached to them go from committee to the Ways and Means Committee whose job it is to figure that part out. Then the bill goes to the Appropriations Committee who looks at how that funding will work in the State budget. Once I know more, I’ll share it.
As always, the best way to reach me is via email: jleavitt@leg.state.vt.us
Thanks!
Legislative update #7
This week we voted Universal School Meals out of committee. By a vote of 9-2, along party lines, we sent the bill to Ways and Means for their financial analysis of the bill. The bill is now out of the committee’s hands. We will wait and see how Ways and Means decides the best way to fund this program. Then the bill is likely to go to the Appropriations committee, so it might be a while before I can say how we’re looking at getting this funded.
Our committee is actively, and creatively, working on ways to keep small farmers operational and thriving. We began working on H.205, an act relating to establishing the Small Farm Diversification and Transition Program, which is a bill with bipartisan co-sponsors. This bill addresses the real need of some small farmers to either diversify their products or transition to another kind of farming to stay financially viable. The transition often occurs when a dairy farmer switches to beef cattle, or produce farmer shifts to hemp or someone begins adding goats into the mix for milk. Vermont is an agricultural state with a long history of farming of all types. The bill addresses four main areas of diversification or transition:
- diversifying the agricultural commodities produced on a small farm;
- transitioning a small farm from one form of farming to another;
- on-farm processing of agricultural commodities on a small farm:
- development of accessory on-farm businesses on a small farm.
The current market shifts have created challenges to farming. This bill establishes a $250,000 grant program designed to help small farmers continue farming and maintain agriculture land as open ag land.
Saturday morning we had a legislative meet and greet with a Q&A at Snow Farm Vineyards. I was so heartened to see more than 30 people coming out on a frigid morning to ask Senators Brock, Norris and Mazza and Representative Morgan and myself questions about the current legislative session. The questions were good and big thanks to Andy Julow, Executive Director of the Lake Champlain Islands Economic Development Corporation for organizing this event. Look for another one in Alburgh sometime this spring.
If there is a bill you feel strongly about, please do not hesitate to let me know. This information is extremely helpful and I group the emails by bill for easy reference, so please keep them coming. Email me at jleavitt@leg.state.vt.us
Legislative update #8
This week was very busy in Montpelier. Many bills were presented and discussed at length on the floor. It was a first-hand view of democracy in action.
Bills come to the House after committees vote to move them forward. Then each bill is read once on the House floor. If the bill needs to go to another committee, for money appropriations or for tax purposes, that committee then votes the bill out and the bill gets read a second time.
It is during this second reading where anyone can make an amendment to change the bill. This happened this week with H. 429, a miscellaneous elections bill. A lot of people didn’t like this bill for a variety of reasons. Among those reasons were increasing the dollar amount that can be donated to a political party from $10,000 to $100,000 for state-wide or federal candidates, and eliminating the ability of candidates to run as what’s known as fusion candidates—Dem/Prog or Prog/Dem. I was not a fan of the huge jump in the donation amount and limiting the fusion candidates. I was not alone.
At the second reading of this bill many changes were suggested. Each potential change was brought to the House floor and discussed and then voted on. What impressed me was every voice was heard and every opinion mattered. We voted on amendments, either passing them or not (meaning the bill didn’t change). We did this for the second reading and then again when the bill was ready for its third reading. This process can literally take hours. While at times it might feel tedious, this process is a hallmark of our democratic process as it allows all parties to air their concerns and ideas every step of the way.
Nothing is written in stone until that final vote on the third reading. More amendments were brought to the floor, and we discussed, debated and voted on them. Finally, after all the amendments were dealt with, we voted on whether the bill should pass. And it did. The donation limit was brought down to $60,000, and fusion candidates are now allowed.
The Agriculture, Food Resiliency and Forestry committee spent the week looking at our committee bill H. 205. This bill works to create a grant program with money pulled from the Agency of Agriculture and Food Markets to help small farmers transition or diversify to a more successful kind of farming, so ag land stays as ag land. I’m a big fan of this bill and think it will help small farmers stay in farming.
The Legislature is on vacation this week, so my next update will be two weeks from now.
Please don’t forget to vote on Tuesday, March 7th for local town races.
Legislative update #9
This past week was the famous “cross-over week” where bills from the House have to get voted out to go to the Senate and vice versa. Bills that don’t get voted out of committee can still be worked on, but often will remain until the next session where they either get picked up or they die.
My committee (Agriculture, Food Resiliency and Forestry) spent a lot of time on H. 81, a right to repair bill. This bill’s goal is to provide farmers and independent repair shops with the tools, parts, and information necessary to repair agriculture and forestry equipment themselves and not rely on the manufacturer. As we see more and more computerization of farming equipment, being able to access source codes can make the difference between being able to bring the hay in, or waiting (and possibly missing the weather window) for a technician to come out. When a piece of equipment breaks, often the farmer can fix it themselves, but cannot clear the computer code to get the equipment running again.
Often the user has no other course of action than to use an authorized dealer to make repairs. The lag in time it takes to acquire service from a sole provider can be costly to the farmer, particularly in such a time- and weather-sensitive industry. In addition, repair services come without a reasonable price ceiling because of the lack of competition in the industry. Sending a tractor out for servicing can cost hundreds, or even thousands, of dollars, just in towing fees to the authorized dealer repair shop. If this bill were to become law, then more local repair shops could open to service equipment here in the district.
Sometimes, Legislators get to work on bills that support a passion that’s outside their committee. I have been working on an eviction diversion bill, H. 391, that would create a small fund of $1.5 million to help folks who make just too much to qualify for emergency rental assistance, but have fallen behind in their rent. These are the folks who live paycheck to paycheck and budget carefully. Often one unanticipated expense (car repair, medical bill, etc.) is enough for them to fall behind. When folks like this face eviction for non-payment of rent, it is usually for less than $2,700. This bill would allow tenants and landlords to work together to stop the eviction proceedings, keep them out of a costly courtroom and get the landlord paid the back rent. (The average cost of an eviction is between $8,000-12,000.) This is a one-year pilot program. At the end of the year, we’ll see how many people were able to stay housed, and how many still fell behind in their rent. We’re looking at this as a bridge program, but if there are greater needs, then we’ll need to totally regroup and think about rental relief differently.
I want to address the question I get asked the most: how will I vote on S.5, the affordable heat act. As it stands now, I’m a no vote. But the bill has yet to come to the House and our committees haven’t begun to work on it to make it better. There’s a long way to go, and now is the time to share your concerns, and thoughts on how to make the bill better. There have already been some positive changes, and I’m hopeful the House can make this bill something that works for both the environment and us.
My email is jleavitt@leg.state.vt.us.
Legislative update #10
This was a very long week in Montpelier with many important bills getting passed. We had long floor sessions, with the longest ending at 11pm on Thursday night, after ten hours on the House floor. The following bills were passed:
H. 230, an act relating to implementing mechanisms to reduce suicide, was the most debated. Vermont has the highest suicide rate in New England, and approximately 87% of these suicides are committed with firearms. To be clear: this bill will not ever take your guns away. This bill just requires that in homes with people under 18 guns are stored safely, unloaded and with trigger locks. You can keep a loaded weapon in your home if it is under your control at all times if there are folks under 18 living or visiting you. If there are no people under 18 in your home, then you have no requirements. There will be a 72 hour waiting period to purchase a firearm. A lot of people are opposed to this. I am not. A waiting period would allow folks to not act rashly. This is especially important in the case of younger adults whose frontal lobes are not fully developed (that doesn't happen for men until they're 26). The waiting period is intended to allow someone more time to think about their situation and get help, or to realize that the precipitating event is not as bad as originally thought. This bill passed on a roll call vote of 99-43.
H. 66 Paid Family Medical Leave Insurance creates an insurance fund to allow employees and self-employed people to be eligible for up 12-weeks of paid leave (up to $1025 a week) for the birth/adoption of child, medical emergencies, the need to care for a relative, and to create a safety plan in the case of domestic assault or being a victim of a violent crime. The cost of this is .55% of salary and can be split with the employer and employee. The cost works out to be less than $300 for someone making $60,000. And I've been hearing that a fair number of employers will cover this 100%.
H.165 Universal School Meals passed by a resounding voice vote. You've all heard me extoll the benefits of feeding all school kids. This is a win-win for kids, parents and local farmers. Should this bill pass the Senate, it will allow schools to budget better for including local farm purchases in their meal plan. This can provide farmers a reliable revenue stream, increase the amount of local food purchased and allow schools to get more federal money per meal if they hit a minimum threshold of 15% local food purchased.
H. 127 Online Sports Betting was passed. This bill will allow up to six companies to provide online betting platforms to be used in Vermont. The expected revenue is about $3 million a year for the first three years. There will be money set aside ($250,000 the first year, $500,000 the second year) to address the issue of problem gambling. I'll be honest, I'm not a huge fan of this bill as I think it might create problems with gambling addiction because of the nature of sports betting, where you can bet on every play in a game. But there are protections in place to help folks and these protections made me feel comfortable voting yes.
As always please reach out with any questions, comments or concerns, but let's keep the conversation civil. My email is jleavitt@leg.state.vt.us
Legislative Update #11
I’ve heard some concerns about the newly-passed budget affecting projects in our district. I have fact checked with the Chair of the Transportation committee and members of the Appropriations committee and here’s what I’ve learned.
The Transportation Committee followed all of the Governor’s recommended transportation budget and funded all his priority projects. None of these priority projects are at risk, including for Grand Isle and West Milton projects. The Transportation Committee also addressed funding gaps for the State Transportation exactly the way the Governor wanted. They cut nothing.
Per the governor, they filled the funding gap of $31 million by using $10.9 million from the General fund and $20.7 million of unused monies from last year. This allows the state to match $15 million of Federal grants, so we are not leaving any money on the table.
Going forward, the Governor has suggested that we continue to pull money away from the General fund (which funds all other aspects of the budget). This is not smart fiscal policy and could imperil the Transportation fund in future years. The solution was to increase DMV fees to ensure a funding stream for the transportation needs of the state, something that hasn't been done since 2016.
These are modest increases. Yes, 20% sounds like a lot, but for most of us the increase is $6 for drivers licenses and $15 for car registration. This will allow transportation projects to be funded by these fees and not dip into the General Fund and take money away from other projects. So, we are spending a little more now, so we don’t have to spend a lot more later.
When I hear the accusation of tax-and-spend Democrats throwing around money, I would like to always remind people that the government's job is to work collaboratively with voters on setting priorities and collecting taxes to finance those priorities. Our work is to spend that money wisely, and when we can invest early and efficiently, we save money, and protect our future. With that money, we are also expressing and protecting all that we value as Vermonters.
Legislative Update #12
This past week was a quiet one on the floor because we're in a lull period and also because I got sick with a horrible cold.
One highlight was seeing the Alburgh Village charter come through. I had been working on this since December and it's a perfect illustration of how a piece of legislation comes to be voted on.
In December, a trustee of the Village reached out to me about getting this charter change done to reflect what was voted on in May of 2022. I then worked with Legislative Counsel on drafting the bill. I sent the bill back to the Trustee to make sure it reflected what they wanted. It did. The bill got assigned a number H. 150.
The charter change was quite simple. It sought to allow the Village trustees to appoint a Village clerk and treasurer, and to allow for these positions to be filled from outside the Village.
This charter change addressed two needs the Village had. The first was to no longer have an elected clerk or treasurer, but to hire them instead, allowing for greater oversight of these positions by the trustees. The second was to expand the area from which the Village could draw applicants. Rather than keeping it limited to the small population of Village, it expands it to anyone in the state.
The bill was read a first time in February and assigned to House Government Operations and Military Affairs committee. Last month I testified before the committee about this bill. This past week Rep. Morgan from the committee, presented the bill on the House floor for its second reading. Then the following day, on its third reading (all bills must be read three times on the floor). It passed by a unanimous voice vote.
It makes me very happy that the first bill I worked on as Legislator was for my district. The bill now goes to the Senate for their approval.
Here's hoping Alburgh Village can now get the staffing they need.
Legislative Update #13
This was another quiet week at the State House as we gear up for the end of session. Things will start getting much, much busier this week.
Saturday there was a Legislative Forum at the Alburgh American Legion featuring me, Rep. Morgan and Senators Brock and Norris. I was so heartened to see over 25 people come out on a gorgeous day to ask us all some hard questions about the session. Questions ranged from the budget, bike lanes, parental rights, Legislative pay raises (for the record, I'm against them), and more. I urge anyone who is interested in learning more about what we're doing in Montpelier to come to these. It's a great way to really connect with lawmakers, and more importantly, it's a great way for me to hear what the concerns of constituents are.
My committee, Agriculture, Food Resiliency and Forestry worked on three bills.
First we voted 9-2 in favor of H.81, the right to repair agricultural and forestry equipment. The bill has now been sent to House Commerce and Economic Development for further deliberation. If passed, this bill would allow farmers access to all the repair and diagnostic tools (at a fair price) the dealers have, so they can fix equipment faster and get back to work.
We also gained insight from educators and school administrators on H.274, an act relating to agriculture and nutrition education. The gist of this bill is to include agriculture education at all levels of school from pre-K to high school. The educators let us know that they feel pressed for time given that many are still catching up from COVID-19 disruptions and the recognition that other bills have proposed other new curriculum requirements. Educators voiced preference for more state-issued incentives and support to expand agricultural education versus establishing a new mandate. A few ideas included facilitating field trip transportation, incorporating agriculture education into vocational programs, and expanding farm stewardship internship opportunities and educational partnerships with farm organizations.
The committee took testimony on a series of three different trail and recreation bills. H.467 is the omnibus recreation bill which contains the foundations for trail accessibility, equity (proximity to low-income housing) and conservation. H.131 would establish the Green Mountain Recreation Fund. The need for maintenance and stewardship of trails has increased as the demand for outdoor recreation and tourism has gained in popularity. Specifically, H.131 would establish grants for new trail development. It would create two new positions: one with the Forest Parks and Recreation Department, and one new employee for the trails advisory council. Lastly we discussed H.85, a bill that would require that at least 10% of newly built trails would be accessible for people with physical disabilities. All Vermonters deserve access to the unique outdoor recreation offerings in our state and this bill would help ensure that all Vermonters and tourists would be able to enjoy the outdoors easily, and safely.
As always, the best way to reach is via email, jleavitt@leg.state.vt.us.
Legislative Update #14
S. 5 passed the House Friday. This bill has changed dramatically from when it began in the Senate. The bill as passed creates a study group that will collect data from fuel dealers. This data will be used to create an implementation plan to help move Vermonters off expensive fossil fuels. This implementation plan will be presented to the Legislature in 2025 when it will be voted on again before it can be enacted.
Your fuel bill will not change because of S 5. You will not be asked to change how you heat your home. This two-year plan will create the framework for how to make clean heat affordable for all Vermonters. In the last two years there has been a $2 increase in the price of heating oil. Kerosene prices are astronomical right now. There is no basis in fact on the 70 cents or $4 a gallon figures that have been spread throughout the state. The study plan will use actual data and create the real costs to help Vermonters shift away from fossil fuels to cleaner, more reliable forms of heating.
Should the plan come back and show an increase in costs, lack of work force to implement the plan, or anything else that doesn’t help Vermonters, the Legislature can (and should) vote it down. Voting yes now doesn’t obligate us to anything other than learning more.
I voted yes because I couldn't vote against learning how to do it better. This is a chance to see how we can reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, how we can ensure the most vulnerable among us can be insulated not only from the weather but price volatility. I voted yes because I want Vermont children to have faith that there will be a world they want to raise a family in. I voted yes because nothing changes for Vermonters now. In 2025 the Legislature will vote on the actual plan.
My yes vote is for study, learning and creating that plan.
Legislative Update #15
The Agriculture, Food Resiliency and Forestry committee has been taking a very deep dive into S. 115 the past two weeks, an act relating to miscellaneous agricultural subjects. This bill came over from the Senate (which is why it starts with an S).
The first part of the bill deals with the conditions necessary to quarantine livestock. It would add a new condition—when animals are suspected of having been exposed to biological or chemical agents that may cause the animal’s milk, processed dairy product, or other product to be adulterated or otherwise unsafe for human consumption or use.
The next section deals with eggs and egg safety. The bill adds new language making it unlawful to advertise or label eggs in a false or misleading manner; sell, offer for sale, deliver, or donate eggs that do not satisfy certain rules and the requirements; or sell, offer for sale, deliver, or donate eggs that are adulterated.
The tricky part of S. 115 deals with storm water management and control. Vermont is a Dillon's Rule state, meaning municipalities receive all of their legal authority from the Vermont Legislature. In the case of storm water, it seems clear that the Legislature has not given town the authority to regulate storm water on farms, yet farmers are being charged. This is an example of where the current laws lack true clarity about what can and can’t be done. Our job in committee is to provide that clarity.
Several municipalities are charging farms for stormwater (which is the water that runs off impervious surfaces like driveways or roofs or is contained in feedlots) with some fairly hefty fines (upwards of $13,000 a farm in St. Albans). Farms are already subjected to yearly fees from the Agency of Natural Resources and the Agency of Agriculture Food and Markets concerning storm water ranging from $2,500 for large farms and $1,500 for medium. The debate lies in whether cities or towns have the authority to do this as farms are already being regulated by these two state agencies. We have taken testimony from Legislative Counsel and the Agency of Agriculture Food and Markets. Both agree that there is not the authority in statute for towns to do this. Notably, the Agency of Natural Resources supports the position of Agency of Agriculture Food and Markets. We did a straw poll vote in committee on Friday and we voted 8-0-0 in favor of changing the current wording to state that municipalities cannot charge farmers for storm water as they’re already being charged for it by the state.
Legislative update #16
The Agriculture, Food Resiliency and Forestry committee has been taking a very deep dive into S. 115 the past two weeks, an act relating to miscellaneous agricultural subjects. This bill came over from the Senate (which is why it starts with an S).
The first part of the bill deals with the conditions necessary to quarantine livestock. It would add a new condition—when animals are suspected of having been exposed to biological or chemical agents that may cause the animal’s milk, processed dairy product, or other product to be adulterated or otherwise unsafe for human consumption or use.
The next section deals with eggs and egg safety. The bill adds new language making it unlawful to advertise or label eggs in a false or misleading manner; sell, offer for sale, deliver, or donate eggs that do not satisfy certain rules and the requirements; or sell, offer for sale, deliver, or donate eggs that are adulterated.
The tricky part of S. 115 deals with storm water management and control. Vermont is a Dillon's Rule state, meaning municipalities receive all of their legal authority from the Vermont Legislature. In the case of storm water, it seems clear that the Legislature has not given town the authority to regulate storm water on farms, yet farmers are being charged. This is an example of where the current laws lack true clarity about what can and can’t be done. Our job in committee is to provide that clarity.
Several municipalities are charging farms for stormwater (which is the water that runs off impervious surfaces like driveways or roofs or is contained in feedlots) with some fairly hefty fines (upwards of $13,000 a farm in St. Albans). Farms are already subjected to yearly fees from the Agency of Natural Resources and the Agency of Agriculture Food and Markets concerning storm water ranging from $2,500 for large farms and $1,500 for medium. The debate lies in whether cities or towns have the authority to do this as farms are already being regulated by these two state agencies. We have taken testimony from Legislative Counsel and the Agency of Agriculture Food and Markets. Both agree that there is not the authority in statute for towns to do this. Notably, the Agency of Natural Resources supports the position of Agency of Agriculture Food and Markets. We did a straw poll vote in committee on Friday and we voted 8-0-0 in favor of changing the current wording to state that municipalities cannot charge farmers for storm water as they’re already being charged for it by the state.
I’m thrilled to be one of your Representatives in the Vermont Statehouse. It’s been an exciting blur of a start to the legislative session.
I’m on the Agriculture, Food Resiliency and Forestry Committee. While I come to this with experience from my work at the Champlain Islands Food Shelf as a volunteer and Board member, I am learning a great deal about ag and forestry from committee presentations. Currently, my committee doesn’t have any bills (this should change soon), but we’ve shared issues of concerns that we’re going to be working on. One of them is supporting farmers who might be transitioning away from the farming they’ve been doing. Last week I met with a constituent who is using four acres of his family dairy farm to grow hemp as a way to supplement their dairy farm income.
If you’re a farmer, I’d love to talk with you about any issues you might be facing and how my committee can be of assistance.
Other things my committee is focusing on is sustainable farming and forestry, and within that soil replenishment and carbon sequestration. As another committee member put it, “How can I, as a farmer, leave my land in better shape than when I began farming.”
I’m also a member of the Rural Caucus. This caucus looks at all the bills that are being offered to ensure the voices of rural Vermonters are heard. This is a truly non-partisan caucus and a real highlight of my week. As always, I would love to hear your thoughts, comments and questions.
I had the fun of performing stand up at the first legislative cabaret show. It was a lovely way to get to know my fellow legislators outside of the Capitol.
Please feel free to reach out to me whenever you’ve got an issue that you need help with. My email is jleavitt@leg.state.vt.us and it is the best to get in touch with me. Here’s a link to my Facebook legislative page: https://www.facebook.com/josieforstaterep
Update #2
This past week was very busy as my committee really dug into the issues that face Vermont food producers of all kinds as well as the complexity of Universal School Meals. NOFA-VT (Northeast Organic Farmers of Vermont) and the Vermont Farm Bureau came to the committee. The main take-away was our farmers are in trouble and as one farmer put it, “We’re not okay.” She elaborated that dairy farmers are facing the same struggles as other industries: Housing costs, healthcare, and childcare. If you’re a farmer and have particular issues you’d like me to know about, please reach out. I’d love to hear from you.
Some of the issues farmers have addressed have been taken up by the Rural Caucus’ two bills:
Workforce Housing bill. To address the housing shortage, this bill proposes to 1) break down regulations barriers, 2) provide strategic investments, 3) add capacity at the local and regional level for planning and zoning.
Right to Repair Equipment. The bill would reform existing laws so farmers and independent repair businesses can access the same repair documentation, diagnostics, tools, parts, firmware, etc. that authorized dealers have.
My committee also took testimony from Hunger Free Vermont to explain more about the success of Universal School Meals and to start the discussion about making it permanent. To put this in perspective, Alburgh’s Community Education Center has just over 80% of their students qualifying for these meals, and just under half of the students in Grand Isle School qualify. We will hear much more about Universal School Meals this week as well.
I forgot to mention that last week we had a community gathering at the Milton Library where folks could meet all the Legislators and Senators who represent Milton. This was a truly non-partisan event as we’re all striving to keep party politics out of things and focus instead on what people actually need. I was so happy to see over 25 people in attendance. Everyone asked great questions and I was so impressed, not only with the turn out, but the interest and commitment of the audience. Be on the lookout for similar events in Grand Isle County.
Staff at the County Courthouse in North Hero reached out to me to see if I could help with their understaffing situation. This week I met with Teri Corsones, the Vermont State Court Administrator, and she said plans were in the works to help alleviate some of the problem.
As always, please feel free to reach out to me with any questions, concerns, ideas, etc. My email is jleavitt@leg.state.vt.us
Update #3
This week my committee (Agriculture, Food Resiliency and Forestry) spent much of the week focusing on learning more about Universal School Meals and the crisis facing organic dairy farmers throughout the state.
We spent a lot of time hearing about Universal School Meals from five school nutritionists, and from Rosie Kruger, State Director of Child Nutrition Programs for the Agency of Education. It seems abundantly clear that the program is working. One aspect of USM is the Farm Fresh School Meals which uses food from local farmers in school meals. Scaling up to use more Vermont products is something all the witnesses want to do. Currently, the schools who came to us buy 12-27% of their school’s food from local Vermont farmers. The more local food school districts buy from farmers, the more money they get reimbursed from the federal government and the less they’ll use state money. For every $1.00 spent on Universal School Meals, $1.60 is returned to the Vermont economy.
We held a joint hearing with the Senate Agriculture committee to take testimony about the organic dairy farm crisis. Maddie Kempner of NOFA-VT (Northeast Organic Farming Association of VT) started off the discussion by asking that we consider a one-time $9.2 million appropriation for Vermont organic dairy farmers in the Budget Adjustment Act. The BAA is the time mid-way through the fiscal year where the Governor and the Legislature adjust the budget. We stand to lose up to 20 organic dairies in the next few months if nothing changes.
We heard from seven organic dairy farmers about the severe economic issues they’re facing. There has been a snowball effect for these farmers borne of sky-rocketing production costs— from rising fuel costs and feed that’s more expensive than ever because of the conflict in Ukraine, unanticipated inflation increases, and a severe drought last summer that has left many farmers struggling.
These farmers are smart, hard-working and diversifying their farms as much as they can. And they’re still struggling. The price for organic milk has not kept pace with that of conventional milk. Organic dairy farmers do not have the safety net that conventional dairy farmers have because the calculations the Dairy Margin Coverage uses do not take into account the higher costs incurred by organic farmers. The DMC is an insurance program which helps bridge the gap when dairy prices are lower than production costs, and since organic dairy farms don’t have the volume of many conventional farms, their reimbursement from the DMC is insufficient.
Our committee voted unanimously to submit a letter to the Appropriations Committee in support of this one-time $9.2 million appropriation for organic dairy farmers as part of the Budget Adjustment Act.
Legislative Update #4 (2/5/23)
My heart is heavy for our community with the loss of Russell Giroux’s life after the melee at the Alburgh- St.Albans City boys’ 7th and 8th grade basketball game. I saw some of the video and found the violence very disturbing. This was a children’s basketball game, which should be a joyful event. While no one but the spectators know exactly what happened (and I will not speculate), I think violence at any sporting event is absolutely uncalled for and we’ve seen a rise of it throughout the state.
Our culture has normalized violence. Parents fighting at a game sets a terrible precedent for these young athletes about how to resolve conflict. That fans have been banned for the remaining two weeks of the season is a big lesson in consequences, but seems unfair to the majority of parents who behave well. I believe as a community this is a time to reflect on how we can all be better citizens.
On the legislative front things have been busy. I’ve presented H.150 to the Legislature to allow Alburgh Village to change its charter to reflect the town-wide vote last year to appoint a Town Clerk and Treasurer and expand the applicant pool to folks outside of the Village. Any town Charter change has to be approved by the Legislature. Michael Morgan has joined me as a co-sponsor of the bill and it feels good to work together. Stay tuned for another bill he and I are working on.
H.165 an act relating to school food programs and universal school meals has come through the Education and Agriculture Committees this week. I am very proud to be one of the four sponsors of this bill. Both committees will begin taking testimony on the bill as well as hearing from the Joint Fiscal Office on ways to pay for it. One of the biggest thing I’d like folks to keep in mind is for every $1 we spent on school meals, there is a $1.60 return to the Vermont economy. This largely comes from purchasing food from local farmers. I know I said this last week, and I’m going to keep repeating it, because it’s important.
I’m also going to remind folks that Grand Isle County has a very high incidence of childhood hunger. Feeding children two nutritious meals a day ensures that they’re eating. When a family faces hunger, knowing that their kids can get two meals a day at school often means everyone gets to have dinner. We heard in committee how much more focused the kids have been since they’re provided two meals at school. There is no stigma with Universal School Meals, everyone eats and school administrations don’t spend time acting as bill collectors for lunchroom debts.
I believe that feeding people is never a bad thing. The annual cost of this is less than 1% of the entire $2.1 billion Education Fund. As I learn more about funding this (should be this week), I will keep everyone posted.
The Budget Adjustment Act (BAA) was approved along party lines after two days of floor discussion. One of the things in this Act is having $3 million to give to underserved rural towns to help access as the Governor requested to implement and get matching ARPA funding. Currently Isle La Motte is the only town in the district that qualifies. Grand Isle town is close to qualifying and I’ve heard that towns that are close the underserved limit will be able to apply for funding if they need it. The BAA allows funding for $9.2 million of relief for organic dairy farms. Since my last update, we’ve lost four more organic farms.
I’ve heard from many of you about things you like, things you don’t and things you’d like to see happen. Please keep these letters coming. I read all of them and am catching up on responding. As always, the best way to reach me is at jleavitt@leg.state.vt.us
Legislative update #5 (2/13/23)
This update, sadly, begins much like last week’s, with the loss of life in the Islands. Three people have died since Thursday because they fell into the lake while ice fishing. Several first responders also fell into the ice during these rescues. I don’t know how to say it any more clearly than this: Stay off the ice—it’s not stable.
The last week was busy and ended really well. All six of the Milton reps have organized monthly community forums and more than 30 people came to the library on Saturday morning for our second one. I was impressed with the depth of knowledge folks had about bills and their very considered questions. I will be planning a monthly coffee hour for folks on the Islands who want to chat with me about issues/concerns they have about what’s going on in Montpelier. Stay tuned for details also, let me know if you’d like this to be in person or on Zoom.
This week the House passed H.89, which has been referred to as the shield law. The law protects Vermont health providers from being sued for providing medical care that is legal in Vermont but illegal in other states. This applies to abortion care and transgender care for families. Some states place bounties and legal proceedings on providers for certain services, this law protects our providers from both. I was happy to see that this bill had tri-partisan support.
Friday, Sen. Peter Welch came to the committee to talk about the Federal Farm Bill, which sadly, looks like it’ll take two-years to iron out. I was hoping the Federal Farm Bill would address some of the inequities between conventional and organic dairy farming a little faster. The Federal timing places pressure on my committee to do our best for Vermont farmers this term. I think we’re on a good path now that the Budget Adjustment Act is now in the Senate and hopefully will go to the Governor’s desk quickly for his signature.
I continue to marvel at this work. Last week we heard the beginning of testimony from the Farm to School organizations that work to get Vermont food products into the school system. There is one compelling reason to make Universal School Meals permanent. It will allow school systems to work with local farmers earlier in the year when they’re planning their budgets (the schools are doing that this month) so they can contract with farmers before the growing season starts. I look at all the farms we have in the Islands and can’t help but think how much a school contract for carrots, potatoes, or ground beef, etc. would benefit everyone.
As always, the best way to reach me is at jleavitt@leg.state.vt.us
Legislative Update #6
This week found my committee busy hearing testimony about bills that have come to us. Bills (anyone in the Legislature can sponsor one) are assigned to committees by the Chair of the House. They then go on our corkboard in the committee room. We take testimony from all sides to learn more about them, make edits to them, and then at some point, we’ll vote on the bills and either decide to not move them forward, or to take them off the wall and present them to the entire Legislature.
This week we heard about H. 205, an act relating to establishing the Small Farm Diversification and Transition Program. This bill seeks to set up a grants program of $250,000 for small farms wanting either to diversify what they grow, or to transition to a different kind of farming to remain viable. The funding would be an appropriation from the Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets. This was the first time we discussed this, and we’ll be meeting Legislative Counsel to go over the bill and what the legal ramifications might be. You can read about the bill here.
Sometimes, to move forward, you need to look back. In discussions about H.165 Universal School Meals, we needed to learn about Act 67 which created the Local Food Incentives program. This established a tiered system where schools were able to get 15-25 cents back per meal if 15-25% of the food they used was Vermont produced. There are a lot of rules to this initiative, and the committee needs to know all of them to make the best decisions and to get more reimbursement to schools who are using at least 15% Vermont farm products in their food budget.
One of the other bills we discussed from the wall was Act 23-0761 — an act relating to miscellaneous agricultural subjects. One of those subjects was the dollar amount attached to the stipend for Vermont State Fairs and Field Days. This week we heard from Jackie Folsom representing the Fair and Field association. She was asking that their line item in the budget remain as it has been for the last few years. We learned that to qualify as a State Fair or Field Days and therefore be eligible for grant money, the event must run 3 consecutive 8-hour days, have at least 5 judged categories and much more.
This is what I love about being a Legislator. I am learning things I would have never known before from the complexity of dairy farming, to how to feed every kid two meals a day at school, to learning that judged categories at Field Days have to have prizes attached to them and so much more.
I have two loose ends to tie up. When I said last week the ice wasn’t safe, I should have cited a source. Now I have one—the Department of Fish and Wildlife has issued an advisory to stay off the ice on Lake Champlain until the warm spell stops.
Several people have asked me about how Universal School Meals and other bills will be paid for. I don’t know yet. Bills that have an appropriation of funding attached to them go from committee to the Ways and Means Committee whose job it is to figure that part out. Then the bill goes to the Appropriations Committee who looks at how that funding will work in the State budget. Once I know more, I’ll share it.
As always, the best way to reach me is via email: jleavitt@leg.state.vt.us
Thanks!
Legislative update #7
This week we voted Universal School Meals out of committee. By a vote of 9-2, along party lines, we sent the bill to Ways and Means for their financial analysis of the bill. The bill is now out of the committee’s hands. We will wait and see how Ways and Means decides the best way to fund this program. Then the bill is likely to go to the Appropriations committee, so it might be a while before I can say how we’re looking at getting this funded.
Our committee is actively, and creatively, working on ways to keep small farmers operational and thriving. We began working on H.205, an act relating to establishing the Small Farm Diversification and Transition Program, which is a bill with bipartisan co-sponsors. This bill addresses the real need of some small farmers to either diversify their products or transition to another kind of farming to stay financially viable. The transition often occurs when a dairy farmer switches to beef cattle, or produce farmer shifts to hemp or someone begins adding goats into the mix for milk. Vermont is an agricultural state with a long history of farming of all types. The bill addresses four main areas of diversification or transition:
- diversifying the agricultural commodities produced on a small farm;
- transitioning a small farm from one form of farming to another;
- on-farm processing of agricultural commodities on a small farm:
- development of accessory on-farm businesses on a small farm.
The current market shifts have created challenges to farming. This bill establishes a $250,000 grant program designed to help small farmers continue farming and maintain agriculture land as open ag land.
Saturday morning we had a legislative meet and greet with a Q&A at Snow Farm Vineyards. I was so heartened to see more than 30 people coming out on a frigid morning to ask Senators Brock, Norris and Mazza and Representative Morgan and myself questions about the current legislative session. The questions were good and big thanks to Andy Julow, Executive Director of the Lake Champlain Islands Economic Development Corporation for organizing this event. Look for another one in Alburgh sometime this spring.
If there is a bill you feel strongly about, please do not hesitate to let me know. This information is extremely helpful and I group the emails by bill for easy reference, so please keep them coming. Email me at jleavitt@leg.state.vt.us
Legislative update #8
This week was very busy in Montpelier. Many bills were presented and discussed at length on the floor. It was a first-hand view of democracy in action.
Bills come to the House after committees vote to move them forward. Then each bill is read once on the House floor. If the bill needs to go to another committee, for money appropriations or for tax purposes, that committee then votes the bill out and the bill gets read a second time.
It is during this second reading where anyone can make an amendment to change the bill. This happened this week with H. 429, a miscellaneous elections bill. A lot of people didn’t like this bill for a variety of reasons. Among those reasons were increasing the dollar amount that can be donated to a political party from $10,000 to $100,000 for state-wide or federal candidates, and eliminating the ability of candidates to run as what’s known as fusion candidates—Dem/Prog or Prog/Dem. I was not a fan of the huge jump in the donation amount and limiting the fusion candidates. I was not alone.
At the second reading of this bill many changes were suggested. Each potential change was brought to the House floor and discussed and then voted on. What impressed me was every voice was heard and every opinion mattered. We voted on amendments, either passing them or not (meaning the bill didn’t change). We did this for the second reading and then again when the bill was ready for its third reading. This process can literally take hours. While at times it might feel tedious, this process is a hallmark of our democratic process as it allows all parties to air their concerns and ideas every step of the way.
Nothing is written in stone until that final vote on the third reading. More amendments were brought to the floor, and we discussed, debated and voted on them. Finally, after all the amendments were dealt with, we voted on whether the bill should pass. And it did. The donation limit was brought down to $60,000, and fusion candidates are now allowed.
The Agriculture, Food Resiliency and Forestry committee spent the week looking at our committee bill H. 205. This bill works to create a grant program with money pulled from the Agency of Agriculture and Food Markets to help small farmers transition or diversify to a more successful kind of farming, so ag land stays as ag land. I’m a big fan of this bill and think it will help small farmers stay in farming.
The Legislature is on vacation this week, so my next update will be two weeks from now.
Please don’t forget to vote on Tuesday, March 7th for local town races.
Legislative update #9
This past week was the famous “cross-over week” where bills from the House have to get voted out to go to the Senate and vice versa. Bills that don’t get voted out of committee can still be worked on, but often will remain until the next session where they either get picked up or they die.
My committee (Agriculture, Food Resiliency and Forestry) spent a lot of time on H. 81, a right to repair bill. This bill’s goal is to provide farmers and independent repair shops with the tools, parts, and information necessary to repair agriculture and forestry equipment themselves and not rely on the manufacturer. As we see more and more computerization of farming equipment, being able to access source codes can make the difference between being able to bring the hay in, or waiting (and possibly missing the weather window) for a technician to come out. When a piece of equipment breaks, often the farmer can fix it themselves, but cannot clear the computer code to get the equipment running again.
Often the user has no other course of action than to use an authorized dealer to make repairs. The lag in time it takes to acquire service from a sole provider can be costly to the farmer, particularly in such a time- and weather-sensitive industry. In addition, repair services come without a reasonable price ceiling because of the lack of competition in the industry. Sending a tractor out for servicing can cost hundreds, or even thousands, of dollars, just in towing fees to the authorized dealer repair shop. If this bill were to become law, then more local repair shops could open to service equipment here in the district.
Sometimes, Legislators get to work on bills that support a passion that’s outside their committee. I have been working on an eviction diversion bill, H. 391, that would create a small fund of $1.5 million to help folks who make just too much to qualify for emergency rental assistance, but have fallen behind in their rent. These are the folks who live paycheck to paycheck and budget carefully. Often one unanticipated expense (car repair, medical bill, etc.) is enough for them to fall behind. When folks like this face eviction for non-payment of rent, it is usually for less than $2,700. This bill would allow tenants and landlords to work together to stop the eviction proceedings, keep them out of a costly courtroom and get the landlord paid the back rent. (The average cost of an eviction is between $8,000-12,000.) This is a one-year pilot program. At the end of the year, we’ll see how many people were able to stay housed, and how many still fell behind in their rent. We’re looking at this as a bridge program, but if there are greater needs, then we’ll need to totally regroup and think about rental relief differently.
I want to address the question I get asked the most: how will I vote on S.5, the affordable heat act. As it stands now, I’m a no vote. But the bill has yet to come to the House and our committees haven’t begun to work on it to make it better. There’s a long way to go, and now is the time to share your concerns, and thoughts on how to make the bill better. There have already been some positive changes, and I’m hopeful the House can make this bill something that works for both the environment and us.
My email is jleavitt@leg.state.vt.us.
Legislative update #10
This was a very long week in Montpelier with many important bills getting passed. We had long floor sessions, with the longest ending at 11pm on Thursday night, after ten hours on the House floor. The following bills were passed:
H. 230, an act relating to implementing mechanisms to reduce suicide, was the most debated. Vermont has the highest suicide rate in New England, and approximately 87% of these suicides are committed with firearms. To be clear: this bill will not ever take your guns away. This bill just requires that in homes with people under 18 guns are stored safely, unloaded and with trigger locks. You can keep a loaded weapon in your home if it is under your control at all times if there are folks under 18 living or visiting you. If there are no people under 18 in your home, then you have no requirements. There will be a 72 hour waiting period to purchase a firearm. A lot of people are opposed to this. I am not. A waiting period would allow folks to not act rashly. This is especially important in the case of younger adults whose frontal lobes are not fully developed (that doesn't happen for men until they're 26). The waiting period is intended to allow someone more time to think about their situation and get help, or to realize that the precipitating event is not as bad as originally thought. This bill passed on a roll call vote of 99-43.
H. 66 Paid Family Medical Leave Insurance creates an insurance fund to allow employees and self-employed people to be eligible for up 12-weeks of paid leave (up to $1025 a week) for the birth/adoption of child, medical emergencies, the need to care for a relative, and to create a safety plan in the case of domestic assault or being a victim of a violent crime. The cost of this is .55% of salary and can be split with the employer and employee. The cost works out to be less than $300 for someone making $60,000. And I've been hearing that a fair number of employers will cover this 100%.
H.165 Universal School Meals passed by a resounding voice vote. You've all heard me extoll the benefits of feeding all school kids. This is a win-win for kids, parents and local farmers. Should this bill pass the Senate, it will allow schools to budget better for including local farm purchases in their meal plan. This can provide farmers a reliable revenue stream, increase the amount of local food purchased and allow schools to get more federal money per meal if they hit a minimum threshold of 15% local food purchased.
H. 127 Online Sports Betting was passed. This bill will allow up to six companies to provide online betting platforms to be used in Vermont. The expected revenue is about $3 million a year for the first three years. There will be money set aside ($250,000 the first year, $500,000 the second year) to address the issue of problem gambling. I'll be honest, I'm not a huge fan of this bill as I think it might create problems with gambling addiction because of the nature of sports betting, where you can bet on every play in a game. But there are protections in place to help folks and these protections made me feel comfortable voting yes.
As always please reach out with any questions, comments or concerns, but let's keep the conversation civil. My email is jleavitt@leg.state.vt.us
Legislative Update #11
I’ve heard some concerns about the newly-passed budget affecting projects in our district. I have fact checked with the Chair of the Transportation committee and members of the Appropriations committee and here’s what I’ve learned.
The Transportation Committee followed all of the Governor’s recommended transportation budget and funded all his priority projects. None of these priority projects are at risk, including for Grand Isle and West Milton projects. The Transportation Committee also addressed funding gaps for the State Transportation exactly the way the Governor wanted. They cut nothing.
Per the governor, they filled the funding gap of $31 million by using $10.9 million from the General fund and $20.7 million of unused monies from last year. This allows the state to match $15 million of Federal grants, so we are not leaving any money on the table.
Going forward, the Governor has suggested that we continue to pull money away from the General fund (which funds all other aspects of the budget). This is not smart fiscal policy and could imperil the Transportation fund in future years. The solution was to increase DMV fees to ensure a funding stream for the transportation needs of the state, something that hasn't been done since 2016.
These are modest increases. Yes, 20% sounds like a lot, but for most of us the increase is $6 for drivers licenses and $15 for car registration. This will allow transportation projects to be funded by these fees and not dip into the General Fund and take money away from other projects. So, we are spending a little more now, so we don’t have to spend a lot more later.
When I hear the accusation of tax-and-spend Democrats throwing around money, I would like to always remind people that the government's job is to work collaboratively with voters on setting priorities and collecting taxes to finance those priorities. Our work is to spend that money wisely, and when we can invest early and efficiently, we save money, and protect our future. With that money, we are also expressing and protecting all that we value as Vermonters.
Legislative Update #12
This past week was a quiet one on the floor because we're in a lull period and also because I got sick with a horrible cold.
One highlight was seeing the Alburgh Village charter come through. I had been working on this since December and it's a perfect illustration of how a piece of legislation comes to be voted on.
In December, a trustee of the Village reached out to me about getting this charter change done to reflect what was voted on in May of 2022. I then worked with Legislative Counsel on drafting the bill. I sent the bill back to the Trustee to make sure it reflected what they wanted. It did. The bill got assigned a number H. 150.
The charter change was quite simple. It sought to allow the Village trustees to appoint a Village clerk and treasurer, and to allow for these positions to be filled from outside the Village.
This charter change addressed two needs the Village had. The first was to no longer have an elected clerk or treasurer, but to hire them instead, allowing for greater oversight of these positions by the trustees. The second was to expand the area from which the Village could draw applicants. Rather than keeping it limited to the small population of Village, it expands it to anyone in the state.
The bill was read a first time in February and assigned to House Government Operations and Military Affairs committee. Last month I testified before the committee about this bill. This past week Rep. Morgan from the committee, presented the bill on the House floor for its second reading. Then the following day, on its third reading (all bills must be read three times on the floor). It passed by a unanimous voice vote.
It makes me very happy that the first bill I worked on as Legislator was for my district. The bill now goes to the Senate for their approval.
Here's hoping Alburgh Village can now get the staffing they need.
Legislative Update #13
This was another quiet week at the State House as we gear up for the end of session. Things will start getting much, much busier this week.
Saturday there was a Legislative Forum at the Alburgh American Legion featuring me, Rep. Morgan and Senators Brock and Norris. I was so heartened to see over 25 people come out on a gorgeous day to ask us all some hard questions about the session. Questions ranged from the budget, bike lanes, parental rights, Legislative pay raises (for the record, I'm against them), and more. I urge anyone who is interested in learning more about what we're doing in Montpelier to come to these. It's a great way to really connect with lawmakers, and more importantly, it's a great way for me to hear what the concerns of constituents are.
My committee, Agriculture, Food Resiliency and Forestry worked on three bills.
First we voted 9-2 in favor of H.81, the right to repair agricultural and forestry equipment. The bill has now been sent to House Commerce and Economic Development for further deliberation. If passed, this bill would allow farmers access to all the repair and diagnostic tools (at a fair price) the dealers have, so they can fix equipment faster and get back to work.
We also gained insight from educators and school administrators on H.274, an act relating to agriculture and nutrition education. The gist of this bill is to include agriculture education at all levels of school from pre-K to high school. The educators let us know that they feel pressed for time given that many are still catching up from COVID-19 disruptions and the recognition that other bills have proposed other new curriculum requirements. Educators voiced preference for more state-issued incentives and support to expand agricultural education versus establishing a new mandate. A few ideas included facilitating field trip transportation, incorporating agriculture education into vocational programs, and expanding farm stewardship internship opportunities and educational partnerships with farm organizations.
The committee took testimony on a series of three different trail and recreation bills. H.467 is the omnibus recreation bill which contains the foundations for trail accessibility, equity (proximity to low-income housing) and conservation. H.131 would establish the Green Mountain Recreation Fund. The need for maintenance and stewardship of trails has increased as the demand for outdoor recreation and tourism has gained in popularity. Specifically, H.131 would establish grants for new trail development. It would create two new positions: one with the Forest Parks and Recreation Department, and one new employee for the trails advisory council. Lastly we discussed H.85, a bill that would require that at least 10% of newly built trails would be accessible for people with physical disabilities. All Vermonters deserve access to the unique outdoor recreation offerings in our state and this bill would help ensure that all Vermonters and tourists would be able to enjoy the outdoors easily, and safely.
As always, the best way to reach is via email, jleavitt@leg.state.vt.us.
Legislative Update #14
S. 5 passed the House Friday. This bill has changed dramatically from when it began in the Senate. The bill as passed creates a study group that will collect data from fuel dealers. This data will be used to create an implementation plan to help move Vermonters off expensive fossil fuels. This implementation plan will be presented to the Legislature in 2025 when it will be voted on again before it can be enacted.
Your fuel bill will not change because of S 5. You will not be asked to change how you heat your home. This two-year plan will create the framework for how to make clean heat affordable for all Vermonters. In the last two years there has been a $2 increase in the price of heating oil. Kerosene prices are astronomical right now. There is no basis in fact on the 70 cents or $4 a gallon figures that have been spread throughout the state. The study plan will use actual data and create the real costs to help Vermonters shift away from fossil fuels to cleaner, more reliable forms of heating.
Should the plan come back and show an increase in costs, lack of work force to implement the plan, or anything else that doesn’t help Vermonters, the Legislature can (and should) vote it down. Voting yes now doesn’t obligate us to anything other than learning more.
I voted yes because I couldn't vote against learning how to do it better. This is a chance to see how we can reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, how we can ensure the most vulnerable among us can be insulated not only from the weather but price volatility. I voted yes because I want Vermont children to have faith that there will be a world they want to raise a family in. I voted yes because nothing changes for Vermonters now. In 2025 the Legislature will vote on the actual plan.
My yes vote is for study, learning and creating that plan.
Legislative Update #15
The Agriculture, Food Resiliency and Forestry committee has been taking a very deep dive into S. 115 the past two weeks, an act relating to miscellaneous agricultural subjects. This bill came over from the Senate (which is why it starts with an S).
The first part of the bill deals with the conditions necessary to quarantine livestock. It would add a new condition—when animals are suspected of having been exposed to biological or chemical agents that may cause the animal’s milk, processed dairy product, or other product to be adulterated or otherwise unsafe for human consumption or use.
The next section deals with eggs and egg safety. The bill adds new language making it unlawful to advertise or label eggs in a false or misleading manner; sell, offer for sale, deliver, or donate eggs that do not satisfy certain rules and the requirements; or sell, offer for sale, deliver, or donate eggs that are adulterated.
The tricky part of S. 115 deals with storm water management and control. Vermont is a Dillon's Rule state, meaning municipalities receive all of their legal authority from the Vermont Legislature. In the case of storm water, it seems clear that the Legislature has not given town the authority to regulate storm water on farms, yet farmers are being charged. This is an example of where the current laws lack true clarity about what can and can’t be done. Our job in committee is to provide that clarity.
Several municipalities are charging farms for stormwater (which is the water that runs off impervious surfaces like driveways or roofs or is contained in feedlots) with some fairly hefty fines (upwards of $13,000 a farm in St. Albans). Farms are already subjected to yearly fees from the Agency of Natural Resources and the Agency of Agriculture Food and Markets concerning storm water ranging from $2,500 for large farms and $1,500 for medium. The debate lies in whether cities or towns have the authority to do this as farms are already being regulated by these two state agencies. We have taken testimony from Legislative Counsel and the Agency of Agriculture Food and Markets. Both agree that there is not the authority in statute for towns to do this. Notably, the Agency of Natural Resources supports the position of Agency of Agriculture Food and Markets. We did a straw poll vote in committee on Friday and we voted 8-0-0 in favor of changing the current wording to state that municipalities cannot charge farmers for storm water as they’re already being charged for it by the state.
Legislative update #16
The Agriculture, Food Resiliency and Forestry committee has been taking a very deep dive into S. 115 the past two weeks, an act relating to miscellaneous agricultural subjects. This bill came over from the Senate (which is why it starts with an S).
The first part of the bill deals with the conditions necessary to quarantine livestock. It would add a new condition—when animals are suspected of having been exposed to biological or chemical agents that may cause the animal’s milk, processed dairy product, or other product to be adulterated or otherwise unsafe for human consumption or use.
The next section deals with eggs and egg safety. The bill adds new language making it unlawful to advertise or label eggs in a false or misleading manner; sell, offer for sale, deliver, or donate eggs that do not satisfy certain rules and the requirements; or sell, offer for sale, deliver, or donate eggs that are adulterated.
The tricky part of S. 115 deals with storm water management and control. Vermont is a Dillon's Rule state, meaning municipalities receive all of their legal authority from the Vermont Legislature. In the case of storm water, it seems clear that the Legislature has not given town the authority to regulate storm water on farms, yet farmers are being charged. This is an example of where the current laws lack true clarity about what can and can’t be done. Our job in committee is to provide that clarity.
Several municipalities are charging farms for stormwater (which is the water that runs off impervious surfaces like driveways or roofs or is contained in feedlots) with some fairly hefty fines (upwards of $13,000 a farm in St. Albans). Farms are already subjected to yearly fees from the Agency of Natural Resources and the Agency of Agriculture Food and Markets concerning storm water ranging from $2,500 for large farms and $1,500 for medium. The debate lies in whether cities or towns have the authority to do this as farms are already being regulated by these two state agencies. We have taken testimony from Legislative Counsel and the Agency of Agriculture Food and Markets. Both agree that there is not the authority in statute for towns to do this. Notably, the Agency of Natural Resources supports the position of Agency of Agriculture Food and Markets. We did a straw poll vote in committee on Friday and we voted 8-0-0 in favor of changing the current wording to state that municipalities cannot charge farmers for storm water as they’re already being charged for it by the state.
