How a bill starts a conversation
2023-02-22
Dear friend,
I'm getting more questions from voters on bills, like the Affordable Heat Act, or AHA.
I'm undecided on AHA.
I anticipate that will displease some voters who have already decided to be "for" or "against" AHA, and want me to feel the same way. To put in context what "undecided" means in this case, I want to first tell you about a bill that I'm a "Yes" on.
Here are some of the bills that are a clear "Yes" for me as of today:
H.64 An act relating to prohibiting wake boats on oligotrophic lakes
H.88 An act relating to reducing the imposition of cash bail
H.111 An act relating to workforce housing
H.124 An act relating to promoting rural economic development capacity
H.130 An act relating to the management of biosolids
H.134 An act relating to municipal speed limits on unposted and unpaved town highways
H.152 An act relating to regulating products containing certain chemicals and chemical classes
H.154 An act relating to Medicaid coverage for doula services
H.176 An act relating to secondary enforcement of certain motor vehicle violations
H.204 An act relating to banning flavored tobacco products and e-liquids
H.212 An act relating to allowing minors to possess tobacco in connection with Indigenous cultural tobacco practices
H.244 An act relating to establishing a division within the Department for Children and Families to support families affected by substance use disorder
H.253 An act relating to eliminating prohibitions and penalties on the purchase, use, and possession of tobacco products
H.259 An act relating to school board student members
H.260 An act relating to the Commission on Native American Affairs
H.267 An act relating to the establishment of year-round U.S. Eastern Standard Time
H.275 An act relating to the Introduction to Trade School Education Grant Pilot Project
H.294 An act relating to Holocaust education in public schools
H.332 An act relating to a building energy code study committee
These are all bills that I'm either a co-sponsor or a lead sponsor on, so you can find the bill language on my legislative website. Ask me about any of them -- I'm happy to talk more.
There are bills that express clear principles that I stand behind, that promote strong Vermont values. These are bills that I think will work in practice, based on my life experience and best judgment.
I haven't talked about any of these bills in public yet, including with this email list. One of the reasons for that is that I don't like cheap talk, and being a "Yes" on bills like these is kinda cheap at this point. The odds are against most of those bills going anywhere this year, or even this biennium. None of these bills has been taken up by their committee of jurisdiction. Most bills submitted by a legislator during a biennium are never taken up by their committee of jurisdiction.
To be "Yes" on a bill at this stage is like being "Yes" on puppies. You score points with puppy-lovers, and cat lovers don't really mind. The hard work of dog-training still lies ahead.
Introducing a bill means you're at the starting line with an idea.
Legislators know this and often pin hopes not on a bill becoming law, but on "starting a conversation." Here's an example.
I'd love for the Legislature to pass H.267: An act relating to the establishment of year-round U.S. Eastern Standard Time this biennium. I introduced H.267 last week, with the support of co-sponsors Reps. Demrow, Donahue, Goldman, and McGill -- a bipartisan crew of some of the solidest humans I know under the dome.
Could we really be that close to making Eastern Standard Time Vermont's permanent time? Could this be the last year that Vermonters have to "spring forward" and then "fall back," causing sleep disorders, traffic accidents, and increased immunological disorders?
For the law to take effect we'll wait for the same law to pass in surrounding states, so New England will be in this time zone thing together. Could we get the same bill passed in multiple legislatures?
Overall, I feel the odds are against it, but I wanted to put it out there to start to talk about it like it could be a thing, sometime. Since introducing the bill, I've been having a lot of conversations with legislators on the topic. I learn something from every conversation, and maybe plant a seed. I've learned that some are in favor of ending time changes, but with the opposite policy.
My bill, for Permanent Standard Time, would give us the greatest number of days in the year where the sunrise occurs before or around the time when we need our kids to be waking up and getting to school. This outcome is most important to me.
However, there's no free lunch. Do you love a July barbecue that stretches till a sunset close to 9 p.m.? Under my bill, those summer sunsets will be more like 8 p.m.
This website allows you to change variables and see how each time option works.
That could be hard for people to give up. Although, why not start the grill an hour earlier?
Nonetheless, nearly everyone I've spoken with agrees that we should end time changes, somehow.
We've tried going the other way. The nation tried Permanent Daylight time in 1974, and people hated it. It started as a two-year experiment and was ended early after the public turned against it. After several morning traffic accidents involving schoolchildren in Florida, including eight children who were killed, Governor Askew asked for the law to be repealed. (I do believe that Gov. Askew was known for being attuned to things going awry.)
The House Committee on General and Housing has the bill and I hope they will take it up.
Your voice matters. Do you want to protect our health? Help end "spring forward" and "fall back" by taking actions like these:
Call 802-828-2228 to express thanks Reps. Demrow, Donahue, Goldman, and McGill for sponsoring H.267.
Or, send them an email or snail mail -- contact info for each can be found on the H.267 page.
Contact the Chair, Vice Chair, and individual Representatives listed on the committee to ask them to take up H.267: House Committee on General and Housing.
Write a letter to the editor of local and state-wide media to spread the word on H.267.
Legislators are human. I suggest being kind, stating your position, and mentioning where you reside. Share your story and give a reason.
If you do any of these things, thank you. And have fun with starting those conversations!
Back to the Affordable Heat Act -- it's not a clear "Yes" for me, like H.267, or a "No." I'm having a lot of conversations on this bill. More on that next time.
Keep your emails coming -- on heating costs, climate change, school choice, and clock changes.
I was excited to welcome a group of citizens from Whitingham and Halifax today. We took a few minutes to talk about what their Representative does, and Q&A on specific bills. Come again! If you plan to visit Montpelier, please let me know so that I can meet up with you.
Meeting with young citizens and their parents in the State House lobby.