Anne Lamy Mook

Posted By Anne on June 8, 2010

Wildlife:  Other wildlife bills

H.614 will make it easier for farmers to use composting as an income stream, and will also help reduce the solid waste stream.  It does this while maintaining the regulatory process for large commercial composters while making it easier for small farmers to navigate this procedure.

H. 488 bans felt-soled waders as of April 1, 2011, with an exception made for emergency personnel.

H. 779 makes the land records process more transparent by including “well shadows” information.  Now notice is required if the location of a well or wastewater facilities will have an impact on a neighboring parcel and all permits must be filed in the town clerk’s office.  This bill was amended to allow outdoor picnic tables at small stores without adding septic capacity, for a six-month period.

Category: End of Session 2010, Wildlife | No Comments »
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Posted By Anne on June 8, 2010

Wildlife: Vermont Tradition – hunting and fishing

The House originated three bills that are designed to encourage fishing and hunting.  One of these was H.477, an act reauthorizing reciprocal fishing licenses on Lake Champlain.  In theory, without reciprocal fishing an angler would have to have a license from both New York and Vermont or know where the border was in the middle of the lake and then can only fish in one state.  Many considered this ridiculous.  The reciprocal fishing law now allows New York licensees to fish in Vermont and vice versa.

We realize how important hunting is to the State’s economy and the problem of the declining number of hunters. H. 243, an act related to mentored hunting, was passed on April 30th, 2010.   Designed to give prospective hunters an opportunity to try hunting before making the investment needed in equipment and a hunter safety course, this act allows a licensed hunter to accompany a mentee on a hunt.  A great deal of responsibility is put on the mentor and considerable concern was voiced about safety.  However, the experience of other states was that no serious safety issues had arisen. Moreover, such legislation had increased the number of hunters creating more revenue.

Also, in an effort to increase the number of young hunters, H. 555 provides for a youth hunting weekend for deer and turkey.  This bill was designed to give younger hunters a “first shot” at the available game in order to encourage them to continue to enjoy the sport.

Category: End of Session 2010, Environment, Wildlife | No Comments »
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Posted By Anne on June 8, 2010

Military:  Parents’ Rights Act

We, as legislators, have made every attempt to ensure our servicemen and women do not have to worry about their families back home while they serve our nation overseas. The House and Senate have passed the Military Parents’ Rights Act, which protects the parental rights of military members when they are absent from their children’s lives due to orders.  Swift mobilization can be disruptive to custody arrangements, sometimes causing military parents to lose access to their children because of deployment.  The bill expedites court processes and custody hearings, requires the non-deploying parent to facilitate contact between the child and deployed parent, and stipulates that a permanent loss of custody cannot be based solely on deployment.

If you have a loved one deployed overseas and need financial or resource assistance, please call the Vermont Veteran and Family Outreach 24-hour hotline: (888) 607-8773.

Category: End of Session 2010, Military | No Comments »
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Posted By Anne on June 8, 2010

Law Enforcement:  Unified Approach

The state is at a crossroad – increasing demands on law enforcement and the inability to increase police budgets – force the state to choose between either keeping pace with the demands of, or not providing services that citizens are accustomed to receiving.   It became apparent while studying the issue that there needed to be coordination and consolidation of police services to maximize resources and streamline deployment more effectively. A memorandum of understanding was signed by the commissioners of public safety, motor vehicles, liquor control and fish and wildlife in January.  The MOU recognizes the need to maximize collective resources by improving efficiencies, reducing redundancies and implementing better coordination, communication and strategic planning.

A Vermont Task Force will be created to facilitate collaboration in day-to-day operations among the agencies by streamlining information involving various levels of statewide law enforcement.  The Legislature codified the MOU into state law to ensure that long-term benefits would continue.  The core mission of the individual agencies will be maintained.

Category: End of Session 2010 | No Comments »
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Posted By Anne on June 8, 2010

Law Enforcement:  Texting & Cell Phone Use

Texting is defined as “the reading or the manual composing or sending of electronic communications including text messages, instant messages, or e-mails using a portable electronic device.” S. 280 was passed making it illegal for all drivers to engage in texting while operating a moving motor vehicle on a highway. Penalties for texting are $100.00 for the first offense and two points on your license, and $250.00 and five points for the second offense and any subsequent offense.

Also, this bill includes no cell phone use for those drivers under 18 while driving. And,  while wearing a safety belt is the law for everybody, now police may stop a car driven by someone under 18 if it appears the driver is not wearing a seatbelt.

Category: End of Session 2010, Transportation | No Comments »
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Posted By Anne on June 8, 2010

Law Enforcement:  Ignition Lock Devices

S. 103 is a bill that is a results-based approach to keep drunk drivers off Vermont’s roads. The installation of ignition interlock devices allows the offender to continue to drive with a restricted driver’s license [RDL]; the device will be installed at the driver’s expense and will keep the car from starting if the operator has a blood alcohol level of .02 or higher. The current maximum level is .08. Installation of these devices is not mandatory, but rather an incentive.  Drivers who qualify for this option, [they must have insurance and be enrolled in the CRASH program], can reduce the length of the license suspension and reduce the fine by choosing the ignition interlock option. Current license suspensions are 90 days for DUI 1; 18 months for DUI 2; and lifetime suspension for DUI 3. The DUI 1 option would be reduced to 30 days, 90 days for DUI 2, and 1 year for DUI 3 respectively. The operator would be required to successfully operate the vehicle with the device for 6 months,18 months, or 3 years, depending on the number of DUI arrests, before being eligible for license reinstatement.

Category: End of Session 2010, Transportation | No Comments »
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Posted By Anne on June 8, 2010

Labor:  Unemployment Insurance

We have known since January, 2009 that our Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund would run out of money by early in 2010. We have been working since then to find a workable solution.

The primary cause of the imbalance is that the premiums paid by employers has not changed since 1983, while our benefits to unemployed workers has slowly risen along with our average wage. In good times with low unemployment, this was not a problem, but when the current economic scenario hit with full force, the fund was rapidly depleted.

Business interests said they could not afford to pay the full cost of bringing the Fund back, and labor interests said that it was unfair to ask laid-off workers to suffer cuts to benefits that scarcely cover basic needs. Unable to agree in 2009, we made a slight upward adjustment to the “taxable wage base” on which premiums were paid, moving from $8,000 to $10,000. This helped to stanch the bleeding, but it was only a temporary relief.

This winter, after long negotiations between competing interests, a compromise was reluctantly agreed to by all sides. The deal called for some reductions in benefits (a one-week waiting period, some exclusions for serious misconduct, some recalculations of eligibility and duration of benefits), though the greater burden will be carried by employers. We raised the taxable wage base to $13,000 in 2011 and to $16,000 in 2012. Many measures in the compromise will be favorably adjusted when the trust fund regains solvency and full adequacy, but we will not get there for at least five years.

Category: End of Session 2010, Labor | No Comments »
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Posted By Anne on June 8, 2010

Judiciary: Restructuring

Last year, the Judiciary was informed that it would need to deliver $1 million in savings in the FY 11 budget.  This past year’s work has delivered those savings together with a “unified judiciary” delivery system.

Our judicial restructuring bill consolidates the existing Family, District, Superior, Environmental and Probate courts in to a single Unified Superior Court with family, criminal, civil, environmental and probate divisions.  We have statutorily required that courts will continue to operate in all 14 of our counties.  And we consolidate all court staff as state employees under the management of the court administrator.

This important government efficiency measure saves $1 million in the general fund.  Most importantly, it gives the Supreme Court the tools it needs to manage the entire judicial system efficiently.

Category: Courts, End of Session 2010 | No Comments »
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Posted By Anne on June 8, 2010

Human Services:  Human Trafficking

Trafficking is an epidemic of global proportions.  Experts estimate that there are more than 27 million people currently enslaved across the world.  As a border state positioned on heavily traveled interstate roads, we can be certain that human trafficking is happening within the borders of Vermont.  Vermont is only one of five states that lacks a human trafficking law. Due to the complicated nature of this crime and its consequences for victims, we need to address the issue carefully and thoughtfully.  The Legislature is intentionally choosing to begin with a task force and law enforcement study so that it can be sure that whatever laws we eventually pass are the right laws for our state.  We know that our laws are only as good as our ability to enforce them.  The issue is pervasive.   We need to lay the groundwork before we force any training onto local enforcement, and pass laws that we are not prepared to enforce.  The best interest of Vermonters and their safety is tantamount.

Category: End of Session 2010 | No Comments »
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Posted By Anne on June 8, 2010

Human Services:  Caring for Vermonters

The legislature worked very hard to protect and improve services for Vermonters, especially children, seniors and Vermonters with disabilities who need some help to live safely and with dignity.

Every child should have a stable, permanent home. We passed legislation that will help children who come into the foster care system find permanent homes with a grandparent or other relative. H. 507 will allow federal funding to be used to provide financial support for a child when a member of the extended family takes permanent guardianship of that child.

All our children should have enough good, nutritious food to fuel their growth and their learning. H. 408 encourages after-school programs and school-operated summer educational or recreational programs to make use of available federal funds to provide nutritious snacks or meals to participants.

It is the state’s responsibility to ensure that vulnerable adults—those who are elderly or have a disability—are free from abuse, neglect and exploitation. The Adult Protective Services (APS) Unit in the Department of Disabilities, Aging, and Independent Living receives and investigates complaints of abuse, neglect, or exploitation of vulnerable adults. Legislation calls for an independent evaluation of the Adult Protective Services Unit if funding becomes available to do that. The purpose of this is to ensure that we maximize the effectiveness of our protective services.

In Vermont’s cold winters, no one should be unable to heat their home because they can’t afford fuel. The legislature passed a bill, H. 456, updating our seasonal fuel assistance and crisis fuel assistance program eligibility. This program provides needy Vermonters with assistance for purchasing essential home heating fuel. The new law raises the maximum eligible household income so that more people will be eligible for assistance.

Category: Children, End of Session 2010, Health Care, Heating & Fuel, Housing, Human Services | No Comments »
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