Dear Constituents –

Screen time for the House of Representatives this week has really picked up — Committees are meeting to hear testimony, draft bills, and listen to amendments.  The House and Senate are seeing hours of floor session to debate and pass bills before adjournment (hopefully) next week.  This week’s action included passing S.54 – Tax and Regulation of Cannabis – in concurrence with the Committee of Conference report, and overriding the Governor’s veto of the Global Warming Solutions Act, both of which I have shared concerns about with my constituents in this publication and on my website www.hangoforhouse.com. More screen time for the Franklin Selectboard and the Richford REAC Committee filled two evenings, and a wonderful extended family Zoom session took place on another.

The County Courier of Enosburg Falls VT is running a weekly candidates’ Q & A. 
Here is this week’s question and my response:

QUESTION: The Legislature passed H. 688 last week, better known as the Global Warming Solutions Act, but the Governor has indicated that he could veto the bill. If the bill does not make it to law, would you support it in the next biennium if elected?

ANSWER: I do not support the Global Warming Solutions Act. The Governor has vetoed it for the lack of “solutions” and sent it back to the Legislature. Lawmakers must examine their collective conscience when voting to sustain or override this veto. For those voting to override: are you doing so to advance the progressive agenda? Or is this something that you passionately believe is a real solution?  This bill requires Vermont to meet stringent, perhaps unattainable goals for reducing carbon emissions and opens the State to potentially time-consuming, frivolous citizen lawsuits if we do not meet those targets.  I’ve heard it said that this isn’t a problem because “no one will receive monetary awards”; that says nothing about wasted time and fees in courts and mandates that hand over control to an unelected board, rather than the Legislature, where this control should be - in the hands of those whom you’ve elected to represent your interests. Climate change mitigation needs a thoughtful, creative approach that involves all Vermonters, and I do not see this bill as a result of that kind of collaborative effort. I am honored to serve, and I am committed to represent the voices of my constituents.

Stay well,

Lisa

Dear Constituents –

The virtual Statehouse is heating up – Committees are meeting multiple times a day, bills are passing, amendments are being drafted, and money is flowing out the door, for better or worse.  Some highlights of this week’s action include:

Representatives Laura Sibilia -Dover, Matt Birong – Vergennes, and I announced the formation of a Vermont National Guard Caucus which will convene on Sept 15 and meet monthly to discuss how the Legislature, on behalf of our constituents, can support the VT Army and Air National Guard during their upcoming deployments.  We are excited to come together as a politically, geographically, and gender-diverse group in support of troops throughout the State (and neighboring states) performing myriad duties to protect and serve Vermonters and Americans. Our goal is to be a liaison between the Administration, the Committee of Jurisdiction (House General), Legislators and their constituents, and the National Guard leadership.

The County Courier of Enosburg Falls VT is running a candidates’ Q & A on relevant issues. 
Here is this week’s question and my response:

QUESTION: The legislature is considering legalizing the commercial cannabis market, and if it isn't completed this biennium, it is likely to be taken up after the election. If elected, would you support a commercial cannabis market, and how would you like to see it rolled out? If you wouldn't support a commercial cannabis market, why not? 

Dear Constituents –

On August 25, the Legislature reconvened via Zoom, all sessions of which are “open to the public” by viewing livestream or recordings on YouTube.  With that, Committee meetings have also resumed.  In House General, our work is focused on S.237, a bill that is described as an “affordable housing” bill, which is actually a zoning bill, having several problematic provisions that are better suited to the discussion around Act 250 Reform legislation. Several municipalities and planning organizations have testified to these issues being detrimental to the local zoning process, so we are working diligently to remove or change the most egregious section, against the tide of majority support for this bill.

The County Courier of Enosburg Falls VT is running a candidates’ Q & A forum on relevant issues. 
Here is this week’s question and my response:

QUESTION: Healthcare costs have increased drastically faster than the cost of inflation in the past decade. This increase is a significant factor in the increase of Education spending in Vermont, with health care increasing for some districts at least 10% in a budget year, which becomes a double whammy for citizens in the Green Mountain State. If Elected, what would you do to reduce healthcare costs for Vermonters.

ANSWER:

The County Courier of Enosburg Falls VT is running a candidates’ Q & A on relevant issues. 
Here is this week’s question and my response:

QUESTION: If elected, what is one bill that you would like to champion in the next biennium? How do you foresee getting this passed?

Stay well,

Lisa 

Dear Constituents-

After a seven-week break to catch up with constituent needs and obligations at home, the Legislature resumed its unprecedented, unusual session with budget hearings on Aug 17.  Many of our committees held joint hearings with Appropriations on areas of jurisdiction pertaining to that portion of the budget; for instance, my General Housing and Military Affairs Committee was briefed on National Guard tuition funds needed for the upcoming year. We also received reports on the use of Coronavirus Relief Funds towards alleviating homelessness to read at our leisure prior to the official start of the session on Aug 25.

The County Courier newspaper of Enosburg Falls VT is sponsoring a weekly candidate’s Q & A on relevant topics.

Here is this week’s question and my response:

Q: Unless there is an unprecedented federal bailout, the State of Vermont is looking at a deficit of about $300 million due to the pandemic. How would you like to see the legislature close the budget gap, and should Vermont run a deficit for 2021 (as the Federal Government has for years) in order to get through the response process of the coronavirus and get to better times?

A. The Administration’s budget was unveiled today, and It was confirmed that the deficit is at $180 million, rather than the expected $300 million, greatly helped by strong tax revenues from 2019 earnings and targeted belt-tightening and reallocation of funds across State government. It is heartening to say that this was done without major cuts to important programs for Vermonters in need, and some new programs will be implemented using the remainder of CARES Act funds and one-time monies. Those programs include more equitable stimulus money for previously ineligible recipients, a much-needed increase in childcare programs as parents return to the workforce, expanded aid to businesses hit by economic hardship, and a continuation of additional unemployment benefits. My gratitude goes to the Administration for their  hard work keeping Vermont’s economy stabilized while attending to the needs of the most vulnerable populations without plunging the State into greater debt. As we move forward, every Legislative committee must take a hard look at the programs and services that they mandate and weigh the true benefits with the costs of maintaining them. At best, certain duplicative or obsolete programming must be eliminated and every program must undergo scrutiny and re-design to become the most efficient it can be for the price tag. I look forward to being a part of this difficult yet rewarding work as the fallout is projected to continue into FY’22 and ‘23, and I encourage my colleagues to join me in supporting the framework of the Governor’s budget. 

The County Courier of Enosburg Falls VT is running a weekly candidates’ Q & A in relevant issues.

Here is this week’s question and my response. 

Q: It seems that politics have become more and more divisive in recent years. If elected, what would you do to ensure that you will represent all of your constituents, not just those who align themselves with your party, and how would you work across party lines to ensure your constituents have the best representation possible.