What an extraordinary moment we are living through. Daily, our lives are ever more upended. As one of your elected legislators, I am privileged to witness first-hand heroic efforts - so many are stepping up in profound ways.
The Statehouse has been closed to the public, but legislative work continues. We have been meeting virtually since recessing on March 13 through conference calls and video chat - publicly available to everyone to listen in and observe. Last week, members of the House and Senate did go back to Montpelier to pass emergency recovery packages and all committees worked online through Zoom meetings available on YouTube.
Under the adept stewardship of Senate Pro Tem Tim Ashe and Speaker of the House Mitzi Johnson, the Joint Rules Committee meets by phone with various State Departments to receive updates of ever-evolving responses to this unprecedented crisis. Business disruption, childcare, corrections, testing, evictions, grocery and retail, homeless Vermonters, hospitals, judiciary, licensing, liquor, foreclosures, motor vehicles, municipal governments, nursing homes, prescriptions, schools, taxes, telemedicine, unemployment insurance, and utility disconnection are some of the issues the legislature and administration are working together on to help Vermont weather this crisis.
The Governor’s team has been remarkable, working tirelessly and resiliently to respond to the exponential volatility of the pandemic. They personify the inspirational humanity at play here in Vermont. And how can we ever be thankful enough for those frontline healthcare and support workers putting their own lives at risk saving the most vulnerable among us.
As I spend more time at home, I am also reminded how dependent we are on the unsung heroes staffing grocery stores, sanitation pick-up, postal workers, utilities and plumbing repair, emergency food and shelter, bus, taxi, and delivery drivers, childcare providers, farmers, journalists, pharmacists, neighbors checking in on each other, and myriad others holding our communities together. Police, fire, EMT, and city workers are extraordinary. Leaders don’t get to choose their battles. There are so many to be grateful for as they bring their best selves forward serving others.
The financial and emotional collateral damage of this pandemic will escalate in the coming weeks. Thousands of friends and colleagues have been laid off and more will be getting sick. The Governor’s “Stay Home, Stay Safe” order directed the closure of in-person operations for all non-essential businesses to be in effect until at least April 15, 2020. As well, school buildings are closed until summer with students learning at home.
Continuing equal measures of self-care and community support will be essential as we balance protecting public safety and restoring the economy. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s words seem apt: “We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.”
As we slow the spread, flatten the curve, and save lives, the legislature will be grappling with the catastrophic impact on our state’s economic systems as well. Delaying payment of rooms and meals taxes and other short-term measures will ease immediate pressures for individuals and businesses, but result in what the Joint Fiscal office projects could be $145 million less in the fourth quarter of this fiscal year for essential services in our downsizing economy.
Emergency measures will be fast tracked, but the budget, revenue, capital, and transportation bills, among others, are also essential for the ongoing day-to-day operations of our state. In the unsettled days ahead, I am certain Vermonters will continue to hold each other dear. Be well and stay in touch.