Housing as healthcare

In my committee work, housing and homelessness are two key issues that have been foregrounded when dealing with COVID-19 emergency measures. With input from many stakeholders, the House Committee on General, Housing and Military Affairs worked with the Senate Committee on Economic Development on a bill regarding eviction moratoria and court processes. This bill (S.333) was passed last week in the House.

Details include, beginning with the Governor’s declaration of a state of emergency on March 13 and ending 30 days after the Governor terminates the state of emergency by declaration, residential evictions and foreclosures are stayed until after the end of the emergency period. This does not relieve tenants from the obligations to pay rent and does not apply to uninhabited, abandoned properties. Notices given before the emergency period are also stayed during this time so that no one will lose housing during this public health crisis.

Homelessness mitigation

My committee also received updates on the Herculean efforts the administration and nonprofit service providers did to move as many homeless people as possible out of congregate settings into hotel rooms in order to mitigate contagion. Our area has been central. For those who are sick, isolation (Harbor Place, Shelburne) and recovery (Holiday Inn, South Burlington) sites were made available. And there are now 1,800 people living in hotels across the state, including 250 children. This housing is available through at least May 15, longer if the Governor extends the emergency period.

Regional consortiums of community-based groups with innumerable volunteers collaborated to provide additional support services to this population, including delivering meals. However, these nonprofits are working beyond their bandwidth and fiscal capacity and need additional support. A supplemental appropriations request will also be forthcoming from the administration, once it is clear how much federal subsidy can be used for emergency housing and support services.

It is also important to have a humane transition plan for our most vulnerable population, once the COVID emergency period winds down. While the coronavirus is still active, returning people back into housing shelters is not the answer and is a public health risk. Consequently, the state is looking to extend hotel vouchers as well as supportive services and food supplies near-term. Commissioner of Vermont’s Department for Children and Families, Ken Schatz, in his testimony to my committee wondered, “Can we can come out of the crisis with a better normal?” This pandemic highlights the need for a more integrated housing system, from emergency shelters to supportive permanent housing solutions.

A better normal

Commissioner Schatz’s question about a “better normal” is pertinent to many systemic issues brought to light during this public health cataclysm: broadband disparities, equitable education and healthcare, affordable housing, care for the homelessness and those incarcerated, antiquated IT systems, undercapitalization of nonprofit organizations, transportation needs and workforce development, among others.

As we scramble to stabilize the state’s finances in the final months of the fiscal year ending June 30, next year’s budget will be even more daunting because of significantly lower revenues projected while needs exponentially increase. When we rebuild our social, economic and civic lives, it cannot be how we do more with less, but our guiding principle must be to do better with less. Traditionally, the Legislature adjourns in May or June, but it looks like we will only be able deliver a temporary budget for the first three months of the new fiscal year and then return in August to finalize a viable budget for the remaining three fiscal quarters of FY21.

Lessons from the AIDS Pandemic

In 1981, I was with friends celebrating the Fourth of July weekend at New York’s Fire Island Pines gay enclave when life changed. Buried on page A20 of The New York Times (July 3,1981) was a report about a new condition: “Rare Cancer Seen in 41 Homosexuals.” Doctors in New York and San Francisco diagnosed a form of Kaposi’s Sarcoma cancer normally seen in elderly men suddenly ravaging younger gay males. The article assured us that it was not contagious and that “no cases have been reported to date outside the homosexual community or in women.”

Soon enough, purple lesions of Kaposi Sarcoma became markers of those infected. Panic and fear fueled conspiracy theories and misinformation regarding contagion. Risk groups were first identified as “the 4 H’s”: hemophiliacs, heroin addicts, homosexuals, and Haitians. Another unfounded hypothesis accused the government of creating the pathogen to eradicate the gay and African-American communities.

In 1982, AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome) was named by the Centers for Disease Control. It took another three years to develop a blood test for HIV once it was identified as the cause, and almost fifteen years to develop a number of anti-retroviral drugs that, taken in various combinations, turned the disease from a death sentence into a manageable condition. But before that, chaos ruled on the public health front as millions died.

Federal leadership was lacking as the pandemic began to spread. President Reagan did not publicly mentioned AIDS until 1985. Senator Jesse Helms (R-North Carolina) called for quarantining people who tested positive. Then Secretary of Education, William Bennett, suggested that prisoners with the AIDS virus should remain in custody after serving their sentence so they could not take “revenge on society.” Conservative commentator William F. Buckley Jr. asserted in The New York Times: “Everyone detected with AIDS should be tattooed in the upper forearm, to protect common-needle users, and on the buttocks, to prevent the victimization of other homosexuals.”

With inaction, ignorance, and vitriol on the federal level, grassroots efforts organized. Gay Men’s Health Crisis in New York (1982), San Francisco AIDS Foundation (1982), and AIDS Project in Los Angeles (1983) were early examples of communities mobilizing information, support, treatment, and advocacy.

In these initial years, without any substantive information, friends, families, and medical staff did not know how contagious the disease was, so the sick were isolated. However, many frontline medical workers were heroic. Soon enough, community heart circles began to provide home healthcare and hospice. These then morphed into weekly memorial services for our lost ones. My lived experience of this era is still quite raw. My notebooks list 119 lost to AIDS.

I worry that we haven’t learned very much about the importance of scientific information and compassion in these early days of responding to COVID-19. Not only here in Vermont, but also on Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, in the Hamptons and other east coast resort areas, social media posts warn second homeowners not to return, fearing they will use up scarce resources. Second homeowners are vital to many towns and states’ economies and they too are neighbors. Vermont Governor Scott’s directive to “Stay Home / Stay Safe” applies in whatever home we are in.

Already some European countries and China are discussing the dystopian notion of testing citizens to allow those showing immunity to return to work, even though researchers have yet to determine if the presence of coronavirus antibodies correlates with immunity and how long lasting it is. Best to let science catch up here. These COVID passports could separate the weak from the strong, the old from the young. Marginalization and stigmatization did not work in the AIDS crisis and it seems too early on in this disease to choose societal over individual rights.

We now all live with COVID-19. As we begin to mourn the dead, we will also need to embrace the survivors among us. May information sharing, self-care, community support, and advocacy continue to flourish in the dark days ahead.

Bringing their best selves forward

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.

Working to ensure dignity and a safety net for all who need it

In the first half of this session, priority in my committee (General, Housing, & Military Affairs) was given to a number of bills and a resolution affirming the humanity and dignity of marginalized populations, with testimony received from myriad stakeholders, including those with lived experience. Here are a few of the issues taken up.

We worked on a joint resolution apologizing and expressing regret to all Vermonters harmed as a result of discredited eugenics research, and its sterilization and institutionalization policies. Eugenics was a dark chapter in Vermont history. Members of Abenaki bands, Vermonters of mixed racial or French-Canadian heritage, the poor, and people with disabilities were targeted.

Children were removed from families, people were incarcerated or institutionalized, family connections were lost and the sense of kinship and community was destroyed. In 2019, UVM issued a statement of apology for its “unethical and regrettable” eugenics role. This resolution is an important opportunity for the House to apologize for the harm the eugenics movement caused.

In the House, our focus is to create a Vermont that works for all of us, not just a select few. My committee worked to develop a Homeless Bill of Rights (H.492). The bill protects people without homes (or perception thereof) against discrimination and includes them in the state’s protected classes. Congruent with Vermont’s constitution stating Vermonters are “equally free and independent” and all are entitled to the same benefits and protections, the legislative intent of this bill is that a person’s rights, privileges, or access to public services may not be denied of abridged solely because they are without housing.

As Vermont grapples with the unprecedented crisis of people struggling with substance use disorders, Recovery Residences are a key component of treatment alternatives. Studies indicate the need for more than 1,000 additional beds, and communities are working hard to meet the needs of those with substance use disorders. I introduced legislation (H.783) whose intent is to expand the number of recovery beds available.

My bill creates state-wide definitions and detailed expectations and operational policies. Recovery residence operators are asking for this. Next, it addresses zoning for these homes as single-family residential use. This clarity is essential for both operators and communities. Guidelines and policies for temporary and permanent removal is also addressed to allow a fair due process for both tenants and landlords, balancing individual and community rights.

I continue to learn about the complex realities of recovery from advocates, operators, state administrators from the departments of health, housing and corrections as well as people challenged with substance use disorders. Visiting South Burlington’s Suburban Square women’s home run by the Vermont Foundation of Recovery illustrated the benefits these kinds of recovery residences provide. The bill was voted out of my committee affirmatively and now resides with the Human Services Committee for their review.

I was disappointed that the House of Representatives could not override the governor’s veto of paid family and medical leave. However, I was heartened that both the Senate and House could override his veto of increasing the minimum wage of two years to $12.55. Forty thousand of our lowest paid workers deserve this raise if we are to have a fair and equitable Vermont.

First month back in the State House

When the legislature reconvened for the second year of the biennium on January 7, there were a number of issues carried over from last spring. The Senate had approved an amendment to the state constitution and the House voted (145-0) to reaffirm that slavery and indentured servitude are prohibited in Vermont. Because this is a constitutional amendment, both the Senate and the House will have to vote again in the next biennium and then this issue will be put on the statewide ballot for voters to decide.

Two major issues, raising the minimum wage and a paid family and medical leave insurance program, had not reach agreement with both the House and Senate before last spring’s recess, so Committees of Conference were assigned with three members from each body negotiating agreements. Both were affirmed and sent to the Governor’s desk.

The Committee of Conference compromise for Paid Family and Medical Leave (H.107) provides 12 weeks of bonding for each parent; 8 weeks for family care; and 6 weeks of voluntary, opt-in benefits for the employee’s own illness. Benefit amounts, contribution rates, employee eligibility, program administration, implementation, and studies were included.

Regarding minimum wage, I had the honor of serving on the Committee of Conference (S.23), along with South Burlington’s Senator Michael Sirotkin, that increases the current rate of $10.96 to $11.75 in January 2021 and $12.55 in January 2022. As part of this bill, the Office of Legislative Council and Joint Fiscal Office will report on minimum wage for tipped, student, and agricultural workers. These studies will help committees of jurisdictions delve more deeply into how Vermonters are compensated.

Passing this much-needed incremental increase impacts 40,000 of our lowest paid workers. An individual working full-time at minimum wage will receive approximately $5,000 more in wages over the next two years. This is also a gender equity issue, as women are a disproportionate share of workers currently earning less than $11 per hour.

Last week, the Governor vetoed family leave and at press time it was unclear what he was going to do with minimum wage. If he vetoes both bills, the two chambers will need two-thirds of their members to override.

While not voting on the floor of the House, I was in committee (General, Housing, and Military Affairs) listening to introductions on bills regarding collective bargaining rights, year-round daylight savings time, sports wagering, and a homeless bill of rights, among other issues. Reports were delivered from the Commissioners of Liquor and Lottery and the State Treasurer on Housing Funding and Finance. As well, a joint hearing was held with the Human Services Committee on Homeless Awareness Day.

Two bills, I am co-sponsoring on compliance for gender-free bathrooms (H.556) and defining, certifying, compliance, and zoning for recovery residences (H.783) were introduced. I will report on these in future columns as they progress in the legislature.

Community meetings were aplenty, including participating on the marketing committee to support the new library’s fundraising campaign. And on Monday last week, I attended a breakfast with the Lake Champlain Regional Chamber of Commerce followed by a legislative forum with Kidsafe Collaborative. Later that afternoon, I met with art teachers at South Burlington High School before the monthly legislative meeting with constituents at the library.

Where art and legislation meet

As Vermont’s Legislature only meets January through May, I look forward to returning to work full-time on political matters. My off-season has been busy with constituent meetings, committee hearings, fiscal briefings, conferences and community events. I also taught a class at Champlain College this fall.

Artistically, I curated an exhibition of Vermont photographer Dona Ann McAdams that opened in Brattleboro in June then traveled to Rutland. Next month, it will be seen in St. Johnsbury with future stops in Stowe, Burlington and New York. I completed a short video project, elegies, featured in an exhibition, Love Letters, opening at Helen Day Art Center in Stowe Jan. 16.

Curating a 45-year retrospective of Dona Ann McAdams’s photography (donaannmcadams.com) was a year-long process of researching her archives, augmented with ongoing conversations with the artist and curators from the hosting institutions. The exhibition grew ever richer with input from others.

My video work, too, is collaborative. New York-based choreographer Eiko Otake and I wanted to create elegies to our dead mothers. We invited Brian Stevenson, production manager at Vermont PBS to join us (https://vimeo.com/375048275). The three of us worked together on script development, lighting, sound, camera shots and editing – a seamless process that improved the finished work.

I mention these projects because I believe my artistic practice parallels legislative actions. Moving bills from drafting to committee deliberations onto floor votes in both the House and Senate is also an iterative collaborative process informed by myriad voices – stakeholders, advocates, community members and other legislators, in addition to the governor. Bills constantly evolve and change. Compromise may be the best that can be achieved, given conflicting input, needs and resources.

Priority issues identified by South Burlington residents in a recent legislative survey include minimum wage, paid family leave and climate change – all requiring innovative solutions. We should see a moderate path forward on raising the minimum wage. Initially proposed was raising the base wage to $15 per hour over five years; more likely we will see a two- or three-year window with smaller increases.

The paid family and medical leave insurance program also has been scaled back considerably after an impasse last session. Federal employees now qualify for 12 weeks of paid leave. Last month the governor offered 8,500 state employees six weeks of paid leave. This is significantly less than current legislative proposals.

Hopefully, the artistry of politics will play out with a resolution benefiting all Vermonters.

Legislators and the administration are working together to combat our climate crisis. The governor presented a draft memorandum of understanding for Vermont to join 11 neighboring states and the District of Columbia in a regional compact capping carbon pollution from transportation, charging fossil fuel companies fees and returning that money to participating states.

Choreographing a path forward on this multi-state framework will truly require inventive alliances. This is not a carbon tax, but a cap-and-invest program, the proceeds used to invest in equitable, efficient, affordable and cleaner transportation options and workforce development in a revamped green economy. Comments and testimony are to be taken on the draft with a decision expected this spring.

In politics, as in art, vexing problems are best tackled from multiple perspectives with stakeholders involved. Resiliency and adaptability are also essential for best outcomes in life, art and politics. I look forward to calling upon the artist within during this legislative session.

Going back into session

Next month, legislators return to Montpelier with many pressing issues still in play during this second year of the biennium. I serve on the General, Housing, and Military Affairs Committee. Here are some things I drafted bill requests for: streamlining regulations for recovery homes, studying how tipped employees, students and agricultural workers are compensated, updating employment statutes to eliminate out-of-date and obsolete provisions, and creating an enforcement process for a previous bill requiring all single use bathrooms be listed as gender neutral. 

Two issues that originated in my committee, raising the minimum wage and establishing a paid family leave insurance program will be high priorities to be addressed in January. There were significant differences between the Senate and House chambers on these issues last spring, but a moderate path forward seems to be the consensus. 

As well, the legislature is wanting to more proactively address climate change. Please join me and your other state legislators on December 9 at Frederick Tuttle Middle School from 6:30 - 8 pm to discuss how all of us can do our part to combat climate change. As a member of the Climate Solutions Caucus, we had many conversations over the summer and are eager to get your input as how to create a more sustainable future for our state.  

Much will be discussed at the forum, including how Vermont can encourage reduction of carbon emissions, create economic opportunity through a Green Economy, improve transportation equity, and continue efforts with building thermal efficiencies – all factors in reducing climate changing pollution. Potential legislation under consideration will be previewed.

Other issues I worked on over the summer include improving conditions at South Burlington’s Women’s Prison with the Women’s Legislative Caucus. As a member of the Tourism Caucus, we investigated how the state can increase its support for destination marketing, given the importance of tourism to Vermont’s economy. I am particularly interested in how the creative sectors can be further highlighted in rural communities.

 I pulled together a meeting with thirteen other state legislators from Chittenden County with the leadership of the National Guard regarding the arrival of the full fleet of F-35’s next spring and the cumulative sound impact. A group of us subsequently met with airport officials about their application to the FAA for noise mitigation funding as a result of mapping aircraft noise levels in surrounding neighborhoods of South Burlington, Williston, Winooski, and Burlington. 

Another meeting that was very beneficial was between South Burlington’s City Council and School Board with Representatives and Senators regarding state legislative matters of interest. We are all on the same team – working to improve the lives of those in our community. 

There are myriad other issues percolating in the upcoming session, including taxing and regulating the sale of marijuana so we have adequate resources to protect consumers and reduce youth usage. On December 10, we will be starting up again the monthly Legislative Forum at the South Burlington Library from 6:30 – 8 pm. Since each of your four Representatives, Ann Pugh, Maida Townsend, Martin LaLonde, and I sit on different committees, we will report on significant pieces of legislation in development. We are eager for your input and want to understand your priorities as we go back into session. 

South Burlington's Women's Prison

Last month, I spoke before a Joint Legislative Justice Oversight Committee, sharing concerns raised by inmates in our Chittenden Regional Correctional Facility. As the prison is in my legislative district, I felt it was incumbent to speak on the women’s behalf. I visited the institution three times in recent months, first with the Women’s Caucus, and then in response to letters received from prisoners. 

During my first trip in February, it was clear myriad issues need addressing. Capital improvements are required to upgrade buildings and grounds. Originally built in the 1970s to temporarily house 80 offenders awaiting trial, over 150 women are currently incarcerated here.

If we want these women to be successful rejoining their communities, expanded therapeutic and vocational opportunities are crucial. There are complex physical, emotional and psychological issues present, exasperated by intergenerational trauma. The internal culture of the institution needs to shift to ensure prisoners are not merely warehoused but are supported with nurturing rehabilitation. 

Preparing for reentry is also key. One inmate told me she had “done her time,” but was waiting for space to open up in transitional housing in Rutland. It was unclear how long she was going to have to stay in jail.

In July, I received a lengthy dossier from an inmate detailing a guard’s alleged misconduct. Included were copies of complaints filed. Accompanying this package was a short letter from the inmate’s peer-to-peer Open Ears’ Coach:

“Instead of entering into an environment that is intent on correcting negative social behaviors, she has experienced trauma. She is not alone in this. … This current process available to address staff misconduct does not work. It compromises these women’s safety and mental health; leaving them feeling unheard and without hope.”

I phoned prison Superintendent Theresa Stone and met with her and Assistant Superintendent Lori Perkins. I was told an official investigation of the complaints was done, and that, “the guard still worked here.” I then asked to meet with the Open Ears Coach who had written in her cover letter that many others are “feeling unheard and without hope.”  

Assistant Superintendent Parks and I met with her and she reiterated concerns that women do not feel safe. She herself had filed three complaints and never heard back from the administration. Parks promised she would investigate since these had been filed prior to her employment. Subsequently, the assistant superintendent told me she had gotten back to the woman.

In September, I received another letter. In it, various issues were detailed: “lack of outside recreation … being out of stock of several medications such as antibiotics, antidepressants, and suboxone … and understaffing.” The inmate claimed she was physically assaulted by a guard and filed a report.

With the receipt of this second letter, I emailed Department of Corrections Commissioner Michael Touchette asking for a meeting. He emailed me right back, “If you have information about a lack of safety for women at CRCF, I’d prefer to hear about it now, so we can address any immediate issues.” He sent along his cell number and we spoke on the phone. 

I appreciate the commissioner as well as the superintendent and assistant superintendent for their responsiveness. In separate conversations, both the commissioner and superintendent mentioned more trauma-informed training was needed for guards. This seems imperative. Furthermore, a more transparent complaint process needs to be instituted with inmates hearing back in a timelier manner. 

Capital investment, therapeutic and vocational opportunities, staff training and streamlining the complaint process – we can do better. We must. 

Arts Advocacy through a politician’s lens

My entire career has been as an artist and arts administrator. Forty-five years ago, I was dancing in Chicago, New York, and Winnipeg. My subsequent work in film and writing has focused on personal narratives around AIDS, disability, and queer identity. I managed dance companies (Laura Dean and Trisha Brown), presented contemporary performing artists (PepsiCo Summerfare and Walker Art Center), ran multidisciplinary presenting organizations (Yerba Buena Center and Flynn Center), and worked in philanthropy (Pew Charitable Trusts and The San Francisco Foundation). In all these positions, I championed artists, community engagement, diversification, inclusion, and access.

Since being elected to the Vermont House of Representatives last fall, my perspective has dramatically changed as to how best advocate for the arts and, in fact, how siloed arts organizations and their funders are. My legislative work focuses on economic development, tourism, heath, education, affordable housing, environment, and agriculture, as well as vulnerable populations: veterans, prisoners, the homeless, those suffering from substance use disorders, and survivors of physical and sexual abuse. Art is barely present in these conversations, but is so needed.

Those of us with lived experience understand the profound transformative power of the arts; yet this does not resonate in a broader community context, especially for those disenfranchised. Art is still perceived as a luxury for the privileged, not a necessity for all. Cultural organizations need to recalibrate efforts and partner with local, regional, and national agencies of health and human services, education, agriculture, housing authorities, prisons, national parks, veterans affairs, and the environment in order to develop strategies for how the arts can be more fully integrated into their efforts.

There are many exemplar organizations that model this kind of service as central to their missions: Rhodessa Jones’ Medea prison project, Jazz House Kids, Appalshop, Vermont Abenaki Artists Association, Alliance for California Traditional Arts, Alternate Roots, First People’s Fund, Project Row Houses, Urban Bush Women, Axis Dance Company, and others. For these groups, authentic community engagement is a core commitment to nurture vibrant communities.

National arts funders, too, must continue to evolve funding criteria. While many have rightfully focused on racial equity and social justice to redress systemic racism, arts philanthropy also needs to address poverty as a central barrier. There is so much lost potential when arts funders don’t collaborate with other program area portfolios even within their own foundations. Integrating the arts into ongoing anti-poverty work is crucial.

Living now in a rural state, I witness the devastating realities of income inequality. People living through generational destitution, addiction, and trauma need the arts to help with healing. More money is not needed to diversify audiences for major institutions; investments need to be made to enable all community members to be enriched by art and culture in order to live more resilient lives.

Our community, working together for positive results

This summer I was inspired by the myriad ways our community works together. Good food and great company were had when Champlain Housing Trust hosted a cookout for residents of O’Dell Apartments. Brett Leonard and his team from South Burlington Recreation and Parks did the cooking, Kelly Kendall from South Burlington Public Library was there with the bookmobile bus and police were handing out ice pops. 

I attended the graduation ceremony for women from Lund who completed their high school education. Lund is such an extraordinary local organization working to break the cycles of poverty, addiction, and abuse by supporting pregnant and parenting teens, young adults and adoptive families. Other women from Lund were also honored in the celebration held at Vermont Commons School. 

During the party, I remembered attending Burlington’s Treatment Court last year. Participants take part in counseling, attend court hearings and follow program guidelines in order to have criminal charges dismissed or reduced. At that hearing, the family judge congratulated one young woman on the birth of her child and for being accepted into Lund housing. At the ceremony I just attended, this woman and her beautiful child were honored for the incredible progress she’s made. Testimony that lives can indeed be saved with compassionate social services. 

I also twice visited South Burlington’s women’s prison and wish that our ill-equipped, under-resourced facility and the criminal justice system could better serve those incarcerated and their families so that these women succeed when they rejoin our communities. Some women don’t feel safe and need more therapeutic and vocational opportunities. 

Stopping by the Thursday morning Rotary Club meeting, I heard about plans to provide back-to-school backpacks filled with supplies to students in need. Later that afternoon, I met with the South Burlington crew of Vermont Youth Conservation Corps, who removed the invasive species of buckhorn in Wheeler Park. As we gathered under a 200-year old oak tree, it was impressive to hear from the youth about their experiences conserving forest lands.

That same evening, I attended a joint meeting of the South Burlington City Council and Planning Commission and listened to reports from various committees volunteering their time to study how South Burlington can continue to encourage development while balancing environmental impact, conservation and affordable housing needs. Committees asked for more time to complete their extensive scope of work, and the city’s interim zoning pause on development was extended for a few months.  

The UVM Medical Center hosted a morning breakfast meeting at the Doubletree Hotel featuring a number of organizations collaborating to deliver integrated early childhood and family care on a statewide, regional and local level. The early results of these innovative partnerships are impressive indeed as the first few years of a child’s life are so very crucial to physical, intellectual and emotional development.

Finally, I attended a full day Social Justice Caucus retreat in White River Junction with legislators and activists trying to be more intentional about developing inclusive political, social, economic and ecological policies for Vermont. What an honor it is to be your citizen legislator and how lucky I am to learn from and participate in all of these community dialogues. 

Thanks to those who stopped by and visited our “Ask Your Legislators” table at the Aug. 15 SoBu Nite Out concert at Veterans Memorial Park.

Minimum wage, paid leave vital to families

Frustratingly, two bills I worked on in committee did not make it to the finish line this spring in Montpelier: increasing the minimum wage and establishing a paid family and medical leave insurance program.They were held up in negotiations between the House and Senate in the final weeks of the session. However, I believe better legislation will result when we return to work in January. There were too many issues unresolved. 

Raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour over a five-year period was seen as too fast for some, and not soon enough for others. Market forces in some urban areas had already accelerated wages above the prevailing $10.78, but small rural businesses worried about any further increases. 

Home health agencies, nursing homes, residential care homes, assisted living residences and adult day care agencies reported that, without additional Medicaid support, increasing the minimum wage would be onerous. Another factor, raising wages incrementally without adjusting eligibility for governmental supplemental programs, could create a “benefits cliff,” leaving some folks worse off short-term. 

Further consideration has to be given to how tipped employees, students and agricultural workers are compensated. As well, Vermont’s employment statutes need to be modernized to eliminate out-of-date and obsolete provisions, particularly regarding people with disabilities.

Complexity also played out in developing a paid family and medical leave insurance program. The governor’s voluntary program was introduced but not taken up, because a different bill was already in process in the House. At the session’s end, there remained significant differences between the House and Senate versions on this issue.  

Should the program be funded jointly by employers and employees? Both the House and Senate left that up to the discretion of employers. How much time is adequate for family bonding? The House thought 12 weeks for each parent for a total of 24; the Senate landed on 16 weeks shared between parents. 

Length of allowable family care time of up to eight weeks was in both versions, but differences for personal medical leave were eight weeks in the House, while the Senate provided up to six weeks of personal medical leave only to employees who elected to obtain coverage by paying an additional premium. Both chambers agreed that cumulative time off should be capped at 12 weeks in any given year.

Increasing the minimum wage and a paid family and medical leave insurance program are both essential to the viability of Vermont’s future, particularly in attracting young families and a more vibrant workforce.  Low-income Vermonters desperately need a raise. Forty-one percent of minimum-wage workers are considered “head of the household” and the majority of them are women. Too many scramble, juggling multiple part-time jobs to adequately feed, clothe and shelter themselves and their families. Increasing salaries is a shrewd investment, ultimately decreasing the costs of the social safety net long-term; not to be discounted is the additional consumer spending in local communities. 

Families should not have to suffer economic and professional hardships while raising children. Both parents deserve adequate bonding time with new ones. And baby boomers, too, need a break, struggling to care for themselves, ailing parents, and grandchildren in crisis. Few mind paying for Social Security and for disability, health, or unemployment insurance; another small premium to ensure paid family and medical leave seems like a wise investment each of us and employers can make. Happy and healthy employees tend to remain loyal, and retention is more cost-effective than turnover.

Arts and the Creative Economy

Since the legislature adjourned in late May, I have been busy with arts-related projects around the state: attending a conference about Creative Communities in Montpelier, opening an exhibition I curated at Brattleboro Museum and Art Center, visiting Vermont Studio Center in Johnson, speaking at the Governor’s Institute on the Arts at Castleton University and participating in a workshop in Salisbury. I enjoyed free events during Burlington’s Discover Jazz Festival and saw compelling theater in Waterbury Center’s refurbished Grange Hall Cultural Center. How pleasant it is for me to drive, windows down, amidst verdant fields – my favorite time of year.

On my road trips, I was reminded how essential cultural organizations are to the vitality of each of their communities, and how the arts are, in fact, economic drivers in urban and rural economic development. The Flynn Center, which I ran before becoming your legislator, employs 300+ people with an annual payroll of over $2.8 million. The Vermont Arts Council recently released a study showing that the creative economy in the Northeast Kingdom employs 3,327 individuals, 9.4 percent of the workforce of 35,500. The Arts Council is expanding its research state-wide to illustrate how substantial the arts sector is in each community.

As a legislator, I feel Vermont can do more for the arts. Few cities and towns, including South Burlington, provide direct support to artist residents. This year, the Vermont Arts Council received an appropriation of $717,735 from the state. This money matches federal dollars and provides small grants to artists and arts organizations. Additional dollars, locally and statewide, can have transformative impacts. 

As we seek to encourage younger people to relocate here, added support for the cultural sector will make our region even more attractive and deliver immense returns on investment. Additionally, increased funding for the Vermont Department of Tourism can expand promotion of the vast array of cultural offerings year-round. Our artists, museums, theaters and festivals are world-class and can complement outdoor recreation, agriculture and craft breweries as tourist draws. At my Brattleboro Museum opening last month, so many folks told me they visit the museum three or four times each year from out of state.

Here in South Burlington, arts abound. Katie Baritt’s public art project with community members decorating utility boxes has enlivened our neighborhoods in subtle, yet profound ways – bringing smiles to all as we drive, cycle and walk by. Lines Vermont dance studio just opened its beautiful facilities on Farrell Street. Next week, SoBu’s Nite Out Summer Series begins free music concerts in Veterans Memorial Park. Longer-term, city leaders are discussing the viability of a building a new performing arts center as yet another economic anchor.

In addition to arts-related activities, I had the honor of joining the governor and fellow legislators at Norwich University as we signed a law encouraging veterans to register on the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry. Military Affairs is part of my committee work, and I am proud that we were able to pass this bill into law this session, helping 10,000 Vermont Veterans deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan document the ill health effects of toxic contamination from waste disposal from open air burn pits on bases.

End of First Session Recap

It’s been an honor to serve in my first year as your State Representative. Your feedback, along with advocates, has been crucial as I dove into issues affecting our community in my work on the General, Housing, and Military Affairs Committee. 

As too many Vermonters struggle to care for themselves and their families, my committee focused its work on bills gradually increasing the minimum wage over the next few years and developing a paid family and medical leave program. These bills promised to better support Vermonters in all aspects of their lives as well ashelping attract and retain talent, improve employee morale, and save money in the short and long-term. As a freshman legislator, it was fascinating to watch the bills undergo myriad changes as they made their circuitous route through the legislative process. Unfortunately the House and Senate could not agree, and these essential issues will have to be revisited in January.

My committee’s purview also includes a broad array of other topics, including housing and liquor control. Recognizing that safe, affordable, and secure housing is an essential component of healthcare for all, the committee developed protections for victims of domestic and sexual violence from being further victimized by facing homelessness or housing insecurity. To support some of our entrepreneurs, licensing and taxation for Vermont’s burgeoning craft brewers and distillers were streamlined, enabling growth as well as providing a fairer and consistent tax base for the future.

Veterans Affairs is also a part of my committee’s portfolio and here we focused on securing an honorable internment of any unclaimed Veterans remains at the Vermont Veterans Memorial Cemetery and encouraging our 10,000 veterans who were deployed since 1990 to sign up to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Airborne Hazards and Open Pit Registry. The House also modifyied the Adjutant and Inspector General of Vermont’s National Guard’s election process by the Vermont General Assembly, but with difference with Senate colleagues, the bill was held over until January for further discussion.

Columbus Day was renamed Indigenous Peoples’ Day, promising a more robust history for both indigenous and non-native Vermonters, celebrating the cultures, histories, and present-day lived experiences of Abenaki people and other original inhabitants of the Americas. 

Many other initiatives moved into law this year though the work of other committees, as legislators prioritized bills to help communities and families thrive. Testing for lead in schools and child care facilities, making child care more accessible and affordable, reducing vaping and tobacco use among youth, and the development of a multicultural curriculum for all schools were some highlights for me to support on the floor of the House.

Environmentally, funding was secured to continue cleanup of our waterways, single use plastic disposable products were banned, polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) like those found in drinking and surface waters in Bennington County were regulated, and electric vehicle and charging stations incentivized. Transportation investments included paving, road maintenance, rail work, bridge construction, aviation, and public transit.

Workforce development strategies providedtraining opportunities for small companies, expanded weatherization programs, decreased barriers for new Americans to enter the workforce, and provided advancement grants for additional adult training and workforce education. Broadband build out supported local municipalities determining appropriate connectivity solutions.

Emotional testimony was heard at public hearings on two high profile issues – guaranteeing women’s reproductive rights and a 24 hour waiting period on gun purchases. It was in these moments that the citizens’ legislature was at its most animated as I listened to and learned from Vermonter’s lived experiences. 

On the backstretch of the session

As we enter into the last month of the session, the majority of my committee work in General, Housing, and Military Affairs has been on advancing three Senate bills for discussion and debate on the House Floor.  

S.111 seeks to encourage Vermont’s 10,000 veterans who were deployed in various “theaters of operations” since 1990 to sign up to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Airborne Hazards and Open Pit Registry. Those stationed were exposed to toxic waste as garbage of all kinds was burned in football field-sized open-air pits. Many rare forms of cancers and respiratory issues are now manifesting in those who served. The Burn Pit Registry is the first step for further analysis of these presumptive illness as to whether they are associative or causative due the exposure to airborne hazards. Heart-breaking testimony was heard from a widow and a mother who lost her son, as well as a 31-year old veteran with fourth stage colon cancer who proudly served two deployments, but never thought “my county would poison me.”

The committee also heard testimony on S.23 which raises the minimum wage bill to $15 per hour by 2024. Advocates and practitioners on all sides on this topic spoke to us: unionized labor, health care providers, women’s commission, restaurant owners and individuals that received tipped wages, among many other voices. Some advocated for letting the market adjust working wages, others spoke about the gap for those earning the current minimum wage and the obstacles they face with housing, childcare, food, healthcare and transportation. The Joint Fiscal Office provided an extremely helpful fiscal note, and an analysis of how to mitigate the unintended consequences of a benefits cliff by adjusting the Child Care Financial Assistance Program. Approximately 87,000 Vermonters will benefit from increasing the minimum wage.

I reported on the floor of the House, S.68, which changes the name of Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples’ Day. After much debate, this was passed by the House. By renaming this legal holiday, indigenous contributions will be highlighted, and historical wrongs redressed. Renaming the holiday, does not erase Columbus, but promises a more robust history for both indigenous and non-native Vermonters, celebrating the cultures, histories, and present-day lived experiences of Abenaki people and other original inhabitants of the Americas. 

On behalf of South Burlington, I testified, along with City Attorney Andrew Bolduc, before the House Ways and Means Committee, to support our city charter amendment proposing a one-half of one percent (0.5 percent) tax on rental cars within South Burlington. The revenue would be directed to support highway maintenance and emergency fire and ambulance services. City Manager Kevin Dorn and City Council Chair Helen Riehle also testified. Unfortunately, the committee did not support our charter amendment and is not expected to take action on it.

I also had a lovely visit with principal Mark Trifilio at South Burlington’s Orchard School and had lunch with the kindergarteners. As I had been a pre-school teacher early in my career, it was truly joyous to spend time with these wonderful children and see our great school in action.

Midterm Report

We are now mid-way through the legislative session. The crossover deadline for passing bills, including budgets, out of committees and on the full floor of the House, was last week.

Here are some of the bills my committee, General, Housing, & Military Affairs, focused on: instituting paid family and medical leave; protecting survivors of domestic and sexual violence from housing discrimination; amending the process of election for the Adjutant General of Vermont’s National Guard to include a vetting committee; updating penalties for violations for alcohol and tobacco laws; and securing honorable burials at the Vermont Veterans Memorial Cemetery for any unclaimed veterans’ remains.

Among other House bills passed on the floor: highlights include affordable childcare initiatives; preserving the current legal rights to abortion; expungement of criminal records for low level offenses; weatherization subsidies for aging housing stock for low income Vermonters; developing ethnic and social studies standards for schools and training to insure fair and impartial policing; taxing e-cigarettes and disallowing their sale on the internet; and many more. These bills now go over to the Senate for their review, consideration, and modifications.

For a full list of bills passed, visit the Vermont General Assembly website’s “Bills and Resolutions” section. Literally hundreds of other bills introduced by representatives have been assigned to the various policy committees in the House but are still on the “wall” and may (or may not) be picked up later this session or next year as part of the current biennium of Vermont’s General Assembly.

Major bills coming over from the Senate for House consideration include: raising the minimum wage to $15 in 2024; taxing and regulating marijuana; raising the smoking age to 21 for both cigarettes and e-cigarettes, requiring a 24-hour waiting period when purchasing a gun; and Indigenous Peoples’ Day replacing Columbus Day. The committee on which I sit, General, Housing, & Military Affairs, will be doing a deep dive on some of these, including minimum wage.

As a new legislator, I try to visit as many programs as possible in South Burlington. As housing is a central focus on my committee work, I recently visited Allard Square Senior Housing and Beacon Apartments. Cathedral Square’s Allard Square Senior Housing opened last fall. I visited with staff and one of the tenants and learned more about the nationally-acclaimed program offering a variety of programs providing Support and Services at Home.

Representatives Maida Townsend and Martin LaLonde joined me on the site visit to the Beacon Apartments, a model of supportive housing for the chronically homeless. Beacon is a collaborative project of Champlain Housing Trust, Burlington Housing Authority and the Community Health Centers of Burlington. One of the tenants, who was homeless for five years, invited us into his apartment and shared his journey, describing how the integrated services have made this a win for him and other tenants.

Finally, Representative Ann Pugh and I had a wonderful evening at the South Burlington Friends of the Arts Visual and Performing Arts Gala. Now in its second year, proceeds of the event provide need-based scholarship for South Burlington High School students pursuing the arts. Kudos to Patrick Leduc and the committee for making this happen.

Issues at play in the Vermont House

It is still early in the legislative session; therefore many bills are still in development within committees. Over 600 bills have already been drafted for consideration. However, many may never leave their committee of jurisdiction for consideration by the full House.

Bills I co-sponsored that did pass on the floor of the House include creation of a group to advise the State Board of Education on the adoption of ethnic and social equity studies standards, taxation of electronic cigarettes, and preserving the right to abortion. These now go on to the Vermont Senate. As well, in a joint session of the House and Senate, Col. Gregory Knight was elected Adjutant and Inspector General of Vermont’s National Guard.  

Much of my work as your elected representative in the Vermont House is spent in the General, Housing, and Military Affairs Committee. Here we worked on a paid family and medical leave bill financed through an insurance premium, shared equally by employers and employees. Self-employed individuals can opt in. Testimony on the bill was heard from numerous small and large business owners, lobbyists, and advocates from various perspectives. Testimony illuminated the importance of this bill to better support Vermonters in all aspects of their lives. 

Employers testified about how these kinds of programs help attract and retain talent, improve employee morale, and save money in the short- and long-term. Further iterations on the financial modeling and tax income ramifications will be developed as the bill moves to the House Ways and Means and Appropriations Committees. The Governor’s alternative voluntary paid family leave proposal has not yet been introduced as a bill, but will be vetted within my committee as well. 

Another bill we are working on seeks to protect victims of domestic and sexual violence from being further victimized by facing homelessness or housing insecurity. The bill provides a number of avenues for victims to make their homes more secure if staying in their home is their preferred outcome. It also allows the early termination of a lease if leaving their home was the safest option. It prohibits landlords from denying access to housing to victims. Compelling testimony was heard from stakeholders and survivors. This bill is a further example of how the committee’s work on housing intersects with many other issues facing Vermonters – safe, affordable, and secure housing is an essential component of healthcare for all.

One bill I sponsored that was just introduced for consideration - a pilot program with the Vermont Veterans’ Home in Bennington addressing food security for veterans. I will keep you informed on its progress, as it promises to develop a collaborative model to be replicated state-wide. You can see a full list of the bills and resolutions I co-sponsored at https://legislature.vermont.gov/people/single/2020/30949#sponsored-bills.

It was fun to host future politicians from South Burlington High School’s Democratic and Republican Clubs in the State House. The students met with the Governor, LieutenantGovernor, attended party caucuses, and observed committee hearings and floor debates in the House and Senate chambers. 

I also visited South Burlington’s `Chittenden Regional Correctional Facility for women with other state legislators. Powerful lived experiences were shared as we listened and learned about the realities women who are incarcerated face and barriers for reentry.