IN Jan. 17’s FINAL READING…
VSEA puts blame on DOC for prison scandal, a new bill could make composting dead bodies a reality in Vermont and a proposed Green New Deal for the state is gaining support.
THE TOP TAKE
Ex-lawmakers make great lobbyists. Proof of that statement was on display in a Friday hearing before the House Corrections and Institutions Committee. Steve Howard, executive director of the Vermont State Employees’ Association, was testifying on a very touchy subject: The scandal sparked by a Seven Days expose of inmate abuse at the state’s only women’s prison, the Chittenden Regional Correctional Facility.
VSEA membership includes nearly 900 Department of Corrections employees. Howard has staunchly defended his members and placed the blame for the scandal on administrative failures, at the risk of seeming to defend the indefensible conduct of some union members.
Howard served six terms in the House, and spent part of that time on the corrections panel. As he entered the committee room, the chair, Rep. Alice Emmons, D-Springfield, pointed to the very seat he used to occupy. Other members greeted him warmly as a former colleague and a familiar face around the building.
His basic pitch? Problems at the state’s prisons are everybody’s fault, but the union and its members. He blamed DOC administration for creating toxic workplaces and failing to properly investigate problems. He blamed the government — and implicitly the Legislature itself — for under-resourcing the prison system.
As proof, Howard offered the department’s 18% turnover rate in 2019, and a recent survey that found that morale among DOC employees was at the very bottom of all state agencies. “The state average for good morale was 45%, but in Corrections it was 22%,” he noted.
Howard also complained that press coverage of the women’s prison scandal has exaggerated the scope of the problem. “There are 872 classified employees in the DOC,” he said. “The Seven Days article talked about 17.”
Well, sure, but that’s 17 too many. And the heart of the scandal is that these problems festered for nearly a decade with little accountability.
Howard strongly opposed Human Services Secretary Mike Smith’s call for mandatory drug testing for DOC workers, and Smith’s efforts to reveal offenders’ personnel records. He said they would violate workers’ rights and exacerbate the existing morale issues without addressing the fundamental causes of the scandal.
There were holes in Howard’s arguments. His members, after all, committed serious offenses against inmates. In some cases, they kept their jobs in spite of criminal allegations. And VSEA’s top priority throughout the scandal has been to protect its members.
Judging from the committee’s reception of Howard, it’s hard to see the Scott administration getting its way in the Legislature. That’s partly due to the arguments put forward by Howard, partly because labor unions are a strong force in the Democratic Party — and because Howard is a member in good standing of the Statehouse club. – John Walters
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
— Vermonters may soon be able to compost their remains after they die. A new bill would allow natural organic reduction facilities to operate in the state. Only one other state in the country — Washington — allows the practice, which many hail as environmentally friendly. – Grace Elletson
— The Senate approved a compromise paid family leave bill by a 20-9 vote — enough support to weather a veto from Gov. Phil Scott. But a group of House progressives could stymie a veto override.
Sen. Michael Sirotkin, D-Chittenden, championed the bill as a measure to bring working families to Vermont: “This is another piece of the puzzle of making this a high quality of life state.” – Xander Landen
— With 13 co-sponsors, Sen. Anthony Pollina’s Green New Deal for Vermont bill was introduced and referred to committee. He challenged criticisms of the bill that its revenue driver, a tax on the richest Vermonters, would drive wealthy taxpayers out of the state. – Grace Elletson
— Businesses that don’t comply with the single-use gender neutral bathroom law would face a $250 fine if a new bill passes. Not all businesses are in compliance with the state’s 2018 bathroom law, either because owners don’t know about or are ignoring the change.
Rep. Mari Cordes, D-Lincoln, a bill sponsor, told lawmakers this morning that the “existing law needed more teeth.” – Grace Elletson
— Sen. Phil Baruth, D/P-Chittenden, said he hopes revenue from legal marijuana sales could fund free in-state tuition in the Vermont State Colleges System. Baruth said Gov. Phil Scott “seems to be getting on board” with the idea to use a tax and regulate system to fund initiatives that have been “pie in the sky.”
State College Chancellor Jeb Spaulding endorsed legislation to establish free in-state tuition, as did the University of Vermont. – Kit Norton
— Lawmakers will hold hearings across the state on Monday, Feb. 10, from 6–7 p.m. to gather public feedback on the governor’s fiscal year 2021 budget proposal. The budget will be available Jan. 21, after 2 p.m., following the governor’s budget address. – Grace Elletson
— When you scan the listings for this year’s Farmers Night concert series at the Statehouse, there’s one band name that seems too good to be true: Elder’s Statesmen, scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 12. The name was inspired by one of its members, Rep. Caleb Elder, D-Starksboro. The five-member group usually performs as Brett Hughes & That Bluegrass Band. “We’ve never played under [Elder’s Statesmen] before,” said Elder, who plays the fiddle. “I’m usually not the band leader, but it seemed appropriate for Farmers Night.” – John Walters
— Rep. Maida Townsend, D-South Burlington, received a standing ovation from her colleagues in the House Chamber for her international figure skating championship win. She brought home the gold in October. Townsend, 75, picked up the sport 25 year ago. – Grace Elletson
REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK
Early this week, Gov. Phil Scott looked at exempting young professionals from income tax in an effort to attract more of them to the state. But the Tax Department says the pricetag for the initiative is $14 million — too much for the Scott administration to stomach.
Grace Elletson caught up with VTDigger’s Xander Landen to learn more about Scott’s short-lived proposal.
GE: What was the governor’s original plan?
XL: As part of his budget address, the governor was planning to pitch an income tax exemption for 18- to 26-year-olds. The governor is constantly talking about ways to attract and retain young people because of our shrinking workforce. So if you can convince young families to settle down and stay here, that’s a big way to address this problem.
GE: Why did he drop the idea?
He learned on Friday afternoon from the Tax Department, which was analyzing his proposal, that it would cost the state $14 million to exempt young professionals from the income tax. The administration has been expecting it to only cost a few million dollars but it turned out to be much more.
GE: Why would losing that much revenue be a problem for the state?
The budgeting process in Vermont is always tight. This year the governor is projecting a $70 million budget shortfall, meaning our expenses are going to outpace our revenue coming in. There really is not a lot of wiggle room to spend $14 million on this exemption.
