Notes from Montpelier
by Rep. Bill Frank

              Happy April to all, spring seems to have come very early for me since I am a skier.  I am enjoying the warmer weather and working in the yard.  I’m also wondering if, or when, the surprise spring snow storm will come.  The process of this legislative session seems to be following the early arrival of spring.  With a goal of adjourning by May 8^th, the so-called “crossover date”, the date bills must pass out of committee if they are to be acted on by the other body, has come earlier.  The week after crossover the pace always ramps up on the House floor to take care of the bills coming out of committees and expecting the arrival of the major money bills.  This year crossover was March 20^th.  There are a large number of bills to be acted on.  

The Palliative Care bill I have been working on this past year was passed unanimously by the House on March 27^th.  It will increase access to appropriate care at all stages of illness. The main goal of the bill is fully informed patient choice. I was proud to be the reporter when it came to the House floor.  The bill has been assigned to the Senate Health & Welfare committee and I will introduce the bill to the committee. 

A bill dealing with the decommissioning fund for the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant passed 93-46.   It requires Vermont Yankee owners to pay into the decommission fund if it is not given a license to operate past 2012.  The payment schedule is $114.72 million by January 1, 2011, January 1, 2012, January 1, 2018 and January 1, 2020.  The current estimates for decommissioning are near $900 million.  If Vermont Yankee is re-licensed to operate past 2012 the bill does nothing because funding the decommissioning fund will be included in the new license.  This bill insures that Vermont taxpayers will not have to pay the huge cost of decommissioning this nuclear power plant. 

            I don’t expect the question on the re-licensing of Vermont Yankee to be voted on this year.  It is impossible to make an informed decision without knowing what Vermont Yankee will charge Vermonters for power after 2012.  They have promised this information, usually saying they would provide the information “next week”.  This lack of information runs parallel to the tour they gave me of their facility in December.  I asked many questions and got very few answers.  They promised to get me the answers but all that I have received is a form letter thanking me for taking the tour.   I could not vote for re-licensing if the vote was today.

            Two of the three major money bills will be taken up this week, Transportation and the State Budget, referred to as “The Big Bill”.    I am hopeful the Transportation bill will have a bonding proposal for fixing our roads and bridges and to pay for the bonds by adding five cents to the gasoline tax.  I

Supported raising the gas tax three years ago to pay for roads and bridge repair, I still think it is a good idea and will support this proposal.   Details of these bills will be available for my next column.

The “Same Sex Marriage” or “Freedom to Marry” bill is expected to be taken up within the next couple of weeks  Many, many of you have taken time to email me with your thoughts and feelings on this bill.  I want to thank you all; I respect all of your thoughts and opinions.  I have tried to answer all of you in a timely manner but I know at times it has taken me longer to get through my inbox.  I have used Saturdays and Sundays to be sure all are answered.  I will be voting for this bill.

Thank you to all who came to the Deborah Rawson Memorial Library last Tuesday evening to discuss a wide variety of issues.  The next meeting will be Tuesday, May 5.