Notes from Montpelier
by Rep. Bill Frank

The 2012 legislative session is in full gear in committees and bills are finally starting to come before the full House. The annual Budget Adjustment bill that makes adjustment to the current fiscal year budget half way through the year passed.  We added 9 social workers to the Department of Children and Families to help with the backlog of providing consulting to children in the custody of the Commissioner. Taking care of children is a top priority of mine.  And Vermont has a state fish.  The brook trout and walleye pike have been designated as the state fish of Vermont. The students of Cornwall Elementary School were instrumental in getting this bill introduced and passed.

My Human Services committee has given the needs of Vermonters who need mental health services our undivided attention the last three and a half weeks.  We have written a committee bill to reform Vermont's mental health system. A public hearing at the State House was held and well over 100 people packed conference room 11.  They shared with us what is important to them with regard to mental health services.  Last week we agreed to the building of a new 25 bed mental health facility adjacent to the Central Vermont Medical Center in Berlin. This is a hospital over 50% larger than in the governor’s proposal. The bill will now be taken up by both the Institutions and Appropriations Committees.

 There are two opportunities for talking with your elected legislators in the next week.  Senator Bernie Sanders is hosting a free brunch, Saturday, February 4^th, 10:30 am at the Jericho Community Center.  He would like to hear your thoughts and concerns. More details on my web site.  My next legislative update evening at the Dorothy Rawson Memorial Library is Thursday, February 9 at 6:30 pm.  At the last meeting in January a question asked was about the Citizens United project which generated a lot of discussion.  Citizens Union is the Supreme Court decision that corporations can spend unlimited money in political campaigns. The Court decided that restrictions would suppress political speech.  A petition with the required number of signatures to have this topic put on the Jericho Town Meeting was submitted and accepted by the select board.  A petition with the required number of signatures was submitted to the Bolton select board but it was not accepted, hence it will not be on the Town Meeting agenda. The Underhill petition did not have enough signatures.  I'm happy to continue the discussion if attendees desire.   I would enjoy talking with you at one of both of these events.

Congratulations to Jericho eighth grader Gretchen Wright who is serving as a Legislative page for the first six weeks of the 2012 session.  She led the House in the Pledge of Allegiance the first day of the session