Editor’s note: This op-ed is by Sen. Joe Benning, a Republican serving the Caledonia-Orleans district. It was first published in the Caledonian Record on March 7.
Recently I was introduced to the inner world of politics versus common sense. Some would prefer to believe this nonsense couldn’t exist in a small state like Vermont. But it does exist and Vermonters should never allow it to become entrenched as acceptable behavior. Before turning to the issue, an explanation of how the Legislature works is in order.
Every bill starts in either the House or the Senate. Senators are assigned to two committees; House members to only one. In this design House members generally have more time available to listen to testimony than their Senate counterparts on any given issue. When a deeply complicated issue arises, an ad hoc committee featuring members from both bodies may be assembled to examine it more closely.
That brings us to the issue of redesigning our state’s mental health system. According to the director of the old Vermont State Hospital (VSH), approximately 530 people per year are involuntarily admitted for “serious mental illness,” a condition that leaves them functionally impaired and in need of “acute bed space.” Approximately 169 such beds are needed every day. Two-thirds of those patients come from the northern part of the state, the bulk being from Chittenden County.
This past fall an ad hoc committee called Mental Health Oversight developed concepts for a new system design. These were incorporated into House Bill 630. They featured a new state hospital with 25 acute care beds in Berlin, five at the Springfield jail, and private contracts for 14 in Brattleboro and six in Rutland. Although featuring less acute beds than pre-Irene, a community support system of less intensive beds would also be developed throughout the state. The House voted 124 to 3 to support this plan.
But then the bill arrived in the Senate. Mysteriously, and with little testimony, 25 beds suddenly became 16 and the bill was put on a fast track for passage. The change shifted available acute bed space south, away from the patient base. Initial building funds were also threatened because FEMA would not fund a later expansion. Recognizing the need for 25 beds in Berlin, I joined other senators objecting to a rules suspension so the bill could not get passed out Thursday. This brought debate to a halt.
On Feb. 24, we learned, much to everyone’s surprise, that the governor had ordered RIF notices to 80 former VSH workers. This caused general consternation, because a critical component of the new system included maintaining that skilled work force. Now we knew why the bill was put on the fast track for passage: The administration didn’t want us to know about the layoffs.
The cynic in me believes the governor is facing the reality that his campaign promises cannot be fulfilled without mass layoffs or dramatic tax increases. Whatever the cause of this political gamesmanship, it flies in the face of common sense. We shouldn’t build less space than we need and miss the opportunity for federal funding in the process. We shouldn’t build infrastructure weighted toward the southern part of the state when the need is in the north. We shouldn’t jettison those most skilled in handling our most vulnerable. This week we’ll see if common sense still lives in the Vermont Legislature.
