“Pete’s” final passage
The saga of “Pete the Moose” is near its end.
Or perhaps only the legislative chapters of the legend.
In what seems to have been a violation of convention, if not of etiquette, the Senate on Wednesday declined the request of Agriculture Committee Chair Sara Kittell to let her committee have a crack at H. 91, which had already passed the House and been approved by the Senate’s Natural Resources Committee.
Veteran senators said it was unusual to refuse such a request from a committee chair. But they also said they were all but unanimously ready (if not well past ready) to be done with the issue.
They also said that Kittell, who is from Franklin County, probably made the request at the behest of fellow-Democrat Bobby Starr, whose Northeast Kingdom district includes the huge captive elk farm on which “Pete” is also encaged. Kittell and Starr were two of the “no” votes. The others were Republican Vincent Illuzzi, also of the Northeast Kingdom, and, for whatever reason, Philip Baruth of Burlington.
The bill reaffirms that “the fish and wildlife of Vermont are held in trust by the state.”
So they had been, here and in every other state, until last year when a measure literally snuck through in the dead of night transferred control of some wildlife to Doug Nelson, the owner of the elk-hunting preserve and the proprietor of “Pete.” The moose, apparently abandoned by its mother, had been “rescued” and transported (all illegally) to Nelson’s farm, where it was fed donuts and became something of a national cause célèbre.
Though “Pete” will once again become part of the public trust, he will not be harmed. Fish and Wildlife Commissioner Patrick Berry has said that one way or another, Pete will be protected.
~Jon Margolis
Health care amendments abound
Sometimes the Legislature can sound like an echo chamber — only as the sounds reverberate through the building, distortions sometimes appear to become more pronounced.
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Such was the case Wednesday afternoon in Senate Health and Welfare. The committee heard explanations for a half dozen amendments on H.202, the health care reform bill now scheduled for the Senate floor on Thursday.
Read VTDigger.org’s analysis of H.202.
All of the amendments (with one exception) reprised the chorus of concerns that had been previously expressed as the bill was considered in committee and in some cases incorporated into the bill. Only one proposal was novel to members of the committee – Sen. Peter Galbraith’s suggestion that the state launch its own insurance company. The rest of his proposal was rejected by the committee.
The amendments reflect the anxieties of lobbyists and businesspeople, but they also culminate the end of a weeks-long discussion examining all of the issues around health care reform. Sen. Ginny Lyons added an amendment that recapitulates health care benefits as a public good; Sens. Benning and Brock suggested that the Green Mountain Care program should integrate federal health care programs with Vermont Health Access Programs such as Dr. Dynasaur, the Blueprint for Health and nonprofit agencies. Senate Finance recommended slight changes to the Green Mountain Care board.
Sen. Vince Illuzzi, D/R-Essex-Orleans, has offered three amendments.
Illuzzi’s amendments hadn’t yet been vetted by the committee — they’ll be taken up Thursday morning before the bill goes to the floor.
Galbraith calls veterans’ tax credit window dressing
The item has been at the top of the Senate calendar list of pending legislation now for more than a week under the heading “unfinished business.” Whatever behind-the-scenes maneuvering was going on to smooth ruffled feathers, apparently didn’t work.
The Democrats, working on behalf of Gov. Peter Shumlin to pass one of his main initiatives, narrowly won, with a 12-17 vote to kill the amendment.
Sen. Peter Galbraith, D-Windham, told his colleagues that the credit “isn’t going to help veterans, or result in their hire.”
Galbraith recommended that the state use the money to pay for education tax credits for military personnel who go back to school. His amendment failed.
Sen. Randy Brock, who supported Galbraith’s proposal, said the bill “does nothing but make people feel good and does nothing for veterans.” He called the bill, “corporate welfare.”
“We should put our money where our mouth is and not look for the photo-op,” Brock said.
The vote came six weeks after the House passed the bill. At the time, Shumlin insisted that the legislation be delivered to his desk before Town Meeting Day, and he chastised the House GOP for refusing to suspend the rules, thus delaying a vote on the legislation.
CORRECTED So far, the governor has signed one major bill into law — the budget adjustment act — and 10 others.
Adjournment is scheduled for May 7.
