FROM THE APRIL 28th FINAL READING:
— Senate Appropriations has cut funding for an essential worker hazard pay proposal by a third. It voted the bill out of committee Tuesday with a $60 million price tag attached, cut down from the original $90 million proposal. Under this revision, the program would provide grants to essential workers for two months, not three.
Sen. Jane Kitchel, D-Caledonia, said the changes were made so that the grants would be handed out to qualifying essential workers who were employed mid-March through the expected end date of the state of emergency, May 15.
Kitchel said money for the program was reduced to preserve the state’s coronavirus relief fund, provided by the federal CARES Act, in anticipation of more needs likely to arise in the near future. – Grace Elletson
— Housing officials made it clear to lawmakers today that Vermont isn’t planning on returning to status quo homelessness solutions once the coronavirus state of emergency subsides.
Josh Hanford, commissioner of the Department of Housing and Community Development, told Senate Economic Development Committee lawmakers that he supports alternatives to housing shelters for long-term homelessness populations during the pandemic.
The state wants to support back-rent assistance programs and rental rehab properties that could be used to rehouse the homeless. Hanford didn’t know what the plan might cost. He said the governor and AHS officials are still vetting the idea. – Grace Elletson
— In another committee, House General, Chris Donnelly with the Champlain Housing Trust broke down the costs for a $100 million homelessness program his nonprofit is supporting. The plan is similar to the one presented by Hanford.
Donnelly said the housing trust has seen an 8% to 10% loss in rent payments in April. The loss is expected to worsen to 20% to 25% in the summer. “We’re seeing a tsunami of hardship for our renters,” Donnelly said. – Grace Elletson
— Department of Labor Commissioner Michael Harrington received another grilling from lawmakers during a Joint Rules meeting who say they’re still hearing from Vermonters who can’t get through to the state’s unemployment system even after more staff were added to take in calls.
Sen. Becca Balint, D-Windham, asked Harrington why she’s still hearing from constituents who filed claims but haven’t received one of the $1,200 checks cut by the treasurer in lieu of UI payments. Harrington said there may be unresolved issues on a person’s claim that’s causing the holdup.
“The customer service we’re giving Vermonters right now is really lacking,” Balint said. “I have a lot of constituents who don’t understand how in this day and age they still can’t get through.” – Grace Elletson
— Senate Pro Tem Tim Ashe, D/P-Chittenden, said that during the month of May, the Senate will be slowing the pace of its work as the need for emergency legislation is “starting to dry up.”
“We’re ready, of course, if there’s some emergency need,” Ashe said. “But at present we’ve been providing oversight where appropriate, but a lot of the immediate flexibility that was needed was taken care of.”
He said the plan next month is for committees to work two days per week. If possible, Ashe said he wants to preserve the legislative budget for the “unusual” and longer-than-typical session that lies ahead. The largest task lawmakers will face in coming weeks is a budget adjustment that addresses plummeting state revenues. – Xander Landen
— Ashe also announced that he plans to create two working groups to look into additional Covid-19 policy changes. One would examine whether the Senate could act to increase the state’s preparedness for future emergencies. Ashe floated looking into issues like the vulnerability of the state’s IT systems and child care policies.
The other would look into whether the chamber should pass emergency legislation that “would kick in automatically” if Vermont saw a resurgence of the virus after lawmakers adjourned in the summer or fall. – Xander Landen
— A documentary about Vermont’s youngest candidate for governor, then 13-year-old Ethan Sonneborn, was released Tuesday. The short film, which viewers can watch for free on Vimeo, documents Sonneborn’s 2018 run as he balances life as a middle-schooler and gubernatorial candidate.
The documentary was produced by Alexis Neophytides and debuted at the Montclair Film Festival last year. – Grace Elletson
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