Looking for Help? If you need help with food, shelter, medical care, transportation, etc. call; 2-1-1

Locally, the State of Vermont

Ecomomic Services can help with short and long term assistance and can be reached at

1-800-479-6151

or online at www.dcf.vermont.gov

If you need help with a legislative concern or help with getting an answer from State Government, feel free to call me at 802-387-8787

For information on:

• rebates/help forenergy efficiency and electrificationprojects,click here.
  
• subsidies and resources to help youkeep warmthis winter,click here.
  
• funding and incentives toexpand our supply of housing,click here.
  
• supportingbusiness launches and economic development,click here.
  
• emergencyrental assistance,click here.
  
• child care financial assistance.click here.
  
• help puttinghealthy food on your table,click here.
• information on tax breaks/incentives around EVs or fuel efficient vehicles listed at the Drive Electric website:https://www.driveelectricvt.com/with incentives here:https://www.driveelectricvt.com/incentives

     Mid- Session Report March 2023

    We're Halfway home in the 2023 Legisaltive session.

Our 18 week session got off to a great start, especially

In contrast to the debacle in the US House. The Vermont House of Representatives elected a Speaker in 12 minutes, heard our committee assignments and got to work.

We hit the ground running, as the clock starts ticking on a part-time Legislature as soon as we show up.  Our 18 week session gets crammed to the hilt trying to fit a years work into 5 months and there's a lot to share. I can giove some hihglights here, and also share that a comprehensive report on all 13 House on my website, which is listed on teh qrittern report available at the check in tables.

To start, I'll mention,  the main reason why the Vermont House is more effective and efficient than the US House are the Women of the House in Vermont, where all our leaders are women.

With Jill Krowinski as Speaker, Emily Long ( of Newfane) as Majority Leader and Patty McCoy as Minority Leader, they're working together to work  as smoothly  as politcal body can. As I’ve seem them work, my first takeaway, is they use power in a way known as “Power-with” rather than “Power-over”.

The Vermont Legisalture has one of the highest percentages of women in the Legisalture, with 46% of the House being women, In Windham County it's even higher as 9 of the 13 members of our County delegation are women. It's worth mentioning because I believe our national legisalture would look and run very differently if it looked more like the actual demographics of our nation.

Our big Priorities this session are family friendly polices like Paid Family and Medical and a  major reform in our Child Care Payment and Delivery System.

Climate Change of course is a constant cloud over our planet and we are wokring to pass the Affordable Heat Plan which  focuses on four fundamental goals:

1) Climate accountability - Reducing greenhouse gas pollution in line with state requirements.

2) Equity and Access – Requires the fossil fuel providers to deliver the majority of clean heat

benefits to lower- and middle-income Vermont residential customers. 

3) Affordability – Cuts energy costs and delivers benefits beyond the costly status quo. 

4) Feasibility – Offers a practical blueprint – a transition – that will work for Vermonters and the  fuel provider sector who have been keeping Vermonters warm for generations. 

Our economy is challenged right now by ongoing Workforce issues, which are hinged on two other mjaor issues, Housing and Child Care.

The Legisalture is working on Housing by infusing more dollars into the public Housing sector and also looking to relax regulaltory barriers that inhibit housing growth, especially in downtowns and villages. 

We are also aware that clouds of ongoing systemic discrimnation against Women and People of Color, and I support the ongoing work of the Vermont Womens Commission and am a founding member of the Vermont Legialtive Racial and Social Equity Caucus.

We are proud that in the last election Vermont voters resoundingly approved the Constitutional Amendment on Reproductive Liberty, and we are taking steps this session to pass a Shield Law that will protect Vermont medical providers who serve out of state citizens who come to Vermont for care they cannot access in their home state.

Those are some highlights and a full report of the 13 committees is found on my website or the Legisaltive website. One of the aspects of COVID that we are continuing is broadcast of all committee proceedings and  House floor action online -as well as the option to testify online for Vermonters who live far from the Statehouse.

I want to close with a recent experience that was heartening and affiriming of what a good job our schools, our teachers, parents and students are doing to create and support a poistive learning environment here at Putney Central School

Recently, I visited the Putney Central School 8th grade, as a first step to the class visiting the Statehouse.

There was a lively discussion on various topics and I especially appreciated the question , “ Do you plan to ban books in Vermont the way other states are?”

My Short answer, No. “ We don’t do that here”, I assured them.

The answers to our problems today are not going to be found in banning books or trying to foist on our children a white- washed version of US History. And, if anyone is thinking we can keep our tech-savvy kids from finding the facts for themselves, they’re only fooling themselves .

Our role as teachers, parents, and legislators is to give our kids the opportunity and tools to learn to discern - and to know we’re listening . Adn we are. And, to you I offer the same assurance to listen. We might not always agree but I want to hear your questions and suggestions, as we do take it all into our considerations.

Thank you again for your votes in November and electing me to do the people's work here and in Montpelier. When I travel out of state I often refer to it as a Vermont Appreciation trip. Similarly when I'm in Montpelier, I call it a Putney Appreciation trip as I can't think of a better place to live, work, raise a family or retire in. Thank you for the honor to serve you as we look forwrd to creating a better today and brighter tomorrow.