Category Archives: Regional

By Senator Alice Nitka, Windsor County,May 3, 2013 

“May Day”, which is celebrated in many parts of the world, was celebrated in Montpelier on the front lawn of the State House with demonstrations, bands, rousing speeches, placards, tents and citizens of all ages seemingly having a great time on a beautiful Spring day. There were groups advocating for all ilk of issues with banners and signs. The variety was greater than this but a sampling included: Fight the F-35 , The People’s Budget, Health Care is a Human Right, Protect Our Ridgelines, Support the Child Care Union, Health Care Workers, Anti Wind Advocates, Migrant Workers, Put People First and Support labeling of Genetically Modified Organisms in food. Many members of several different unions from around the state were present. An older woman asked if there was a May Pole, a tradition from her youth, but I didn’t see one. 

Inside the State House, House members were listening to emotional, sometimes riveting stories from their own members with regard to the Death with Dignity/Physician Assisted Suicide bill, S.77 which they were debating for the second day in a row. The previous evening their debate on the floor had lasted until 11:30 pm with multiple Roll Call votes. In the end the bill passed but it will need to be reconciled with the Senate in a Conference Committee. It’s unknown what will happen there, but whatever comes out of the Conference will need a positive vote from both the House and Senate to become law. I don’t think too many people are predicting what will happen. 

In the Senate, where members were also debating, the back windows were open for the first time since the winter and rallying music from the front lawn pulsed away and into the chamber. Our two pages, (8th graders) assigned to work in the Senate that day, I’m sure would have loved to have been out on the front lawn instead of listening to the Senate debate the Tax bill, H.528. A lot of Senators would have liked to have been out there too as we delved into estate taxes and higher education tax credits. ZZZZZZZZ. The bill passed after hours of amendments and caffeine. It will now need to be reconciled with the House following the same procedure as described previously. This bill however will definitely pass in the end. 

The so called, “Big Bill”, the budget, or “The Fiscal Year 2014 Appropriations Act” passed the Senate for the second time on May 2nd. This is the one must pass bill for the session as it contains all of the money for the support of government. Government includes Education, Public Safety, Natural Resources, the Military, Corrections, Transportation and myriad other entities. The proposed General Fund spending, (state money), passed by the Senate is $1,362,230,111. This is lower than the proposals from the Governor and the House and will next go through the Conference Committee process. General Fund spending for the Fiscal Year 2013 budget was $1,303. 

Incidentally, at the end of the day the only protestors still standing were the “Retire Vermont Yankee” folks who demonstrate every week. 

Contact me at home at 228-8432, the State House at 1-800-322-5616 or anitka@leg.state.vt.us or PO Box 136, Ludlow, VT 05149. Find schedules and bills at www.leg.state.vt.us.

By Senator Alice Nitka, Windsor County,April 26, 2013 

I happened to be sitting next to Representative David Deen in the cafeteria one day this week and asked him if he had been out fishing yet this spring. Deen, who had a fishing guide service for many, many years and serves as Chairman of the Fish Wildlife and Waters Resources Committee let me know that it has been too cold for the fish. (So much for the start of that conversation) Let’s hope the weather changes soon as many anglers are anxious to get out there. I’ve been thinking about fish and wildlife issues a lot recently as we have been working on that department’s budget as well all the other agencies’ budgets in the Appropriations Committee. Thank you for buying licenses and paying fees as that brought in to the Department of Fish and Wildlife more than six million dollars last year. I hope you’ll be able to help them again this year as they need the money. Overall, approximately 75% of the department’s budget comes from federal sources and pays for most of the staff. Hunters and anglers since 1937 have been paying for all fish and wildlife conservation in the budget. This Pittman-Robinson money comes from the excise tax on guns and ammunition but right now with a limited budget the department cannot leverage as much as it did in the past. The estimated amount for Fiscal Year 2014 is 2.8 million from Pittman-Robinson. There are limitations as to how this money can be spent. 

Dingell-Johnson federal money comes from the excise tax on camping equipment, boats, fishing tackle, motors and marine fuel sales. The expected amount for the upcoming budget is 3.4 million. The money can only be used for fish related activities. It supports fish biologists as well as helping to support the costs of the five fish hatcheries in the state. This money also requires a VT match and at this time the department is able to fulfill the match. Incidentally the hatcheries brought in 18 million dollars last year and had almost 19,000 visitors at their sites. The hatchery program stocks over 2 million fish in public waters. The hatchery trucks will soon be appearing, if they haven’t already and I know I’ll see people fishing the Black River along Route 131, cold or not. Since I seem to be stuck on water issues, we expect the department to receive 100,000 dollars from the duck stamp fund which can only be used for waterfowl restoration. Ducks are common in the Black River also. This fund’s allocation to VT is down 50,000 from two years ago. 

The F and W Department has many divisions that haven’t been mentioned here including the Game Wardens. There is good information on the departments’ web site that one might want to review, including when the hatchery trucks are in your area. 

Contact me at home at 228-8432, the State House at 1-800-322-5616 or anitka@leg.state.vt.us or PO Box 136, Ludlow, VT 05149. Find schedules and bills at www.leg.state.vt.us.