Legislative Notes

(May 2002)

By State Representative Ed Paquin

Welcome back Fletcher Newsletter and thanks to the volunteers that make it possible! As I write, on April 15th, tax day, I realize that much has occurred in the last few weeks at the Statehouse but that there is lot more to be done before the session adjourns. The outcome of redistricting is still undetermined, and it looks like Fletcher will either become part of a single member district with Cambridge or a two member district with Fairfield and St. Albans Town. Fletcher and Fairfax have been a good match, but both have grown so much that keeping the present arrangement is not going to be possible. There is the chance that if the Legislature fails to come up with a timely plan, there could be one more election cycle using present districts.

Education is always a key issue and it appears that the money will be found to increase the general fund block grant to the Education Fund at the statutory rate. There is a major push in the House to enact a K-12 school choice bill that could greatly affect small towns like ours. The bill would allow parents to enroll their child in any Vermont public school and that school would essentially receive 90% of the state block grant for that child. The school the child leaves would lose this amount of support. Transportation costs would fall to the parents involved and any cost impacts on either school would have to be born by the local taxpayers in their above-block spending. I have misgivings with this plan. Resources could be short for schools like Fairfax and Fletcher to compete for students and will choices be made based on academics or on transportation convenience, social considerations and sports opportunities? I think that we should see what can be done with the present, more conservative school choice experiment before putting the schools through another major change. There are many other issues still to be resolved, from on-site septic regulation to pharmacy programs, to Medicaid stability, to the budget, so please contact me with your questions and concerns during the week at the Statehouse at 1-800-322-5616 or at home on the week-end at 849-6535. Thank you.