Legislature to take up environmental bills

by Anne Galloway vtdigger.org Environmental issues will preoccupy both the Vermont House and Senate this week. The House takes up H.702, the so-called ‘net metering’ bill, which would raise the cap on how much power utilities can accept from household solar electric systems. Under the current law, utilities are required to take up to 4 percent of the utility’s power based on peak demand levels from net-metering systems. The bill would raise the cap from 4 percent to 15 percent. Utilities and customers want assurance that the program does not subsidize backyard renewable energy projects at the expense of ratepayers who do not participate in the program.
The Senate is expected to bring H.526, the shoreland protection bill, to the floor.
The bill requires a state permit to develop property within 250 feet of lakes and ponds that are larger than 10 acres. The bill includes a list of exemptions for small projects, qualifying towns and urban and agricultural shorelands. The bill was unanimously approved by Senate Natural Resources and Energy on Friday.
There are two public hearings this week ‘ one on the state’s current use program, and another on changes to the involuntary medication of patients.
The current use hearing will be held on 6-8 p.m. Tuesday in Room 11 at the Statehouse. The legislation under consideration, H.329, would significantly lower the current use taxes. Landowners would pay property tax rates of between 3 percent to 10 percent of the fair market value of their land instead of 10 percent to 20 percent under current law.
The Current Use program is a tax exemption that was established in 1978 to encourage conservation of property kept in ‘current use’ as part of Vermont’s working landscape of farms and forests. More than 17,000 parcels, or 2.3 million acres, were enrolled in the program as of December 2012. The ‘price tag’ was about $54.6 million.
The Senate Health and Welfare Committee will hold a hearing 5-7 p.m. Thursday in Room 11 at the Statehouse to take testimony on controversial new rules for court-ordered involuntary treatment and medication of psychiatric patients.
Read about the bill, S.287.
Senate weighs pros and cons of involuntary treatment
Senate lawmakers wrestle with judicial review of involuntary treatment
Humorist and author Calvin Trillin comes to the Statehouse 7 p.m. Wednesday. Trillin is a longtime writer for the New Yorker. His first article in the magazine, an account of desegregation of the University of Georgia, appeared in 1963. He has published 18 books and written more than 300 articles for the New Yorker. Trillin’s presentation is part of Farmer’s Night a weekly program in the House Chamber. It is sponsored by the William Eddy Lecture Series.
The documentary ‘Vermont Experiments’ is showing 5 p.m. Tuesday night in the Pavilion Auditorium, 109 State St., Montpelier. The film tells the stories of Canadian patients and doctors who have ‘suffered under single payer.’ Vermonters for Health Care Freedom, a group that opposes Gov. Peter Shumlin’s plan to bring universal health care to Vermont, is sponsoring the premiere of the film.
The deadline for House members to introduce bills is Jan. 31. The Senate’s bills were all introduced before the legislative session started.