On Wednesday, I was sworn in as one of 150 State Representatives to the Vermont State House. Even before the swearing-in, all representatives-elect voted to elect a Speaker of the House. We were fortunate to have two smart, accomplished women running for Speaker—Democrat Jill Krowinski and Independent Laura Sibilia. What I thought might be a tight race ended up as a landslide victory for Krowinski. The several conversations I have had with Jill, and the meetings I have attended over which she has presided, lead me to believe she will be an effective, collaborative, and fair leader. I also look forward to working with Laura.
I have been assigned to the Transportation Committee, which was not my first choice, but one that I am excited to be a part of. Green Mountain Transit, bike lanes, electric bikes, electric cars, school bussing, sidewalks, salt use on highways. . . . I hope to work with my committee to find ways to be more efficient and more environmentally-friendly in some of these areas.
Leading up to this week, I have been a little overwhelmed with the information being shared regarding the legislature in general, and several key issues in particular.
Regarding the legislature overall, I participated in a three-day orientation for new legislators at the State House in November, led by the Snelling Center for Government. This was a useful introduction to the State House, its staff, and the day-to-day goings-on of state government. While I am surprised at the sheer number of people working for our government, I am impressed with their knowledge and their professionalism. A day-long briefing for legislators was held in December, which included an overview of state government with a focus on education and housing. A few interesting facts I learned:
Vermont has the second lowest unemployment rate in the country, behind South Dakota
Vermont has an $8.7 billion budget, 1/3 of which is provided by the federal government
16% of homes in Vermont are second homes
Vermont spends 50% of health care costs in hospitals (on average, states spend 30%)
Over the last month or so, many state agencies (Public Service, Liquor and Lottery, Transportation, etc.) held online Meet & Greets for new legislators. These meetings have been informative, yet further my recognition of the size of our state government.
I have been meeting weekly with a group of Democrats led by Emilie Kornheiser and Peter Conlon to get a head-start on education funding reform. This has been useful in terms of identifying the areas in public school expenditures that could be assessed for cost-cutting. Legislators from other parties have recently joined the conversation so we can ensure we are hearing all ideas. This group will continue meeting weekly.
Our community is up-in-arms over UVM Medical Center’s announcement to close two medical-care facilities in the Mad River Valley based on cost-cutting mandates by the Green Mountain Care Board. The proposed closings of the Mad River Valley Health Center and Back to Action Physical Therapy Practice are huge losses for our district. I have had a series of meetings—with members of the Green Mountain Care Board, UVMMC leadership, and medical professionals in our community— to get a better understanding of the complexities of Vermont’s healthcare landscape. Representative Dara Torre and I have discussed the desire to organize a community-wide discussion on health care in the coming weeks.
Thank you to those of you who have reached out to share your concerns and ideas—keep’em coming!
I have scheduled the following times to make myself available to constituents at various locations in our district. Please join me.
Monday, January 27, 7:30 AM-8:30 AM, Coffee w/ Candice, The Warren Store
Monday, February 10, noon-1 PM, Lunchtime Zoom w/ Candice (email me and I will send the invite)
Monday, February 24th, 8 AM-9 AM Ski w/ Candice at Mt. Ellen at Sugarbush
Happy 2025!
Candice
cwhite@leg.state.vt.us
