As Vermont’s legislature heads into its final weeks of the session with several crucial bills unresolved, let’s pause for a moment to appreciate the decade of service Rep. Peter Conlon, D-Cornwall, has given to the state and, in particular, his service as Chair of the House Education Committee these past four years — perhaps one of the toughest  tours of duty in the House. Conlon announced this week he will not seek reelection.

A former chair of the Addison Central Supervisory Union board, Conlon has served on the House Education Committee all 10 years and, as such, accumulated a wealth of information and understanding about the trials and tribulations of education funding and policy. In the past two or so years, his preferred solution was close to Gov. Scott’s call for mandatory consolidation of schools and the closing of schools too small to be cost effective. Conlon was part of the successful effort two years ago to pass Act 73, which established minimum class sizes. This session Gov. Scott proposed mandating the existing 119 school districts into five mega districts, regardless of public reaction.

The Legislature rejected that extreme position but plans to trim existing districts to under 20 were seriously considered — drawing negative reaction from all corners of the state.

Meanwhile, the legislative-appointed Education Task Force formed under Act 73 to study how to consolidate the state’s school districts released its final report saying, in essence, that the premise of saving money simply through consolidation was ill-founded. Rather, its recommendation was to establish seven CESAs (Cooperative Educational Service Areas) and adopt bottom-up voluntary school mergers, rather than consolidation mandated by the state.  The CESAs would provide the economic scale for school savings without the complete disruption that would inevitably occur by forcefully consolidating 119 school districts into five. That suggestion became one primary tenant of H.995.

Though Gov. Scott still rejects the logic behind the Task Force’s thinking — and its four-month, 176-page report — Conlon came to accept the Task Force’s conclusion that such compromise was the best path forward.

If Scott opts to hold firm and veto H.955, that will at least provide one distinctive issue in the upcoming gubernatorial race with strong opposition by whomever wins the Democratic primary. And that’s preferrable to another race based on Scott’s likeable persona, rather than astute policy. It’s long been noted that Scott is one of the most popular governors in the nation, all the while the state has dropped in almost every critical category of performance during his tenure — from educational outcomes to cost of health care, to lack of affordable housing and youth flight, Vermont’s affordability rankings has gotten much worse under Scott’s tenure. Just as an example, growth in Vermont health care premiums has outpaced the national average, with family coverage premiums increasing by 92% since 2018, compared to 12% nationally. Scott can’t be blamed for everything, but it’s also clear his leadership has not been helpful on some of the biggest issues the state faces.

 

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But let’s also recognize a key reason Conlon has decided to leave the Legislature this year: the loss of Affordable Care Act’s health care subsidies Trump and the GOP Congress passed last summer in Trump’s ‘big ugly bill.’ For Americans like Conlon and his wife Mary, who make just enough to be over the income threshold, the couple’s health insurance premiums are going up an extra $20,000 yearly. The Conlons aren’t alone: over 5 million Americans facing similar increases to their health care premiums have already dropped coverage, according to recent numbers cited by Elizabeth Cox Richardson, who also said one-third of the people in Georgia covered by ACA had already dropped their insurance policies.

It’s quite a statement when cuts to health insurance subsidies under Trump, and the GOP congress, cuts short a representative’s service to his state.

Thousands of other Vermonters are facing a similar fate. When you hear their stories, stop and take note. Those who tune out politics because they don’t think what goes on in Washington affects them are mistaken. Policies like the Republicans’ big ugly bill make a huge difference in people’s day-to-day lives. Also recall that in a democracy it’s the citizen’s role to understand the issues and speak up in protest when you disagree. Health care is one issue, climate change is another, the war in Iran and how it impacts gasoline and diesel prices, world-wide tariffs and more restrictive trade, the high cost of food, illegal ICE arrests, and a federal deficit that has skyrocketed beyond belief under Trump’s second term is another. Pay attention, be informed. It matters.