2007
MAY 25, BROWNS RIVER MIDDLE SCHOOL, JERICHO: GOVERNOR JIM DOUGLAS SIGNS S.13 INTO LAW; NOW KNOWN AS ACT 48
In a signing ceremony at Browns River Middle School in Jericho, whose student testimony in support of school bus idling legislation was so instrumental, Governor Jim Douglas signed S.13 into law. The law is now officially called ACT 48--An Act Relating to the Idling of Motor Vehicle Engines on School Property. Here's a report excerpted from the Burlington Free Press.
MAY 8, STATEHOUSE: S.13--SENATE ADOPTS COMMITTEE OF CONFERENCE REPORT
The Senate followed suit with the House and adopted the Conference of Committee report. S.13 has been sent to Governor Douglas for his signature.
MAY 7, STATEHOUSE: S.13--HOUSE ADOPTS COMMITTEE OF CONFERENCE REPORT
The House adopts the Committee of Conference report, sending S.13 back to the Senate for final adoption before going on to the Governor.
MAY 4, STATEHOUSE: S.13--PASSES COMMITTEE OF CONFERENCE
S.13 passed on a unanimous vote in the Committee of Conference.
MAY 1, STATEHOUSE: S.13--SCHEDULED FOR COMMITTEE OF CONFERENCE
S.13, back in the Senate, was debated in its House amended form and it was decided to schedule a Committee of Conference to determine acceptance, reamending or rejection of the amended portion of the bill. The three Senate members appointed to the Committee of Conference are Robert Starr, Essex-Orleans, William Doyle, Washington and Harold Giard, Addison. The three House members appointed are Carol Hosford, Waitsfield, Peter Peltz, Woodbury, and Jim McCullough, Williston. It is likely that the Committee of Conference will take place this week.
APRIL 20, STATEHOUSE: S.13--THIRD READING, DEBATE AND VOTE IN FULL HOUSE--PASSES INTACT
S.13 had a thrrd and final reading. A proposal by Rep. Sunderland of Rutland Town to weaken the bill language (effective date) was easily defeated, 92-39 (with 18 absent). S.13 passed in the House as amended in House Education. Details on the April 20 Journal of the House page (scroll down to S.13). S.13 goes back to Senate.
APRIL 19, STATEHOUSE: S.13--TWO READINGS, DEBATE AND VOTE IN FULL HOUSE
S.13 as amended went through two readings and debate in a full House session. It was then voted in favor, 96-46, with a third reading scheduled for April 20. Details on the April 19 Journal of the House page (scroll down to S.13).
APRIL 13, STATEHOUSE: S.13 AMENDED IN HOUSE EDUCATION, SENT TO FULL HOUSE
Rep. Carol Hosford amended the bill language to make S.13 a stronger bill for House Ed's. consideration. They voted 9-1 (with 1 absent) to send the amended version (actually a rewrite) to the full House for "readings" and debate. This is hopeful news. Debate is scheduled to take place on the House floor April 19 and April 20. Here is the amended language:
S. 13
An act relating to idling motor vehicle engines on school property.
Rep. Hosford of Waitsfield, for the Committee on Education, recommends that the House propose to the Senate that the bill be amended by striking all after the enacting clause and inserting in lieu thereof the following:
Sec. 1. 23 V.S.A. § 1282(f) is added to read:
(f) Subject to department of education rules, which may provide for limited idling in cold or otherwise inclement weather or to ensure the safety of students, the operator of a school bus shall not idle the engine while waiting for children to board or to exit the vehicle at a school and shall not start the engine until ready to leave the school premises. The department, in consultation with the agency of natural resources, the department of health, and the department of motor vehicles, shall adopt rules to implement this subsection.
Sec. 2. SCHOOL BOARDS; VEHICULAR IDLING
Nothing in this act or in department of education rules shall prevent a school board from adopting idling policies for motor vehicles other than school buses when present on school premises.
Sec. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE
This act shall take effect on passage. The rules required by this act shall take effect beginning in the 2007–2008 academic year.
(Committee vote: 9-1-1)
APRIL 12, STATEHOUSE: HEARING FOR S.13 IN HOUSE EDUCATION
FEBRUARY 21, STATEHOUSE: S.13 ASSIGNED TO HOUSE EDUCATION
FEBRUARY 16, STATEHOUSE: S.13 SCHOOL BUS IDLING PASSES IN SENATE
The Vermont Senate amended (in somewhat weakened form) and then, on a vote of 25-4, passed S.13. Here are details in the Feb. 16 Journal of the Senate. This was in the wake of favorable testimony for school bus idling bills in House and Senate committee hearings the previous week. Here's an inside view of the politics behind the passage of S.13 from Burlington Free Press political blog by reporter Terri Hallenbeck.
FEBRUARY 9, STATEHOUSE: HEARING FOR S.13
The Senate Education comm. held a hearing for S.13 school bus idling bill. As with the H.58 hearing, there was plenty of testimony in favor of this bill. Claire Ayer, bill sponsor was not able to attend. Sen. Harold Giard was present and delivered the Idle-Free VT campaign petitions on behalf of coordinator Wayne Michaud who could not attend. Also testifying were Dr. Anne Dixon, a Fletcher Allen Health Care physician, Robert C. Uerz, contract lobbyist for the American Lung Assoc. of Vermont, Donald R. Swartz, M.D, Acting Commissioner of the Vermont Dept. of Health, Tom Moye from the Air Pollution Control Div. of VANR, and David Polow, idling activist and Idle-Free VT Lamoille County coordinator. Jim Flint, idling activist from Burlington and an Idle-Free VT advisor, was not able to attend but submitted testimony. Ed Miller, lobbyist for the Vermont Truck and Bus Assoc., spoke in opposition. Comments ranged from (in favor) the health consequences of exposure to diesel emissions, low compliance (10%) in the Vermont Dept. of Health's Envision Program (with a voluntary school bus idle-reduction provision), waste of fuel and engine wear-and-tear, amending bill text to include idling off school property as well (field trips, athletic events), to (opponents) willingness to consider implementing district policies without a law, issues with warmth of bus interior and fogging of window and comfort of passengers.
FEBRUARY 8, STATEHOUSE: HEARING FOR H.58
The House Natural Resources and Energy comm. held a hearing for H.58: school bus idling bill. There was an impressive lineup of people testifying for the bill. This included bill sponsor Rep. Carol Hosford (who presented the Idle-Free VT campaign petitions on behalf of coordinator Wayne Michaud who could not attend), Dr. Anne Dixon, a Fletcher Allen Health Care physician, Tom Moye from the Air Pollution Control Div. of VANR, Bob Magee, Chittenden East Supervisory Union transportation supervisor, Jim Flint, idling activist from Burlington and an Idle-Free VT advisor, and David Polow, idling activist and Idle-Free VT Lamoille County coordinator. But the highlight of the hearing was the testimony of seven students from the Browns River Middle School of Jericho. They impressed the legislators, the news media and even the opposition (Ed Miller, lobbyist for the Vermont Truck and Bus Assoc.) with their passionate and fact-filled testimony (for example, if all of Vermont's 1,800 school buses idled every school day for five minutes--a reasonable figure, that equals 13,500 gallons of diesel fuel needlessly used annually). For more complete coverage of the hearing, read this Burlington Free Press report.
JANUARY 31: DISCUSSION WITH SGT. MIKE ROY OF THE VERMONT STATE POLICE
Sgt. Mike Roy of the Vermont State Police contacted Idle-Free VT coordinator Wayne Michaud to discuss H.0143, the recently introduced all motor vehicles idling bill. Sgt. Roy called to gather facts about the bill to determine whether the Vermont State Police would consider backing the bill. It was a good, open discussion, including some technical questions about idling and ability to enforce an idling law. We both agreed that an educational campaign, such as the "Click It or Ticket" safety belt awareness campaign, is most effective when it has a law behind it.
JANUARY 30, STATEHOUSE: MEETING WITH REP. DAVID SHARPE
Robert Uerz, American Lung Assoc. of Vermont contract lobbyist, Matthew Levin, environmental lobbyist for Vermonters for a Clean Environment and Wayne Michaud met with Addison Rep. Dave Sharpe to talk about his introduction of Vermont's first ever all motor vehicle idling bill: H.0143. The discussion centered around the strategies for the best way of advancing an idling bill to passage.
JANUARY 30, STATEHOUSE: BRIEF HEARING FOR H.58 & H.69
Robert Dostis, the chair of the House Natural Resources & Energy Committee, called for a brief hearing for H.58, school bus and H.69, motor vehicles over 10,000 pounds. Rep. Carol Hosford, sponsor of these bills, discussed the text of the bills and idling in general. There were a few questions by committee members and the meeting ended. American Lung Assoc. of VT contract lobbyist Robert Uerz, Vermontors for a Cleaner Environment lobbyist Matthew Levin and Wayne Michaud attended the hearing but there was no testimony called for.
2006
DECEMBER 19: MEETING WITH SENS. CLAIRE AYER & HAROLD GIARD: BRISTOL, ADDISON COUNTY
DECEMBER 19: MEETING WITH REP. CAROL HOSFORD: WAITSFIELD, WASHINGTON COUNTY
Robert Uerz, American Lung Assoc. of Vermont contract lobbyist, and Wayne Michaud, Idle-Free VT coordinator first met with Addison county Senators Claire Ayer and Harold Giard in Bristol and then with Washington county Representative Carol Hosford in Waitsfield. Sen. Ayer, who has been elected Senate Assistant Majority Leader for 2007, is the Senate sponsor of two idle-restriction bills, a school bus bill and a bus and truck diesel bill, being submitted in 2007. Rep. Hosford is the House sponsor of two companion bills. There was no significant discussion of an all motor vehicle idling bill (not proposed). These meetings were intended to be information gathering sessions rather than lobbying efforts. They were informative and went well.
Enforcement: The matter of enforcement of a bus and truck idling law was discussed, both from the standpoint of who would pay a fine--the driver or the company, and in the course of having a law, what the emphasis should be, the "carrot or the stick", and therefore the structuring of the fining mechanism (a first offense warning or fine for instance). Sen. Ayer and Rep. Hosford, while fully believing in the educational value of an idling law, felt enforcement was an important tool in its effectiveness, although Rep. Hosford would consider a first offense warning. Sen. Giard (who, being from Bridport--right across the lake from International Paper--was a strong proponent of stopping the IP tire burn) stressed that enforcement should be a last resort and emphasized inviting the "opposition"--school bus drivers/bus companies, trucking representatives--into the discussion of a bill.
Idling issues of importance: The legislators generally agreed that two most important idling issues are health: air quality, and environment: global warming/climate change.
Opposition lobbyist: It was agreed that it would be constructive for Robert Uerz to engage a key opposition lobbyist, Ed Miller, who apparently has testified against idling bills in the past.
Brian Dubie: The legislators agreed with Robert Uerz of the importance of engaging Lieutenant Governor Brian Dubie who has a strong agenda in children's well-being.
Diesel warm-up requirements: Idle-Free VT provided the legislators information from the EPA Clean School Bus USA website which lists three school bus engine manufacturers stating that for the sake of engine wear-and-tear, school buses should not idle more than five minutes. The question of heavy-duty diesel and the need to idle/warm up in colder termperatures came up. Idle-Free VT has been attempting to get any temperature parameter/warm-up time information.
Rhode Island diesel law: Idle-Free VT is attempting to find out details of the Rhode Island diesel law, passed in 2006. The sponsor of that law, State Rep. Raymond Sullivan has been contacted. UPDATE: Here's the law as enacted. Idle bill sponsors have been provided this information.
Key legislators to influence: Sens. Ayer and Giard felt that two key legislators to influence are Sen. Philip Scott (R-Wash; Transportation), and Sen. Robert Starr (D-Essex/Orleans; Agriculture). Rep. Hosford felt that a key legislator to influence is Rep. Robert Dostis (D-Wash; Natural Resources and Energy). And also the Chairs and Vice-Chairs of the respective Senate and House committees to which the idling bills are assigned.
