LAWMAKERS FACING CONTENTIOUS ISSUES

MONTPELIER - Lawmakers on Friday gave themselves a raise, crafted a
compromise farm bill and all but finished negotiations on next year's
budget.

But a slew of issues, big and small, are destined to keep them under
the golden dome for much of next week.

Legislative leaders and Douglas administration officials predicted
that most of the contentious issues left on their plates will either
be settled early in the week or scuttled all together.

These include medical marijuana, workers' compensation reform and a
measure designed to reduce the cost of prescription drugs.

The heads of both Appropriations Committees said Friday they were
close to wrapping up discussions on next year's $955 million general
fund budget, with Rep. Richard Westman, R-Cambridge, predicting a
formal agreement by Tuesday or Wednesday.

Either way, lawmakers found time for some serious debate - on whether
general stores should be allowed to have picnic tables.

It is against state regulations for establishments to provide seating
for patrons without sufficient bathroom facilities, and some state
inspectors have asked stores to remove the tables.

So as the fate of the state's transportation bill, capital
construction bill and a host of other more pressing matters remained
in doubt Friday, members of the House debated an amendment to a
wastewater bill that would let general stores have up to three picnic
tables regardless of the presence of sanitary facilities.

After much discussion on the fairness of giving general stores a
break, members voted 117-12 to let them have their tables.

Lawmakers also reached a compromise on what was once one of the most
politically volatile issues of the session, the expansion of the
state's right to farm law.

After a months-long debate in the House Agriculture Committee, the
full House passed a bill that would have expanded the 25-year-old law
and would have created statewide water quality standards for large-
and medium-sized farms.

When it reached the Senate, lobbyists for small farmers and
anti-genetic engineering interests were able to convince senators to
scale back the water quality permitting processes in the House bill.

Late Thursday, House and Senate negotiators agreed to leave the
current large farm permitting process alone, meaning that any
operation with 700 or more cows must obtain a permit from the state
Agency of Agriculture, much as they do now.

At the request of the Douglas administration, negotiators set up a
general permit regime for medium-sized farms, those with 200 to 699
cows. The conditions for those general permits will be drafted by the
Agency of Agriculture, subject to public hearings; however, individual
farms will not have to undergo separate permitting processes.

Those conditions were applauded by Agriculture Secretary Steve Kerr on
Friday, who said the bill - which will be on its way to Gov. James
Douglas by midweek - "protects our farmers' profitability without
ignoring water quality."

Some environmentalists decried the new compromise, saying it leaves
farm neighbors out of the process and is not stringent enough to meet
looming federal water quality standards.

In other action Friday:

Legislative pay

Lawmakers will get their first raise in almost a decade beginning next
year.

House and Senate negotiators settled a two-year squabble and agreed to
give themselves a $53 weekly raise beginning in January. The pay
boost, which must still be ratified by the full House and Senate, is a
one-time jump and will not automatically increase each legislative
biennium as some lawmakers had hoped.

The deal will increase lawmakers' weekly pay from $536 to $589, which
is the average Vermont salary. The increase will cost taxpayers about
$165,000 annually.

Negotiators also agreed to alter their benefits package. All lawmakers
beginning next year will receive $35 a day for meals - a $3 increase
for commuters but a $2 reduction for those who stay overnight in Montpelier.

Overnighters, however, will see their lodging reimbursement rise from
$50 to $62 per night.

The figures were based on what the federal government pays its workers
when they must travel to Montpelier on business.

Sex offender registry

Negotiators have yet to seriously start working out the differences
between vastly different House and Senate plans to establish Vermont's
first Internet sex offender registry.

The two sides did not meet Friday, but they are scheduled to meet
again Tuesday.

Senators want the names and photographs of those who commit any one of
four different sex crimes automatically listed on the Internet. They
also want all two-time sex offenders and those who refuse to complete
rehabilitation programs listed as well.

House members only want two sex crimes - aggravated sexual assault and
kidnapping and sexual assault of a child - to qualify for Internet
posting. All others would be left up to the Department of Corrections,
which would have to seek a judge's permission if the sex offender objects.

"The two versions are so divergent it may be hard to settle," said
Sen. Richard Sears, D-Bennington. "I did not realize how far apart we
were until we started to go though the bill piece by piece. This could
become a casualty of adjournment."

Prescription drugs

Also in limbo is a bill that would reduce drug costs for low-income
families without insurance, force insurance companies to pay for
prescription drugs imported from Canada, and allow the state to expand
methadone treatment clinics for heroin addicts.

The Senate passed these measures long ago, but the House Appropriation
Committee on Thursday refused to advance the issue to the House floor.
Negotiators are trying to work out a compromise, but are having little
success.

The bill would allow a family of four with a household income of
$63,000 to buy drugs at the price paid by Medicaid, which is about
half the normal price. Currently, the income limit is $56,000.

The bill would also allow the Health Department to establish methadone
clinics, either mobile or stationary, around the state. Currently,
Vermont has just one clinic associated with Fletcher Allen Health Care
in Burlington.

Lawmakers continue to talk, but no one is convinced an agreement can
be reached in time for adjournment.

"We may run out of time," said Sen. John Bloomer, R-Rutland.

Medical marijuana

The House gave final approval to its version of a medical marijuana
bill, but time is not on its side.

The bill, which differs from one passed by the Senate, needs to make
it over to that chamber and into a conference committee - all before
lawmakers go home.

It is a bill that Douglas has indicated he doesn't want to sign
despite widespread legislative support.