By Katy Savage, Standard Staff
There are 842 bills in the Vermont House. There are 265 bills in the Senate. There is a bill about making the state native insect the tri-colored bumblebee. There’s a bill addressing the use of composting toilets.
There are so many bills floating around in the Vermont House and Senate that sometimes, legislators say they can’t keep track of what they’re sponsoring by name.
“You can’t possibly pay attention to every single one of those bills,” said Rep. Alison Clarkson (D-Woodstock), who has her name on 78 bills in the 2015-16 session.
Some bills legislators sponsor hold no meaning to them, they say. They sponsor bills even though they don’t fully support them and know they’ll fail.
They’re just doing it to start a conversation.
“I’m sure there are things I regret having signed,” said Clarkson.
Clarkson isn’t alone. When it comes to sponsoring a bill, “a lot of it has to do with where you’re standing when someone’s passing around a bill,” Rep. John Bartholomew (D-Hartland) said.
“There are some people who are very gregarious and keep track of what everyone’s doing,” Bartholomew said. “I’m more of an introvert. Sometimes I don’t hear about stuff until it’s already introduced.”
Bartholomew, a retired veterinarian, is sponsoring or co-sponsoring 27 bills this session, including one that would require animal shelters provide large enough space for animals to turn around in.
Legislators have to scramble from January to May if they want to get their bills passed, according to Zagar. If they’re passionate, “I have to basically lobby for my own bill,” said Rep. Teo Zagar (D-Barnard) who has sponsored 76 bills in the 2015-16 session.
Out of the 58 bills Zagar sponsored in the 2013-14 session, six became law, including the highly publicized Act 120, which required labeling of genetically modified foods. Zagar was one of 50 legislators who sponsored the House version of the bill.
The more sponsors, the more likely bills will, at least, get brought up in committee. Some legislators will go across the aisle to sponsor their bills.
Rep. Job Tate (R-Mendon) tries to make his colleagues excited. He talks his bills up.
“If no one’s talking about it, it’s not going to get anywhere,” Tate said.
The first challenge, legislators say, is convincing committee chairs that their bill is important.
For example, Clarkson said she can’t get the chair of the transportation committee to consider her bill that would require drivers 75 and older to take a vision test and 80 and older complete a road test.
Of the 55 bills Clarkson sponsored in the 2013-14 session, nine became law. Her 78 sponsored or co-sponsored bills this session are second to only Rep. Corey Parent (R-St. Albans), whose name is on 79 bills.
Clarkson’s bills often come from her constituents, who she sees when she knocks on every one of their doors at election time.
“If you don’t hear from constituents, you aren’t necessarily getting requests,” Clarkson said.
She denies the assertion that more outgoing legislators sponsor more bills.
Clarkson introduced H.582 for Reading resident Sara Mornis who wants Braille on restaurant menus. Zagar introduced H. 544 for Scott Woodward, a Pomfret resident, to make it easier for patients to access medical records.
“Signing on to a bill just means you want the conversation to happen. It doesn’t mean the way it’s drafted right now, I want it to be put into law,” Clarkson said. There are differing philosophies about how to sponsor bills.
Legislators can put in bills “by request” of their constituents, something Sen. Dick McCormack (D-Windsor) generally doesn’t do.
“The words ‘by request’ are sort of the kiss of death. It’s saying even though my name’s on this bill I’m really not that enthusiastic about it,” McCormack said.
McCormack is sponsoring 14 bills.
“Occasionally you introduce a bill that you know full well is going to fail and you do it to make a point with the idea down the road…eventually we’ll get this passed,” McCormack said.
That’s what McCormack is doing with his “Right to Try” bill, S.258, which would allow Vermonters at the end of their life the use of medications not vetted by the Food and Drug Administration — a process that can take eight years, he said.
Rep. Tate was the only sponsor of a bill he introduced last year to have the legislature meet on weekends instead of during the week.
“That’s not going to go anywhere but I did want to have a conversation about how the legislature is run,” he said. “Is it as efficient as it could be?”
Tate’s vocal about the economy among his colleagues.
“People know I’m someone who’s keen on the idea of signing legislation that will improve the lives of Vermonters,” said Tate, who is sponsoring 77 bills. “I don’t sign everything that gets put in front of my face but if I like it I’ll give it a thorough read and I’ll put my name to it.”
The vote they make is more important to them than the sponsorship.
“It’s in the end when I feel my decision is most important rather than getting my name on a bunch of bills,” Bartholomew said.
This article first appeared in the February 4, 2016 edition of the Vermont Standard.