by Joan Lenes

It is census-taking time again - it rolls around every 10 years and it seems to come more quickly with each passing decade. When I was a child, I remember listening in the background when the man would come to our house and ask questions about who lived there, what we did for work, etc. I did not know then how important and necessary that information was; it plays a large part in many local decisions.

Before the 2000 census, Shelburne had four out of the 11 representatives on the Champlain Valley Union High School board. With the 2000 census, Williston had grown to be the largest community in our school district so they went from three representatives to four, and Shelburne reversed its number. Based on the populations, Hinesburg and Charlotte have two each. The total board remains at its current membership of 11 representatives.

One of the other ways we use census information is to help divide our voting districts. Each state representative is "responsible" for about 4000 voters. When major changes happen within a community, such as large new neighborhood developments, it can alter the boundary lines. In Vermont, in the biennium after the census is taken, the legislature votes on whether and where those boundary lines may change.

If you have not filled out your census form, you will be getting a visit from the people who are helping to collect this data. If you prefer, you can call and give this information over the phone. The toll-free number is (866) 872-6868.

We have been hearing about the Challenges for Change, the "new" way of running government more effectively. My committee, Institutions and Corrections, is one of the lucky ones. Over the past several years, we have been doing the preliminary work it takes to look at the whole corrections department differently. I have been letting you know about some of these approaches. Over two years ago, we worked with the Council of State Government to see how we could "bend the curve" on the Department of Corrections budget that is about $140 million today. Currently we send almost 700 offenders out of state at a cost of $17 million.

We know that recidivism can be decreased when an offender earns a high school diploma, learns some job skills, and comes out of an institution with some support. That support may be in the form of transitional housing, substance abuse treatment, anger management, and decision-making skill building. If we can slow down and minimize the number of people re-offending and returning to an incarcerated setting, we will have more beds to bring some of our out of state offenders back to Vermont. That saves real money.
This week our committee will be reporting S. 292, a bill that outlines ways that we can further this approach to realize savings while we concurrently help to improve peoples' lives, decrease recidivism, and keep our communities safer. To be the most accurate, I will give you a full report in a later article that will include any changes and amendments that may occur before final vote.

Please stop by the Open Arms Café on Tuesday mornings 7:30-8:30 a.m. in April and join Representative Kate Webb and me. We will also be at the Village Wine and Coffee Shop on Monday, April 26 from 4:30-5:30 p.m. There is always good conversation and sharing of ideas and information. You can reach me at 985-8515 or by email at jglenes@aol.com or through the Sergeant At Arms 1-800-322-5616.