Unemployment Trust Fund Reform Study

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Thursday, July 23, 2009

Meeting Details

Hearing Type

Standard

CDs

09-1, 2, 3

Meeting Record

1:00 p.m.

Organization, Election of Chair, Vice Chair

• Maria Royle, Legislative Counsel
  

1:15 p.m.

Review Enabling Legislation, Act 2 (2009 Special Session), H.442, Section 3

• Maria Royle, Legislative Counsel
  

1:30 p.m.

Unemployment Compensation: Who it Covers and How it Works

• Tom Douse, Deputy Commissioner, Department of Labor
  
• Pat Moulton Powden, Commissioner, Department of Labor
  
• Valerie Rickert, Director, Unemployment Insurance and Wages, Department of Labor
  

2:30 p.m.

Unemployment Compensation: Historical Context with Emphasis on Solvency; Future Projections

• Tom Douse, Deputy Commissioner, Department of Labor
  
• Pat Moulton Powden, Commissioner, Department of Labor
  
• Valerie Rickert, Director, Unemployment Insurance and Wages, Department of Labor
  

3:00 p.m.

Unemployment Compensation: Factors Influencing Solvency of Trust Fund

• Tom Douse, Deputy Commissioner, Department of Labor
  
• Pat Moulton Powden, Commissioner, Department of Labor
  
• Valerie Rickert, Director, Department of Labor
  

3:30 p.m.

Future Meeting Planning

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Thursday, August 13, 2009

Meeting Details

Hearing Type

Standard

CDs

09-4, 5, 6

Meeting Record

9:35 AM

Florida's Unemployment Trust Fund

• Monica Jackson, Unemployment Hearing Officer, Agency for Workforce Innovation
  

9:55 AM

Unemployment Trust Fund - Overview of Purposes of Program

• Mark Perrault, Fiscal Analyst, Joint Fiscal Office
  
• Maria Royle, Legislative Counsel
  

10:15 a.m.

Unemployment Trust Fund - Presentation and Discussion of Variables

• Tom Douse, Deputy Commissioner, Department of Labor
  
• Pat Moulton Powden, Commissioner, Department of Labor
  
• Valerie Rickert, Director, Unemployment Insurance and Wages, Department of Labor
  

10:40 a.m.

Follow up Information from 7/23/09 Meeting

• Tom Douse, Deputy Commissioner, Department of Labor
  
• Pat Moulton Powden, Commissioner, Department of Labor
  

11:50 AM

Joint Fiscal Office Resources

• Stephen Klein, Chief Legislative Fiscal Officer, Joint Fiscal Office
  

11:55 a.m.

Draft Questions for Interested Party Testimony during Future Meetings - Discuss and Finalize

• Pat Moulton Powden, Commissioner, Department of Labor
  

12:15 p.m.

Future Meeting Planning

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Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Meeting Details

Hearing Type

Standard

Comments

Senate Chamber

CDs

09-7, 8, 9, 10

Meeting Record

9:30 a.m.

Financial History and Options

• Mark Perrault, Fiscal Analyst, Joint Fiscal Office
  

11:30 a.m.

Lunch

12:30 p.m.

Interested Parties Response to Committee's Questions and Other Testimony

• Vicki Axtell, Human Resources Director, Trapp Family Lodge
  
• Bob Bouchard, Vermont Retail Association, Board Vice President, Bouchard-Pierce Appliances
  
• Tom Carieri, Co-Owner, Laney's Restaurant, Manchester
  
• Andrea Cohen, Public Policy Manager, Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility
  
• Christopher Curtis, Attorney, Vermont Legal Aid
  
• William Driscoll, Vice President, Associated Industries of Vermont
  
• Jim Harrison, President, Vermont Grocers' Association
  
• Bonnie Hawley, Vermont Retail Association, Board President, Hawley's Florist, Rutland
  
• Gail Horne, Keelers Bay Variety, South Hero
  
• Tom Mehuron, Mehuron's Market, Waitsfield
  
• David Mount, CEO, Mount Family Group Ltd.
  
• Jim Pratt, Senior Vice President of Operations, Cabot Creamery
  
• Thomas Salmon, State Auditor
  
• Michael Sirotkin, Lobbyist, Vermont Building & Construction Trades Council
  
• Tasha Wallis, Executive Director, Vermont Retail Association, Inc
  

3:30 p.m.

Future Meeting Planning

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Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Meeting Details

Hearing Type

Standard

Comments

Room 11

CDs

09-11, 12, 13, 14, 15

Meeting Record

9:30 a.m.

Subcommittee Proposals

• Andy Condon, Chief, Economic and Labor Market Information, Department of Labor
  
• Mark Perrault, Fiscal Analyst, Joint Fiscal Office
  
• Pat Moulton Powden, Commissioner, Department of Labor
  

10:00 a.m.

National Landscape: State Options

• Richard McHugh, Midwest Coordinator/Staff Attorney, National Employment Law Project
  

11:00 a.m.

Subcommittee Proposals

Continued discussion

• Mark Perrault, Fiscal Analyst, Joint Fiscal Office
  

12:00 p.m.

Lunch

1:10 p.m.

Follow-up Information from 9/22/09 Meeting

• Tom Douse, Deputy Commissioner, Department of Labor
  
• Pat Moulton Powden, Commissioner, Department of Labor
  
• Valerie Rickert, Director, Unemployment Insurance and Wages, Department of Labor
  

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Options for Unemployment Trust Fund Reform

Committee Discussion

3:30 p.m.

Future Meeting Planning

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Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Meeting Details

Hearing Type

Standard

CDs

09-16, 16, 18, 19, 20

Meeting Record

9:30 a.m.

Unemployment Insurance Fund Solvency

• Douglas J. Holmes, President, National Foundation for Unemployment Compensation and Workers Compensation
  

10:30 a.m.

Associated General Contractors

• Ernest Smalley, AGC Past President, Smalley Construction
  
• Cathy Voyer, Director, Associated General Contractors
  
• Don Wells, AGC President, DEW Corporation
  

11:30 a.m.

Department of Labor

Unemployment Insurance Proposal

• Tom Douse, Deputy Commissioner, Department of Labor
  
• Pat Moulton Powden, Commissioner, Department of Labor
  

12:30 p.m.

Lunch

1:30 p.m.

Department of Labor

Unemployment Insurance Proposal - continued review

• Pat Moulton Powden, Commissioner, Department of Labor
  
• Valerie Rickert, Director, Unemployment Insurance and Wages, Department of Labor
  

2:15 p.m.

Unemployment Insurance Fund Options

• Mark Perrault, Fiscal Analyst, Joint Fiscal Office
  

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Committee Discussion

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Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Meeting Details

Hearing Type

Public Hearing

CDs

09-23, 24

Meeting Record

4:00 p.m.

Public Hearing

4:00 - 6:00 p.m. Registration is necessary; email or telephone with your name, town, and affiliation if representing anyone other than yourself: rlevin@leg.state.vt.us, or telephone 802-828-2253. Please note witnesses are listed in the order they contacted us. Thank you.

• Ed Bonoyer, Fifth-year Electrical Apprentice, Braintree, VT
  
• Bryan Bouchard, Local 1496, Carpenters
  
• David P. Duell, South Burlington
  
• Stephen Edwards, Electrician, Williston, VT
  
• Michael Morelli, Local 7, Ironworkers
  
• Jeff Potvin, Local 693, Plumbers and Pipefitters
  
• Rep. Jeff Young, St Albans City
  

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• Abbot B. Abbott, II, Vermont Courier, Inc.
  
• Peter Anthony, Barre City
  
• Bill Bauer, Summit Lodge, Killington
  
• Tim Brockmyer, Colchester
  
• Daniel Brush, GCIU Local #1, on behalf of Local 597, Teamster's Union
  
• Walter Carpenter, Vermont Workers' Center
  
• Conor Casey, Vermont State Employee Association
  
• Ronald Christie, Vice President, Local #4, USW Amalgamated
  
• Christopher Curtis, Attorney, Vermont Legal Aid
  
• James Fannon, Vermont National Education Association
  
• Bob Martelle, Laborers International Union
  
• Frederick L. McGrath, Jr., President, Local #4, USW Amalgamated
  
• Gilles Moreau, M & M Beverage
  
• Will Patten, Executive Director, Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility
  
• Matt Peake, Granite Cutter's Association
  
• Colin M. Robinson, Director, Public Policy and Advocacy, Peace & Justice Center
  
• Thomas Salmon, State Auditor, Vermont State Auditor's Office
  
• Tony Severy, Ironworker
  
• Richard Sheir, Hoover and Johnson
  
• Paul Trahan, PayData Payroll Services Inc
  

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Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Meeting Details

Hearing Type

Standard

Comments

1:00 - 3:45 p.m. Committee Meeting; 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. Public Hearing

CDs

09-21, 22

Meeting Record

1:00 p.m.

Committee Meeting

1:00 - 3:45 p.m., Room 10, State House

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Department of Labor

Information requests from previous Committee meeting

• Tom Douse, Deputy Commissioner, Department of Labor
  
• Mark Perrault, Fiscal Analyst, Joint Fiscal Office
  
• Pat Moulton Powden, Commissioner, Department of Labor
  
• Maria Royle, Legislative Counsel
  

4:00 p.m.

Public Hearing

4:00 - 6:00 p.m., Room 11, State House; registration is necessary; email or telephone with your name, town, and affiliation if representing anyone other than yourself: rlevin@leg.state.vt.us, or telephone 802-828-2253. Thank you.

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Thursday, November 5, 2009

Meeting Details

Hearing Type

Standard

CDs

09-25, 26

Meeting Record

9:30 a.m.

Committee Discussion

Public hearing debrief; discussion of possible options

• Andy Condon, Chief, Economic and Labor Market Information, Department of Labor
  
• Tom Douse, Deputy Commissioner, Department of Labor
  
• Mark Perrault, Fiscal Analyst, Joint Fiscal Office
  
• Pat Moulton Powden, Commissioner, Department of Labor
  
• Maria Royle, Legislative Counsel
  

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Thursday, December 3, 2009

Meeting Details

Hearing Type

Standard

CDs

09-27, 28, 29, 30

Meeting Record

9:30 a.m.

Draft Report Review

• Andy Condon, Chief, Economic and Labor Market Information, Department of Labor
  
• Mark Perrault, Fiscal Analyst, Joint Fiscal Office
  
• Pat Moulton Powden, Commissioner, Department of Labor
  
• Valerie Rickert, Director, Unemployment Insurance and Wages, Department of Labor
  
• Maria Royle, Legislative Counsel
  

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