Congrats to ace reporter Nancy Remsen of the Freeploid, for “breaking” a story only three days after GMD broke if first.
Did a health care bill really die Friday when the House Health Care Committee neither its supporters nor its opponents mustered a majority?
Nope. It’s way too early in this legislative session to declare any bill dead…
Good one, Ms. Remsen. Me, last Friday:
…the truth is, nothing is dead. Any member of the committee can seek reconsideration of the bill on Tuesday. Dr. Till’s vote would break the tie and move the bill onward.
[and] Even if the Health Care Committee fails to pass the soda tax, the health care bill goes to the House Ways and Means Committee…
So yeah, committee chair Mike Fisher’s lament that “everything’s dead”? Either he’s criminally ignorant of parliamentary procedure, or he was deliberately exaggerating. And the media, at least for a few days, bought it.
But apparently Fisher hasn’t recovered from his snit, because as of today, the Health Care Committee had no meetings scheduled for this week. And when asked if his committee would reconsider the bill, as it has every right to do, Fisher left it at “I don’t know.”
Sheesh.
For those just joining us, the committee deadlocked on the health care bill after Democrat George Till was called away. In Till’s absence, Fisher knew (or should have known) he faced a tie vote. But since, for reasons unknown, he chose to proceed with the vote, reconsideration of a bill is standard practice. And if he called a new vote tomorrow and Till was present, Fisher would win 6-5.
I’m glad to see at least one reporter has caught up with reality.
p.s. I’m also glad that Remsen was able to get an important fact on the record — one I was only able to get through “sources.” Which is that Chris Pearson and Paul Poirier, who voted “no” on Friday, would have voted “yes” if only one minor change were made to the bill. It would have cost $800,000, which is pocket change in terms of the overall bill. But the Democratic majority didn’t give them what they wanted, and last Friday’s (temporary) setback was the inevitable result.
Yep. The joys of being a dirty blogger (especially at GMD). Enjoy…
the power of GMD. Those who are searching online are able to find a trove of truth they will not soon forget.
A news junkie from my teens I was pretty well versed in msm-speak & issues. When I got involved with the Entergy, Vermont Yankee debacle following a visit or two from a VPIRG volunteer on a bike late summer 2009 just before the radioactive nuclear waste leak(s) I experienced an awakening. As I tried to get a handle on what was going on, nearly every search I did pulled up a GMD story, some of them quite old. I remember thinking what is this, who are they. Then I started reading the diaries & following the discussions. What an eyeopener as to the state of our state. Soo in the dark. Involved with online news discussions and also a Newsvine member so didn’t follow local & state news beyond newspapers VPR & of course “WGOP”.
The “Reality-Based Commentary”, as inocuous as it sounds is an understatement & no joke. Anyone who wants to know what’s really happening can receive quite an education plus plenty of laughs-yall really know how to have fun with this- and of course the barbed wit, biting sarcasm & snark snark snark – powerful tools which is why they raise the hackles of the opposition which is actually a compliment to the writers.
Seemingly hidden in plain sight in our tiny postage-stamp sized acre of VT GMD is a collective beacon of truth that rocks the house.