by Rep. Ashley Bartley
In the infancy of the legislative session, I joined a tri-partisan coalition of legislators during a press conference hosted by Governor Scott to announce an all-encompassing housing reform bill. Speakers from all political parties spoke, highlighting why they supported reform efforts and a desire to provide a solution to our Housing Crisis. This tri-partisan housing bill came to be numbered H.719.
At the same time, legislation coined the “BE Home” bill was being drafted in the Senate Economic Development, Housing & General Affairs Committee, later numbered S.311. The proposed companion bills would enable both bodies the ability to work on similar bills concurrently. Housing reform, collaborative housing reform, was on the way for desperate Vermonters.
The momentum and excitement I heard from constituents, agencies, housing activists, about the bill came with a harsh reality: the Super Majority Leadership would send the legislation to the House Committee on Environment and Energy Committee where any ACT 250 jurisdictional reform has historically died. H.719 has sat ‘on the wall’ in that committee since January 10th.
Hope was then put squarely on the shoulders of S.311, the “BE Home” bill. While the bill didn’t contain all elements proposed in H.719, I was reassured to see the collaborative efforts made in drafting the legislation. Progress was made and I was excited to see it pass the Senate Economic Development, Housing & General Affairs Committee with unanimous support on February 13th, more than a month before crossover.
After passing just over two weeks ago, the bill was sent to the Senate Natural Resources and Environment Committee, giving the committee over a month’s time to work through the bill. But now, two weeks later, I have been told the bill will not meet the predetermined deadline of crossover. Instead of taking up S.311, a critical housing bill, the committee has instead chosen to focus on trivial bills, refusing to hear any testimony on the “BE Home” bill. How is that possible with so much time dedicated to this bill in the original committee? Process. Apparently, it wasn’t sent out of the Senate Economic Development, Housing & General Affairs Committee “fast enough”.
What has the Senate Natural Resources and Environment Committee chosen to spend its time on instead of the housing bill? Last week, it was S.258 that dominated their agenda. It’s a bill that dilutes the Governor’s authority over Boards and Commissions pursuing a change to a 14-member Fish and Wildlife Board appointed by the Governor and instead vastly appointed House and Senate leadership; spelling danger for Vermont’s deep-rooted tradition in fishing, hunting, and trapping.
This week, S. 254, “an act relating to including rechargeable batteries and battery-containing products under the State battery stewardship program” took up a majority of their time.
I’ve been a broken record for the last two years, I even spoke on it on the House floor this week; process matters. We cannot afford to grandstand or be semi-serious in our efforts for Housing reform. We must act now. Act 250 reform has been called on for over 30 years by Vermonters, and the House Majority leadership has failed to and continues to fail to act in earnest – placing more stock in political gamesmanship than implementing solutions.
Now, they are aiming to tack S.311 onto H.687, after it presumably passes through the House. H.687 is a disaster of a bill that will only strengthen and expand Act 250’s jurisdiction throughout 90% of the state; with more hurdles to solving our housing crisis. H.687 has been firmly opposed by housing advocates, municipalities, and homebuilders.
Vermonters don’t care from where or whom solutions come, they just care that there is a solution. They also deserve to know why there isn’t a solution.
I’m at the table. Many of my colleagues, from all parties, are at the table. When will House and Senate Leadership join us? When will committee chairs be given direction to work on the proposed meaningful, tri-partisan legislation rather than left to their own, personal agendas?
Vermont: Many of us are trying to work for you.
Rep. Ashley Bartley was elected in 2022 and serves the towns of Fairfax and Georgia. She is a member of the House Committee on General & Housing.
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Categories: Housing, Legislation
repeal act 250/// state control of private property///
Act 250 protects Vermont when progress and growth fail to address pollution. It was enacted so many years ago, because we Vermonters did not want suburban sprawl replacing our great mountains and valleys, and we did not want the pollution that often comes with modern industry. Vermonters do understand the need to produce more housing, and housing reform. However, left out of the conversation is the infrastructure to support it. We hear how downtown Burlington is building more and more housing, yet there is no discussion about improving the water treatment plant, which currently continues to fail and pollute Lake Champlain. This is happening in every community in Vermont. More building vs. failing infrastructure. Until BOTH issues are under discussion, in the same room, it is possible Vermont will remain as it is – in a stalemate.
stalemate/// websters dictionary/// deadlock/// first of all you do not control the mountains and valleys/// suburban sprawl is none of your business/// now its looks like promoting agenda 2030/// i choose not to live in goat herder housing and support bond holders with the use of my tax money/// i will choose where i want to live in the mountains and valleys/// i am a strong member of the property rights agenda///
I am very skeptical about the claims that we need “more housing” provided by state policy. Maine built some new housing and it’s being used by “asylum seekers”. Also, it appears that the author of the article was the only Republican sponsor of a “homeless bill of rights” bill, every other sponsor was Democrat or Progressive. Why any Republican would do so I do not understand.
Thats because rich Chamber of Commerce Republicans love cheap immigrant labor and have to pretend they hate it to keep the rubes in line. Kind of how Trump claimed that he closed the border when they really just stopped counting the people coming in because he needed someone cheap to cook his steaks well done at Mar-a-lago.
Hang the “No Vacancy” sign at all entrances to the state.
A better solution is to declare the entire state a park, set up toll booths at every entrance to vermont, make them pay to visit and fine them thousands if they stay longer then 2 weeks.
The great pretenders under the Golden Thunder Dome must be feeling the heat bigly as their best laid plans are falling apart right before their glassy, diolated eyes. The only solution they have is to paper over one failed policy after another. Each passing day, their destruction is eminent and apparent. No matter what they do or don’t do is bound to fail. The tide is about to wash over them and wash them out. Be prepared as the gator rolling is about to intensify. The ending is not for everyone.
Sorry Chris, it looks more like the democrats, who are in charge with a supermajority by the way, want to make sure that migrants and deadbeats dont end up in the neighborhoods of too many of their voters. They are getting phone calls and emails about that. Cheap labor is not the issue. Every business in the State of Vermont has a help wanted sign out front and no one is offering to pay less than $15/hour. Meanwhile, able-bodied panhandlers are right across the street, making much more than that hourly due to the ignorance and faux-guilt of the typical Vermont self-hating democrat voter.