The Vermont Senate today passed the Clean Heat Standard, which will raise the cost of heating with oil and gas in Vermont.
Scott signs bill removing safeguard in end-of-life lethal drug law
Bills extending social services to at-risk non-citizen youth and waiving safeguards to dispensing end-of-life drugs were signed yesterday by Gov. Phil Scott.
Senate removes THC limits and jail time for heroin possession, creates Youth Council and $1000 child tax credit
Bills passed in the Senate this week remove legal barriers to getting high and create an advisory Youth Council.
Burlington prostitution bill to get House committee vote Thursday
A House committee is scheduled to vote Thursday on Burlington’s proposed legalization of prostitution.
House-approved ‘rental registry’ will reduce available housing, Lefebvre warns
A House-approved bill requiring state registry of rental units won’t expand housing, as promised – quite the opposite, Rep. Samantha Lefebvre says.
Looks like vetoes for budget, pension bill
Gov. Phil Scott did not use the word “veto”, but the implication was clear – he will veto both the budget and the pension bill if his concerns are not addressed before they reach his desk.
Gov signs Burlington, Essex charter changes, Abenaki tax exemption
Burlington, Essex charter changes and Abenaki property tax exemption among bills signed into law by Gov. Phil Scott this week.
Scott, Balint at odds over budget priorities
The Senate and Gov. Scott disagree on the proposed budget, and the governor isn’t afraid to veto the budget if necessary.
Vax exemption bill dead this year
H148 would eliminate the religious exemption for required immunizations prior to enrollment in a school or child-care facility.
Bill targets police interrogation tactics
Another cop control bill sponsored by a Chittenden County senator will be reviewed in the House today.
Senate learns of Clean Heat Standard snafu: who gets the ‘credit’?
If the Senate doesn’t fix a big snafu in the Clean Heat Standard bill passed by the House, both electrical utilities and heating fuel dealers will be claiming clean heat credits for the same heat pump.
Vote explained on criminal threatening, qualified immunity, Burlington evictions, end-of-life drug changes
About S265, criminal threatening bill, an Orange County lawmaker says, “I do not believe that someone who asks to be in the position that they are in should be treated any differently than our neighbors, friends, and relatives.”
Guv hands pension reform a ‘poison pill,’ union says
At the 11th hour Gov. Scott is either trying to make a good pension deal better, or give it a poison pill.
Contractor fraud registry already exists – but link is dead
If the State of Vermont really wants to fight contractor fraud, it might start with reactivating the link to a registry of fraudulent contractors.
House modifies end-of-life drug law, expands legal protections to non-citizen children, public servants
The Vermont House expanded legal protections for non-citizen children and public officials this week, while also opening the door for a bill next year allowing civil lawsuits of Vermont police.
$15 minimum wage, sports betting, film marketing in economic development bill
A grab bag of economic development ideas has been tossed by the Vermont House to solons of the Vermont Senate.
Roll call! S265, criminal threatening bill passes House
Those voting yes believe increased levels of conflict between citizens and school board members and other public officials across the country, particularly in regard to Critical Race Theory (CRT) and controversial Covid policies, warrants increased protections for elected officials from threats of violence, above those of ordinary citizens.
Police lawsuit bill goes to House floor
A bill to study the pros and cons of stripping police of protection from civil rights lawsuits will go to House floor tomorrow.
Senate committee nixes free bus fare, e-bike subsidy in House transportation bill
Subsidies for e-bikes and free bus fare are out of the Senate version of the House Transportation bill.
Docs to senators: add psychosis to cannabis warning label
Cannabis psychosis should be included on the warning label of marijuana products sold legally in Vermont, Vermont doctors say.
Thayer: Hormone blocker bill means irreversible sterilization of children
Under a controversial bill, transgender drug therapy leading to sterilization (according to a leading children’s hospital) would be available to children without parental consent.
Criminal threatening bill makes legislators “more equal” than fellow citizens, lawmaker warns
Opposition to the criminal threatening bill took an Orwellian turn on the House floor today.
Senate pension reform keeps defined benefit
The Senate chose to keep defined benefits in the pension reform bill.
Criminal threatening bill advances without gun seizure
House Judiciary last week discussed, but didn’t act on, making the ‘criminal threatening’ bill a felony to allow easier gun seizure.
Sheriff will cancel town policing contracts if cops lose immunity
If Windham County sheriff’s deputies lose qualified immunity from lawsuits, 14 towns will lose police coverage.
Legislature considers Burlington prostitution decrim today
Burlington’s prostitution charter change comes before the House Government Operations Committee at 1 pm today.
Gender ID birth certificate bill signed by Scott, Abenaki tax relief, City of Essex Junction approved by Legislature
Gov. Scott yesterday signed into law changes in legislative districts and gender changes on Vermont birth certificates.
Suing police, threatening public officials, prostitution, and end-of-life drug bills in House committees this week
Suing a cop, engaging in prostitution, and ending one’s own life legally will become less difficult from a legal perspective if Senate-approved bills now in the House become law.
Legislature seeks universal school meals money
The feds started paying for universal school meals during the pandemic. That money is going away, and some in the Vermont Legislature want to keep the programs going. Who pays?
Barre BLM flag war continues in Legislature
The battle for the Black LIves Matter movement – or at least its flag – continues in the Vermont Legislature.
Teenage voting veto upheld
Teenagers aren’t allowed by law to sign contracts – a fact that surfaced after the Senate yesterday upheld Gov. Scott’s veto of 16-17 year old voting in Brattleboro.
Pension reform clears Senate
The Senate on Thursday passed a long-time-in-coming pension reform bill protecting current retirees and asking more of those still working.
Record transportation $$ buys more paving, electric cars, bike paths, free bus fare
Vermont transportation spending has increased $225 million in two years. Aggressive use of federal paving money and a climate-change driven commitment to EVs and bike paths comprise the lion’s share.
Roll Call! Act 250 permit revision passes House
A bill that passed the House 92-49 will – supporters say – streamline the Act 250 permit process. Critics aren’t so sure about that.
Senate OKs coyote bill
An amended coyote hunting bill appears poised to clear the Vermont Senate.
Bill would enshrine Abenaki use of state lands
H618 would grant Abenaki-specific rights to state-owned lands.
House passes record budget, Transportation bills
Its coffers swollen with federal funding and higher-than-expected tax revenue, the Vermont House last week passed record high state budget and transportation bills.
Disagreement looms over Act 250 reform passed by House, Senate
Last week, both the Vermont House and Senate passed widely differing versions of Act 250 (property regulation and development) reform. Reconciliation may prove difficult.
How did YOUR legislator vote on guns, Prop 5, illegal speech, etc.?
Vermont’s free market think-tank has assembled voting profiles on every Vermont lawmaker. In a few clicks you can find out how they voted on bills that matter to you – and then share that information with others.
More boring photos that tell a story
What photo could be even more boring than empty parking spaces reserved for legislative carpooling? Satellite photos of the homes of lawmakers generally opposed to land development.
Roll Call! House makes town withdrawal from school districts more difficult
Vermont public school mergers: easy to get into, hard to get out of. And harder still if a bill passed by the House March 17 becomes law.
Senate passed 16 bills yesterday
Bills about leg hold traps, non-unanimous jury trial decisions, collecting data on police and 13 other topics all passed the Senate yesterday.
The Registry Legislature
Farmers, cops, landlords, and home improvement contractors all are targeted for inclusion in statewide registries by a Legislature determined to combat systemic racism and climate change.
Veto Update: Gun control no, 50% land conservation maybe, contractor & rental registries yes
Don’t expect a veto on S4, the gun control bill. But that bill turning half of Vermont into an ecological preserve? Gov. Scott has his eye on that one.
Senate skips Brattleboro teen voting veto
Gov. Phil Scott may have the Senate votes to make his veto of teenage voting stick – at least for today.
Bill expands role of State House art committee
Legislation approved by the Senate and now in the House would expand the role of a State House artwork advisory committee.
Scott, Senate in veto knife fight
Gov. Phil Scott and Senate President Becca Balint are both determined to win upcoming veto battles in the Vermont Senate. Vermonters who want to be more than spectators are calling their senators.
‘Old forest,’ teenage voting, household products disposal bills pass House last week
An anti-development forestry bill that didn’t go through the forestry committee and heard no testimony from landowners passed the House.
Anti-fossil fuel Clean Heat Standard passes House
A bill to force conversion from fossil fuel heating passed the Vermont House yesterday.
Bill would prevent immigration busts at courthouses
A bill before the Vermont Senate would protect illegal immigrants from arrest while in a courthouse in support of a family or household member.
How did YOUR rep vote on Scott veto of 16-year-old voting age in Brattleboro?
Vermont House members overrode Gov. Phil Scott’s veto of Brattleboro’s charter change to allow teenagers to vote.
Coyote, leghold trapping bills cross over, move to full Senate
With changes, bills restricting coyote hunting and leg hold trapping met the crossover deadline and will go to the full Senate. Same for bills on suing police, stopping development in 50% of all land area, and other ‘hot button’ issues.
Jury trial change, senior tax exemption, cannabis regs, Clean Heat Standard, etc. survive Crossover
Civil trial lawyers love S178, allowing non-unanimous jury decisions. It and other better-known bills passed Crossover Friday. Part 1 today.
Scott to sign Ukraine assistance bill Tuesday at Freedom & Unity Vigil
Russian gasoline and liquor are driving Vermonters and other Americans less and less these days. All liquor store proceeds from the sale of Russian-made products for one week have been set aside for humanitarian assistance in Ukraine.
Even boring photos tells a story
Do as I say, not as I do?
“First in the nation” household waste bill goes to House floor today
Another of the Vermont Legislature’s ‘first in the nation’ bills may add costs and reduce availability of household goods containing hazardous chemicals.
‘Old growth’ forest tax break passes House
Climate change warriors have secured tax breaks to keep Vermont forestland undeveloped.
Coyote hunting, leghold trap bans may wait a year
Three controversial anti-hunting bills won’t make crossover and appear headed to summer study.
Refugee housing tax break considered
A bill giving a property tax break to homeowners providing housing to refugees has cleared the Vermont House and is now in the Senate.
‘Criminal threatening’ bill gives politicians, gov workers more protection than general public
A ‘criminal threatening’ bill doubles the maximum sentence if the victim is a politician or government worker. S265 passed the Senate and is now in House Judiciary.
Strong stand against Homeland Security free speech crackdown
Rep. Vicki Strong is Vermont Strong on standing up to federal government encroachment on the Right to Free Speech. So far – with one cautious exception – she’s standing up alone.
Governor noncommittal about anti-hunting bills
Like a patient hunter, Gov. Phil Scott is taking his time before deciding whether to take aim at three controversial hunting bills.
Scott doesn’t back legal prostitution
The legalization of prostitution, now being pushed mostly by Progressives, is not “what Vermont needs at this point,” Gov. Phil Scott says.
Statewide prostitution repeal looms after today’s Burlington vote
Legislation pushed by Burlington lawmakers would repeal state prostitution laws, regardless of the outcome of today’s Burlington City Meeting vote.
Governor Scott vetoes 16 and 17-year old voting
The Legislature shouldn’t lower the age of voting while raising the age of criminal accountability, Gov. Scott said in his veto of teenage voting in Brattleboro.
Samantha Lefebvre shows other legislators how informing constituents is done
Every week, a freshman lawmaker tells her constituents how she voted on every bill that comes up on the House floor. Her report is a treasure trove of up-to-date information.
Act 250 bill might slow housing development, Chamber says
A bill intended to streamline the housing regulatory process might actually make it longer.
Clean Heat Standard clears House energy committee
A bill making fuel dealers pay for the transition to non-fossil fuel heating cleared the House energy committee.
Bill creating racial statistics bureaucracy goes to House floor
A bill creating a new Racial Statistics division of state government and a new advisory will soon be voted on by Vermont House of Representatives.
House approves Burlington eviction restrictions
By a 2-1 margin the Vermont House approved a Burlington charter change limiting eviction of tenants by landlords. Critics say it could worsen Vermont’s rental housing shortage.
Blittersdorf’s Barre rail study revived
A House bill sponsored by 60 lawmakers would fund a ‘feasibility study’ of commuter rail between Barre and Montpelier, require employers to reduce employee commuter mileage, and create a fuel efficiency fee on vehicle purchases.
Race, drug bills get committee review this week
For the second straight week, race-related legislation is getting plenty of attention in House committees.
Housing registry veto votes postponed
Two separate bills creating new state registries face an uphill battle overcoming vetos.
By 28-2 vote, Senate OKs ‘Criminal threatening’ bill
Only two senators voted against a bill allowing prison sentence of up to two years for threatening public officials.
Senate Finance chair eyes fed $$ to keep jails and prisons funded and safe
The chair of the Senate budget committee would earmark millions of federal Covid relief money to fund the state’s jails and prisons.
House Speaker postpones contractor registration veto vote until April 22
Speaker of the House Jill Krowinski appears to be at least one vote shy of overriding Gov. Scott’s veto of a contractor registration bill.
VT Senate approves popular vote presidential election
Every Republican in the Vermont Senate voted no, but it wasn’t enough to stop a 22-7 approval of Vermont participating in a national ‘popular vote’ presidential election.
$100 mil ticketed for rural internet
The Vermont Legislature is poised to spend $100 million of federal money to spread internet service statewide.
Three new race-related state bureaucracies considered by lawmakers
Bills under discussion by House committees would create three separate race-related bureaucracies and fund transition to non-fossil fuel heat in state, local and private buildings.
House to take up Scott veto of contractor registration
Gov. Scott says creating a state contractor registry will harm small businesses. The House will consider his veto of H157 tomorrow.
Ram demands ban on police ‘no knock’ warrant
A state senator running for Congress wants to take away the court-approved ability of Vermont police to execute ‘no knock’ arrest warrants.
Legislature gives non-taxpaying Brattleboro teens power to tax adults
The Legislature is poised to give Brattleboro teens the right to vote, run for office and levy taxes. The voting margins appear veto-proof.
Threats over mask mandate carry three-year prison sentence
The Senate is considering a law giving three years in prison for threats made during mask arguments in stores – among other situations.
Senate presses pause on police lawsuit bill
It’s not about systemic racism, Sen. Joe Benning told fellow senators during discussion of a bill to allow the public to sue police officers.
Judiciary bill downplays drug-dealer amount of cocaine, heroin as ‘personal use’
30 grams is a lot of coke. But the Vermont House Judiciary Committee wants to treat it as a ‘personal use’ misdemeanor. Not so fast, law enforcement officials say.
Finnie: Public hearing bills part of plan to end hunting and trapping in Vermont
The senators pushing three bills at Thursday’s public hearing are trying to slowly but surely stop hunting and fishing in Vermont.
Under ‘Clean Heat Standard,’ Vermonters in old homes will pay extra to stay warm
Many low to moderate income Vermonters – especially those living in older homes – will find it very difficult to pay for the higher cost of heating fuel.
Teen marriage a ‘human rights abuse,’ Legislature told
Is a 16 or 17 year old marrying an adult a human rights abuse? Supporters of a bill scheduled for a committee vote Wednesday say it is.
Senate committee would expand right to sue police
A bill receiving extensive, prolonged attention from the Vermont Senate Judiciary Committee would remove legal protections for police from lawsuits brought by perps, ‘social justice’ groups, and everyone else.
Green lobby targets Act 250 housing loophole
Most of the new housing built without stifling Act 250 review were tiny projects of just a handful of homes. Now an influential slow-growth lobby is criticizing that loophole.
Coyote, leghold, governance bills meant to disrupt and reduce hunting, VT Traditions says
A supporter of three hunting & trapping bills up for public hearing next week says Vermonters are moving beyond a ‘dominance mindset.’ A critic says the bills would disrupt and reduce hunting.
Senate bill: up to 5 years in prison for threats to public officials
A Senate committee is taking a long look at a bill to expand criminal penalties to Vermonters who threaten school boards and other government officials. The ACLU says it could chill political speech.
Water withdrawal registry bill passes house
A bill to create a registry for anyone withdrawing 5000 gallons a water of day from Vermont surface waters has passed the House. The Senate’s been busy, too.
Small explains birth certificate gender change bill
A Winooski lawmaker who identifies as transgender explains getting into politics and the bill to changing gender ID on birth certificates.
Baby Turtle Time: Bills advance in committee
Like baby turtles marching to the sea, bills introduced into the Vermont Legislature have a poor survival rate. This week, several bills took steps to becoming law.
Prog bill wants transgender therapy without parental consent
A bill sponsored by two Progressives would allow minors to seek transgender therapy without parental consent.
Bill bans tracking coyotes with dogs
A bill sponsored by the entire Senate Natural Resources and Energy Committee would prohibit tracking coyotes with dogs.
Slavery reparations, Abenaki land bills advance to committee discussion
Bills promoting slavery reparations and Abenaki land access and ownership will be reviewed this week by a Vermont House committee.
Mascot wars move to Vermont Legislature
It was okay when the Rutland School Board abandoned ‘Red Raiders’ for ‘Ravens.’ But when it went back to ‘Red Raiders,’ the culture referees in the Vermont Legislature cried foul.
New bill: multi-lingual state government
A new bill would require state agencies serving “substantial” numbers of non-English speakers to provide translated documents and interpreters.
