Gov. Scott still thinks the TCI is a bad deal for Vermont. He also doubts he can stop it.

What happens in Winooski stays in Winooski? Not when it comes to local elections affecting statewide policy.

The VT AFL-CIO voted Sunday to oppose gun control laws and carbon taxation. But don’t think they’ve gone all reactionary.

Sen. Pat Leahy has introduced a bill to spend billions on U.S. Capitol security, including a brand-new, $27 million U.S. Capitol Protection Task Force, a rapid response team to deal with future threats.

The City of Montpelier is considering taking making an official policy of its laissez-faire approach to homeless encampments.

Vermont’s Legislature has embraced a panoply of race-based bills during the 2021-22 session.

The Vermont Senate today agreed with the House on bills to create statewide registries of all rental housing and building trades contractors.

The House of Representatives today overrode the vetos of Gov. Phil Scott of two municipal charter changes allowing non-citizen voting. 

A bill introduced by Bernie Sanders would increase the minimum SSDI payment by 31%, or $246/month.

The Vermont State Employees Association – the union for state employees – recently reported good news about members’ paychecks and pensions as a result of the actions of the 2021 Legislature.

On June 1, Governor Scott vetoed legislation that would give non-citizen voting rights in municipal elections in Winooski and Montpelier.

With Vermont’s unemployment rate below three percent and employers struggling to find workers, new and existing combined state and federal cash benefits total about $52,000/year.

H157, registering construction contractors, passed the Vermont Senate 20-10 on May 21.

The Legislature adjourned Friday after approving spending for tourism marketing, foreign trade, technology-based economic development, workforce development, and BIPOC business support.

The Vermont legislature completed the 2021 session on Friday, May 21. It passed a $7.35 billion budget and Governor Phil Scott offered the traditional closing message.

On May 20, Governor Phil Scott vetoed a bill that raises from age 19 to 20 the age of public accountability for crimes.

A bill to ban vaccine passports has been introduced into the Vermont House of Representatives.

With Israel under rocket attack by the Palestinian military, Sen. Bernie Sanders has introduced a resolution to block $735 million of future sales of precision-guided munitions to Israel. 

An amendment to postpone implementation of universal vote-by-mail until after a 2023 election security study was rejected by the Vermont House of Representatives May 12 by a 39-99 vote. The House went on to approve the underlying bill, S15.

S15, universal mailed ballots, passed the Vermont House 119-30 Tuesday.

The Vermont Senate Finance Committee included language repealing a provision of a law passed earlier this session that would have subjected forgiven 2021 PPP-Paycheck Protection Program loans to Vermont income tax.

The Burlington City Council last night ruled last night that all rental housing must meet “stringent” weatherization standards.

Removing 2020 from calculation of the Unemployment Insurance fund will help to hold employers harmless from certain costs related to the pandemic and government-mandated shutdowns, while also ensuring the unemployment trust fund remains solvent and UI claimants are not negatively impacted.

The Vermont House yesterday passed S16, creation of the Task Force on School Exclusionary Discipline Reform. The goal of the task force is to reduce minority suspensions and expulsions from Vermont schools. 

“There is still more work to do to ensure all Vermonters, regardless of identity, feel safe and protected in our state,” Gov. Phil Scott said after signing the ‘gay panic defense’ bill.

H363, a bill introduced into the Vermont House on Feb. 26, would “permit a candidate for statewide office to receive a salary from the candidate’s campaign funds.”

H.361 would the Brattleboro charter to allow 16-17 years olds (and 15 years olds if they will turn 16 by election day) to vote in municipal elections and serve on town boards, such as the select board, according to an Ethan Allen Institute analysis.

Last week, the Vermont House killed the project-based “Tax Incremental Funding” (TIF), a funding source for small towns.

Racism is a problem, it exists everywhere,” Kumulia “Case” Long told the House Human Services Committee Wednesday. “We are looking to tackle an issue that will never go away. The human race will always have something to fight over….however, If we can address economic inequality, we can help a much bigger group,” Long said. “We can help lift each other up.”

Act 9, a new state law, would collect state income taxes from Paycheck Protection Program loan funding provided to Vermont businesses in 2021. This unexpected taxation of an emergency benefit has the Vermont business community in an uproar.

“Vermont Senate Republicans are extremely disappointed that the House of Representatives has failed to fully repeal the tax on military retirement income,” said Senate Minority Leader Randy Brock (R-Franklin).

A proposed ‘cloud’ tax on Netflix, Hulu, Pandora and other online services has been tacked on to S.53, exempting feminine hygiene products from the Vermont Sales and Use Tax.

For a legislative session that was supposed to focus on getting through the pandemic, it’s proven to be just the opposite. There are some harmful bills you ought to be aware of. So here we go.

The Vermont House yesterday referred a contractor registry bill to the Appropriations Committee and gave preliminary approval to statewide broadband spending and Dr. Dynasaur healthcare for illegal immigrants. 

Most committees have passed a small number of priority bills. A few bills have been approved by either the House or the Senate. Even fewer have cleared both chambers. Here is a breakdown of bills that have passed either House, Senate or both.

Heterosexual marriage must not be denigrated as a “stereotype.” Both human history and modern academic studies show us that heterosexual marriage is not only the most enduring bond between adults, it is by far the most beneficial to children. By any meaningful standard – emotional security, educational and employment achievement, freedom from substance abuse, future family happiness – heterosexual marriage benefits children the most. While government should not discriminate against parents who do not fit this mold, government should unapologetically support the heterosexual family – not denigrate or dismantle it.

There is a proposal making its way through the Vermont House of Representatives to raise and expand Vermont’s bottle deposit law (H.175). The bill would double the cost of a standard bottle deposit from 5 cents to 10 cents.

Voters in Burlington and about 20 other Vermont municipalities will decide on Tuesday whether to allow retail cannabis stores – “pot shops” – to be allowed to receive licenses to operate.

Bills in the Vermont House of Representatives would merge the remote-worker incentive program, implement rural broadband, add staff for the Ethics Commission, and adjust school property taxes for population density, poverty, and second-language learners, according to a Campaign for Vermont weekly update.

H.283, providing the right to refuse any unwanted test, treatment, or vaccine, was introduced yesterday into the Vermont House. Sponsored by four Republicans, a Democrat, and an independent, it would specifically prevent employers and state government from requiring vaccination in exchange for jobs, travel, childcare and other benefits.

In February, Vermont House committees turn from January’s “welcome back, here’s what happened when you were gone” reports from state officials and lobbyists, settle into their seats, and begin to look at bills. This week, several bills of interest will come “off the wall” of introduction and get a serious look by committee members.

Gov. Phil Scott said today he did not recommend language in a Senate bill that would seem to allow Big Marijuana companies to bypass local voters deciding whether marijuana retail stores may operate in their town.

A Senate bill adding to the commercial cannabis law would require more funding for police training and substance abuse prevention, and would reduce licensing fees for minorities, among other proposed changes.

H67, introduced by Rep. Jim Harrison (R-Killington) would authorize a farmer to seek compensation from the Department of Fish and Wildlife for damage by a black bear to crops, fruit trees, or crop-bearing plants.

The organizations listed below represent hundreds of thousands of working Vermonters. We ask that our elected leaders of all political parties focus on the most immediate task at hand this legislative session and to chart a path to our economic recovery.