The $9 billion Senate budget tops the House budget by $20 million and the governor’s budget by $50 million.

Senate holds roll call on considering Clean Heat Standard Repeal bill ‘on the merits.’ Rejected on party line.

North explained that voters urged him to repeal the unpopular Clean Heat Standard, which incentivizes home heat electrification at the expense of homeowners who burn fossil fuels. He promised he would try.

“I also speak as a reminder that some cannot speak for themselves and that not all decisions are in our jurisdiction,” Rep. Tom Charlton explained his no vote.

The next discarded syringe you see in a park or in the street may have been paid for by Vermont taxpayers in the name of infectious disease and overdose protection.

Also, the Senate on Friday, April 11 approved a resolution congratulating Kathleen Lynch of Burlington as the 2025 Mother of the Year. 

The resolution was signed by all 30 senators except. Sen. Russ Ingalls (R-Essex) and Rutland County Republican senators Dave Weeks and Terry Williams. 

“I’d like to do something a little unusual, which is begin with an apology. And that is an apology to Canada and to Canadians and to Trudeau, a political figure that I value,” Baruth said.

Tariffs, school reform, and Parents Rights’ at the State House this morning.

The bill would require the Green Mountain Care Board to make public all materials in the record of a rate review proceeding.

Barre Rep. Wazazek: “The market picks winners and losers. And it’s the job of the Government to right size that. So yes we are picking winners and losers, because the market is already starting that dynamic for us, and it’s our job to make sure the right people are winning.”

The Burlington charter change banning guns in bars, S.131, got an initial run-through in Senate Government Operations today

Quick, brief overview of bills and topics under review this week by Vermont Legislature committees.

Also, VT Senate on March 19 adopted a S.R.10, a resolution opposing Gov. Phil Scott’s proposed reorganization of the Department of Public Safety into an Agency.

No ideology – not Mari Cordes’, not mine, not Donald Trump’s, not Bernie Sanders’ – is so sacred that it may be allowed to suppress anyone’s right to speak and be heard. 

Outright Vermont, in collaboration with Planned Parenthood of Northern New England, developed the “Full Spectrum Educator’s Guide to Implementing LGBTQ+ Inclusive Sex Ed,” which is currently being implemented widely in Vermont public schools through the Vermont Agency of Education.

“This is exactly the opposite of what we should be doing. Vermont needs stronger ethics oversight for all three branches of government, not weaker.”

Poleway and two of his uniformed officers were standing in the corridor outside while Kessler delivered her ultimatum. They had not been asked by Kessler to remove the disruptive protesters, he said. 

The Clean Heat Standard rally at noon Wednesday, March 12 isn’t the only grassroots gathering at the State House this week.

Senate Transportation heard from people “traumatized” by roadside noise and truckers worried that the new law could reduce road safety.

A recent Pay Act provides a 6.4% state employee pay increase this year and a 5.2% increase next year, Vyhovsky said.

Will the House budget (just to cite one example) continue to allocate Title X family planning money to Planned Parenthood? Planned Parenthood of New England certainly hopes so – there was a request at the governor’s budget public hearing last week from PPNE for an increase in Medicaid for family planning for $85k state funds and a 90% federal fund match, which would bring the total up by $850k.

Raising Minimum Wage (S.67) to deal with higher livable wage and inflation also introduced.

House Bill 98, if enacted, would streamline adoption of children born through assisted reproduction, including intrauterine insemination, gamete donation, embryo donation, in vitro fertilization, and intracytoplasmic sperm injection.