House gave Scott his answer with veto hours earlier
By Guy Page
In his annual State of the State speech Thursday afternoon. Gov. Scott urged the Legislature to act strongly and swiftly on the state’s growing public safety, affordability, and housing problems. Earnest and forceful, he asked lawmakers to remember James Carville’s ‘It’s the Economy, Stupid’ slogan.
It was a true Bully Pulpit speech. Unfortunately for the nation’s most popular governor, the House of Representatives had already given its answer hours earlier, when it 1) “resolved to provide for a Joint Assembly to receive the State-of-the-State message from the Governor” – and moments later 2) overwhelmingly overrode the governor’s 2023 veto of H158, the beverage container recycling bill.
With the 112-32 caning no doubt fresh in his mind, Scott gave lawmakers three numbers that “tell you everything you need to know: 14,000, 28,000 and 48,000.”
“As of 2022, we have 14,000 fewer kids under the age of 18 than we did in 2010. During that same period, we have 28,000 fewer adults ages 40 to 54, which is the core of our workforce. And we have 48,000 more over the age of 65.”
Scott said those stats mean: “higher per pupil costs, declines in income and sales tax revenue, and increased demand for services like healthcare….To have any chance of reversing our demographic trends, there are three issues we can’t ignore: public safety, affordability, and housing.”
Public Safety
Workers won’t want to come to Vermont if their families aren’t safe, Scott said (VDC paraphrase).
(It’s unclear how much crime is keeping people away from Vermont. National Van Lines reported January 2 that for the third year in a row, Vermont had the highest percentage of immigrants - those using moving vans, anyway – from other states compared to those departing the Green Mountain State. Most of the new Vermont residents came from large urban areas.)
Scott added:
“A growing number of headlines share news of the latest murder, drug-related shooting, and small businesses struggling with increasing vandalism and theft.”
“Here’s the thing, it’s not just the headlines. According to reports from the Council of State Governments, in 2017 Vermont had the second lowest property crime and second lowest violent crime rates in the nation. By 2022, we had dropped to 18th and eighth.
“And in the last 10 years, violent crime reported to police increased 56%, aggravated assault by 65%, sexual assault by 76%, and homicide by 166%.”
Scott conceded some progress has been made on criminal justice reform and treating addiction. Nevertheless:
“When those who victimize others are put back on the streets, hours after being apprehended only to reoffend again and again, Vermonters question law enforcement, prosecutors, our courts, and they question the wisdom of the work done here in this building.”
Budget
Scott warned legislators he will propose a ‘sobering’ budget with a mere three percent increase.
“With historic one-time federal aid ending, another large increase in our pension obligation, and last year’s spending decisions catching up to us, we are back to where we were several years ago with difficult decisions to be made.”
Scott’s statistics, arguments from logic, and application of historical context aside, the Legislature’s bottle bill override (and the fast-tracked ‘safe injection site’ bill) perhaps sent Scott a message that can be summarized in this VDC-original Haiku:
You can’t override
Now it’s about what WE want
Thanks for the advice
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