Proposed taxes on software, short-term rentals
By Rep. Jim Harrison
Editor’s note: Rep. Harrison, a Republican from the Rutland County town of North Chittenden, sits on the House Appropriations Committee. The overseer of the annual State House March Madness friendly basketball competition AKA betting pool, Rep. Harrison is considered among the most fiscally-savvy lawmakers in either party. We publish excerpts from his weekly constituent report, covering many bills not addressed in other news coverage today.
The House Ways & Means Committee is considering extending the sales tax to online software and a new 10% surcharge on short term rentals as potential new revenue sources to mitigate a portion of the expected double-digit hike in education property taxes.
S.258, which changes the makeup of the Fish & Wildlife Board to give the legislature control of most appointees to the board and bans the hunting of coyotes with dogs, was advanced by the Senate Natural Resources and Appropriations Committees. The measure is opposed by many in the hunting and fishing community.
The full House will take up a major new renewable energy standard bill, H.289, which is expected to add between $150 million and $450 million in new costs to ratepayers over the next 10 years according to the legislature’s fiscal office. Meanwhile, the Public Service Department estimates $517 million to $853 million in additional costs to ratepayers, depending on whether you include the extra investments for transmission lines to accommodate additional local solar and wind generation needed in the legislation.
Legislation to appropriate over $150 million for housing related initiatives, H.829, is not likely to pass as proposed unless new taxes are raised to fund the measures.
A bill to ban most uses of neonicotinoid pesticides in Vermont agriculture is expected to advance to the full House for a vote this week. Neonicotinoids are widely used because they effectively control challenging soil pests, however, also are believed to negatively impact bees. The ban on the treated seeds would take effect in 2029, the same year as the NY ban is slated to go into effect. NY is the only other state with a ban, although neonic treated seeds are currently banned in neighboring Quebec.
A proposal by Treasurer Mike Pieciak to establish a new Baby Bond program for newborn children on Medicaid, was advanced by the House Commerce and Economic Development Committee, but reduced to a study on the source and amount of the funds that would be needed.
The Senate Judiciary Committee advanced S.58, which increases the penalties to persons providing illegal drugs with death resulting.
S.184, which allows the use of automated camera traffic safety enforcement systems, has been advanced to the full Senate, although initially restricted to highway work zones.
The House Health Care Committee approved H.233, which allows Vermont to regulate pharmacy benefit managers.
The House passed H.534, which allows prosecutors to combine retail thefts within a two-week period for the purpose of charging them as a felony if the total amount is over $900. Under current law, theft under $900 is a misdemeanor.An effort to establish a state mushroom as a project by students received preliminary approval last week by the House. The bill, H.664, would make the Bear’s Head Tooth, Hericium americanum, the official state mushroom.
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Categories: Legislation
Why mess around with S.258 when the current system with the Wildlife Board is working now. The POW people aren’t complaining about the abundance of wildlife we currently enjoy, they only want the power to change our traditions and way of life.
A law that makes it a felony to steal more than $900 in two weeks-what a solution! The thieves will never find a way to work around that. Who is their right mind thinks that it is ok to steal $900 even once? How about any theft is a misdemeanor and any theft of more that $20 would mean at least a week in jail.
The fish & wildlife board doesn’t work for me. The values of all Vermonters should be represented on the board.
Vermont – Taxing us into prosperity.
h534 two weeks felony/// crooks make you steal every three weeks so it will not become a felony///
baby bond bull…t/// this is another thief of private property/// more bonding/// more bonding/// more bonding/// have you had enough yet///
i need higher sales tax/// now would be the best time for a trip to new hampshire once every two months/// buy everything you need and bring it home///
Our legislators, all of them, Republican, Democrat, Independent, Progressive… all of them – continue to struggle to think well of themselves by underwriting new appropriations laws, even when those laws are not “… of more service to community than the money would be if not collected”.
“One of the great mistakes is to judge policies and programs by their intentions rather than their results…. Most of the energy of political work is devoted to correcting the effects of mismanagement of government.”
– – Milton Friedman
With all of the commentary to the contrary on the efficacy of their legislative dystopia, at this point in time, only one conclusion remains for us to consider… that our legislators are either dumber than posts or willfully corrupt…., and that the majority of voters are too.
“Sometimes a man wants to be stupid – if it lets him do a thing his cleverness forbids.” – John Steinbeck
Or that our legislators are not “dumber than posts or willfully corrupt” but simply disagree with you. Like most Vermonters.
Jay- please help with this. Looked high and low but nope can’t find VT published info anywhere on who are our providers. Can your research provide the below list of providers ?
* name of bank or banks that state VT does business with
* name of firms that VT invests its pension funds with
* name of bond brokerage firms
* name of health care insurance provider
* crypto for on line gambling
* what ocrypto ( Libra, Etherium , Doge etc) or other tokens VT sanctions and uses and invests in
* names of carbon credit firms VT deals with
* name of carbon credit GMP/Energir deals with
spending at all levels of government in Vermont, most certainly including education, is out of control. government keeps growing with no apparent effort to stop spending.too much administration and unneeded programs. when they have money they throw it away and then look for even more revenue.
Instead of wasting time trying to think of more “fixes”, how about spending time revamping the failed education funding system that no one understands? Why are you looking to find more money to throw into the bottomless pit that already exists. The money seems to just be poured into this failed and system without any knowledge of how the taxes are calculated or distributed. So rather than simplify/revamp the complicated mess they created, they just look for more ways to feed the beast. Note to those in charge….the voters are sick of this mess…TIME FOR A NEW SYSTEM! The well is dry… we are tired of paying for your mistakes…just STOP with the complicated, ineffective fixes. Stop looking for the easy way out by kicking the problem down the road. You want the school budgets to pass? Do your job and actually represent the people/taxpayers of Vermont.
Vermont’s legislative geniuses all they know is to Tax, Tax, Tax that’s the only answer they have to fix any problems within the state, the problems they created !!
I wonder if any of them can balance a checkbook, we all know they don’t understand anything about balancing the state budget, Vermont has plenty of trees but I don’t know of any ” Money Trees ” ………………………..Fools in charge !!
Wake up people, before it’s to late.
…a majority of us voted for these asshats…what does that say about the level of self-awareness of the average Vermont voter these days? Did they vote for democrats and expect something different?
No, I voted for Democrats and hoped for this. I’m self-aware.
“The House Ways & Means Committee is considering extending the sales tax to online software and a new 10% surcharge on short term rentals as potential new revenue sources to mitigate a portion of the expected double-digit hike in education property taxes.”
Some may view this as a relatively painless approach to a problem. I would disagree with viewpoint.
First, the problem they’re attempting to address was created by them via ineptitude, blindness and most importantly an insatiable lust for OUR $$$$$.
Second, it doesn’t actually address fixing what created the problem.
And thirdly, it is still yet another tax on top of yet so many other taxes. The answer to overspending and mismanagement is not another tax (which once created NEVER goes away!), rather it is to spend LESS and place individuals who can actually count, budget and who possess that rare quality called ETHICS, to oversee the precious $$$$ taken from the citizenry.
Exactly! They are looking for more money to throw in the bottomless pit instead of actually solving the problem.
TAX PORN
Operation Tincup – hold down the couch cushions and clean out the car caddy – they’re coming for every nickel and dime you could possibly hold – no loose change will be overlooked or spared! Including your “untouchable, untrackable” crypto…watch for it.
Taxes they won’t touch……..
Porn
Big Pharma
Drugs, pot, etc
Apartment buildings state sponsored.
Rich Second homes
PAC money
Lobbyists
Expensive EV’s (tax breaks!)
Migrant workers, legal and illegal
They don’t tax what they want to promote. Know your enemy, live to fight another day.
oh, forgot booze and lottery…..