by Guy Page
In response to a grassroots call to know who is voting for Montpelier’s unprecedented spending, VDC is continuing a tradition begun by the Ethan Allen Institute: Roll Call!
Today, our first roll call is the March 28 104-39 House vote on H.883, the proposed 2024-2025 state budget. An amendment to add about $26 million in spending already approved in other House bills was rejected 41-97 on a mostly “party-line” vote.
In offering her ‘transparency’ amendment to H.883 on the House floor this morning, Donahue did not specifically object to the $25.75 million in spending – just its lack of inclusion in the proposed budget.
“It’s the transparency to the public that is most important here,” Donahue said.
“I don’t think we should be voting on a budget that pretends a certain amount of spending,” Donahue said. “Transparency to our constituents is one of our most important obligations.”
Supporters of the House-approved budget say the budget process is far from over, because it still needs to pass the Senate. They also say the dollar amount is similar to the budget proposed by Gov. Phil Scott. Gov. Scott said it fails to adequately address the housing crisis and other longterm, pressing issues.
“As the Chair of the House Appropriations Committee explained in her floor report, ‘This budget so closely remains within the Governor’s Recommend budget that, after accounting for the $12 million pension plus payment, the difference in General Funds is within a 0.2 percent (not even one half of one percent) difference.’ In dollars, that’s no more than a $3.3 million
difference between the House budget and the Governor’s Recommend,” Rep. Carol Ode (D-Burlington), said when explaining her yes vote.
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