By Guy Page

The downstream effect of Gov. Phil Scott’s visit to Boston this morning has delayed the Vermont Legislature’s consideration of today’s main agenda item: an up-or-down vote on H.454, transformation of the state’s education funding system.

A House-Senate conference committee approved a compromise deal on H.454 Friday afternoon. But with Phil Scott in Boston until mid-afternoon today, Lt. Gov. John Rodgers is acting governor. That leaves Senate Pro Tem Phil Baruth presiding over the Senate, and “that will put me in the podium unable to vote,” he told senators at about 10:40 PM. 

Deliberation and action on this session’s most significant legislation will wait until Rodgers can pick up the gavel upon Scott’s return – perhaps around 2 PM. 

Meanwhile, the Senate planned this morning to meet as a non-voting ‘caucus of the whole’ to learn details about the conference committee agreement. But that, too, was delayed until at least after 11 AM, due to delays in copying and distributing the conference committee’s report and analysis. NBC5 reporter Steve Biddix estimates the State House print shop would need 4,560 pieces of paper to print 30 copies of the 159-page agreement. 

That doesn’t count another expected document – an analysis of the agreement’s impact on school district boundaries, class sizes, and per-pupil costs, and projected property taxes. As published in VDC Friday, here’s an overview of the conference committee agreement:

New, larger school district boundaries will be set July 1, 2026, take effect July 1 2028. Transition details include:

• A School District Redistricting Task Force is established to propose up to three options for these new boundaries by December 1, 2025. These proposed districts are expected to have an average daily membership of approximately 4,000 to 8,000 preK-12 students.
• A School District Voting Ward Working Group will create voting wards within the new school districts to ensure substantially equal weighting of votes for school board members. 
• The first school board member elections within these newly created districts are scheduled for a special election in November 2027. The General Assembly intends for the new, larger school districts to assume responsibility for the education of all resident students on July 1, 2028. 

Independent schools will be eligible for public school tuition, subject to a lengthy list of eligibility guidelines.

New average class size minimums will be 10 students for first grade, 12 for grades 2-5, 15 for grades 6-8 in required content areas, and 18 for grades 9-12 in required content areas. 

Education spending: the “base amount” for the per-pupil foundation formula is set at $15,033, to be adjusted for inflation annually. That figure matches the higher House proposal over lower figures proposed by the Senate and Gov. Scott. It is not clear whether the new proposed per-pupil spending will keep property taxes flat, or even at a reduced rate, when it takes effect.

Senate bill says campaign contributors of $500 or more must register as ‘committees’ – Postponing the H.454 action, the Senate took up and passed H.474, miscellaneous changes to election law – including requiring every individual contributing $500 or more to register as a political action committee. 

Senate progressives successfully argued for this provision during committee discussion. During a Government Operations Committee meeting last week, Sen. Becca White (D-Windsor) said it is intended to reduce undue electoral influence of the ‘super-rich.’

Gov Ops chair Brian Collamore said the bill is a first step to providing transparency about donations from out-of-state contributors “with pocketbooks larger than mine.”

The bill passed on a voice-vote with one or two senators voting negative. The Senate then waived procedures and passed H.474 on third and final reading, and sent it to the House for their consideration.

Synthetic media disclosure required in elections – Over in the House, representatives adjourned after passing a Senate bill, S.23, restricting use of synthetic media in elections.

The bill requires disclosure of what it calls ‘synthetic media’ 90 days before an election. It will now go to Gov. Scott for his review. A veto is not considered likely. 

The seven sponsors of S.23 include Republicans, Democrats, and Progressives, and four of the five members of Senate Gov Ops. The seven sponsors are: Sen. Ruth Hardy, Sen. Alison Clarkson, Sen. Brian Collamore, Sen. Robert Norris, Sen. Tanya Vyhovsky, Sen. Anne Watson and Sen. Rebecca White.

“Deceptive and fraudulent synthetic media” means synthetic media that creates a representation of an individual or individuals with the intent to injure the reputation of a candidate, to influence the outcome of an election….” including “an image, an audio recording, or a video recording of an individual’s appearance, speech, conduct, or environment that has been created or intentionally manipulated with the use of digital technology, including artificial intelligence, in a manner that creates a realistic but false representation of the candidate,” the bill states.

Homeless bill veto likely to stand in House – No vote has been taken, yet, on a scheduled override vote of Gov. Scott’s veto of H.91. Extremely unlikely House Speaker Jill Krowinski can muster 100 votes to override. 

House to reconvene at 2 PM to consider H.454.