By Guy Page
Two days before the scheduled May 10 adjournment, Gov. Scott surveyed the status of housing, affordability, public safety, and school funding legislation at his press conference today.
He doesn’t like what he sees in housing and school funding. On public safety and affordability, he sees a glass half full.
Housing – H.687, the Act 250/housing reform bill, passed the Senate with major, housing-friendly changes that the House is hesitant to endorse.
When the session began “it was clear it [housing] was a top priority for the Legislature as a whole,” Scott said. But H687 “expands regulation in a vast majority of the state, especially the rural areas of Vermont…..It appears last minute changes could make it worse.” A veto of the House version of H.687 appears virtually certain.
Affordability: “The [$8.6 billion 2025 state] budget appears to be on a path to something I can live with.” On the other hand, he’s unhappy with the Renewable Energy Standard (RES) bill that will add hundreds of millions to ratepayer costs.
Education funding reform – H.887, the yield bill, is unacceptable as is. “Vermonters simply cannot afford a historic double digit property tax increase….15% or 12% it’s way too much.”
Scott said he supports a statewide property tax increase of about four percent. Action is needed now to stop the same property tax debacle from happening next year. He supports a six-month study ready by January 1 with recommendations to be acted on by the next Legisature. Senate Finance has proposed a study to be ready later than that. “Accelerate the study,” Scott said.
“We’ve seen this train wreck coming for years,” Scott said. “We need to take the time right now to address the educational crisis now, not two years from now.”
He said the Legislature must address classroom sizes and consider bigger, co-locating schools.
Six school districts yesterday voted on revised, somewhat reduced school budgets yesterday, five budgets passed. Are voters more accepting of school budgets, he was asked. “I feel for those communities that have to go through this,” he said. Without structural reform they’ll be doing it again next year, he added.
Public safety – Scott’s cautiously optimistic about some bills now in play, especially Senate bills. When pressed he gave no specifics. He did say he’s opposed to the safe-injection sites bill passed by the Legislature: “I’m sure I’ll end up vetoing it that, and we’ll see if they have the override.”
Glad Sanders is running again – Also, Scott stopped short of endorsing Sen. Bernie Sanders’ run for a fourth Senate term but acknowledged that senate seniority is good for federal funding for Vermont.
Choosing Democrat Abbey Duke to replace Progressive Rep. Emma Mulvaney-Stanak – Acknowledging the criticism, “I was just trying to make a decision,” Scott said. Mulvaney-Stanak was a D/P, having sought and received the Democratic nomination as well as the Progressive nomination when she ran for the State House. “She was a Democrat-Progressive, from my standpoint,” Scott said.
Discover more from Vermont Daily Chronicle
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Categories: Legislation
Oh yes, defending your idiocy in appointing another Communist to state-wide office. The Republicans were really taking over, RIGHT Scott? Or is that LEFT Scott?
Keep trashing Governor Scott. He is the person holding his finger in the dike. If he removes his finger, Vermont will implode even faster than it is now. Maybe Governor Zuckerman sounds better to you?
It doesn’t matter if it’s a P or a D it’s still going to vote with the majority….
govie will support sanders/// got to have the federal pork supply/// without the pork, bonding more debt, and sucking off more grants , the little zoo in vermont will run out of bananas////
“We’ve seen this train wreck coming for years,” Scott said. “We need to take the time right now to address the educational crisis now, not two years from now.”
The most popular Governor in the nation said they saw the “wreck” coming for years? So, what did they did do? Nothing. Well done!!!! Bravo!!!! Rousing round of applause! Can we get some Yee Haws out there!?
Question: What other “train wrecks” are coming we should be aware of or is that too much and too late to ask?
The next train wreck is already here, The Affordable (cough cough) Heat Standard. The only thing the dem/progs are good at is naming their laws that will do the total opposite of what they name them. Like “safe and effective”, remember that?
An open letter to VTGOP Chair Dame ;
Hey Paul, the most popular Governor in America is glad Sanders is running again.
Here are Scott’s words from the Vermont Daily Chronicle published yesterday –
Glad Sanders is running again – Also, Scott stopped short of endorsing Sen. Bernie Sanders’ run for a fourth Senate term but acknowledged that senate seniority is good for federal funding for Vermont.
VT has a Pro Life Constitutional candidate for U.S. Senate in Gerald Malloy.
Mr. Malloy has been traveling all over VT meeting with many thousands of Vermonters. Gerald served America for many years and actually wants Vermonters and Americans to do better.
Sanders accomplishments in Congress are having two Post Offices renamed. Sanders has chosen to side with Biden and the squad. Our country is being invaded with the help of Sanders and illegal immigrants are being treated far better than homeless Veterans.
Scott is glad, are you ?
Left/Right, Prog/Dem, Repub/Dem, Prog/Repub, it’s all the same story, just different sides of the same coin, a coin that is run by more coin…
It’s all been designed to exploit the real difference in Americans, those who choose to do for themselves and those who want it done for them.
It’s time you do for yourselves America and stop asking the government to do it for you. Don’t be left/right, liberal/conservative, dem/repub, be self sufficient and do for yourselves.
Be an American and work for that freedom that you have taken for granted and now see that glimmering light fading into the shadows.