Chairwoman Ram Hinsdale kicked off the Senate Economic Development Committee on Wednesday, noting a Joint Hearing on January 17th with the Senate Judiciary and Health & Welfare Committees regarding public safety in our downtowns and our housing issues (possibly 9-12 AM, but not official yet).

Ram Hinsdale pointed to housing and flood recovery as top priorities. She hoped to receive a housing bill in early February but also wanted to evaluate the 2023 bill to avoid any “duplication or confusion.”

Senator Clarkson mentioned “short term rentals” several times as an issue she sees as a bottleneck. Ram Hinsdale believed they had testimony lined up on that topic.

Ram Hinsdale moved on to economic development, mentioning the Vermont Employment Growth Incentive (VEGI), but suggesting that many of these items may head to an omnibus bill. She would like to invite the Rural Caucus and others in for their perspective.

Ram Hinsdale pivoted to labor issues and announced she is sponsoring a constitutional amendment which has 20 co-sponsors creating a “right to bargain.”

Consumer protection was also mentioned, raising issues around AI, “age appropriate coding”, and data privacy.