The week leading up to town meeting was a mixed bag. The full potential impacts of the carbon-pricing legislation (S.5) were averted by an amendment from the Senate Appropriations Committee, which they claim turns the bill into a "study." In actuality it still asks the Public Utilities Commission to build a carbon-pricing system for heating fuels, but then the legislature will need to sign off on it before those rules they develop go into effect. Essentially they are building the bus and then deciding whether or not to drive it, versus designing the bus first and then deciding if they should build it. Perhaps a small distinction, but an important one.
Also, despite a full-throated attack from from public school administrators, the House seems reluctant to move forward on a bill that would end Vermont's historic town tuitioning system. If that holds true, that's a win for rural Vermont!
Other topics this week:
- Common ground found on public pension divestment.
- Environmental groups ask for restraint on housing while municipalities as for more flexibility.
- New cloud tax being modeled for Education Fund.
- Elections bill ending "sore loser" independent candidates passes House.
Quote of the Week:“Tell our constituents they’re going to be in for a rough ride... go to where you can buy some warm used clothing, because you may need it. And you may need some blankets." Comments in regard to the passage of S.5
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Message of the Week:I cannot for the life of me understand how a bill, in this case S.5, can include a “study” with an outcome that is already pre-determined. Normally a study would come back with recommendations about the optimal way of accomplishing something after reviewing alternatives. In this case, the legislature did not ask for the optimal way of reducing carbon emissions, rather they asked the PUC spend $1.7M to design a system and then they will decide if they like it or not. Ready, shoot, aim? |
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Vote for Vermont: Independent Schools and Public TuitionOne of Manchester's most active community members joins the show to talk about independent schools and Vermont's public tuitioning system in light of recent US Supreme Court decisions. |
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Our Experience with Heat PumpsJames Hall, Rutland |
Back in 2018, we contracted for a heat pump installation in our two story home. The installation took place during a heat wave so initial use was for cooling which worked pretty well in the early stages of use. But as time went on we found there were a lot of issues that were caused from lack of oversight from Efficiency Vermont (EVT)... |
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Campaign for Vermont Sends Letter to Senators About Carbon-Pricing on Heating Fuels |
Fiscal SustainabilityWhat you need to know:
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Public Pension Divestment (S.42)Legislative Counsel presented an amendment, recommended by the Treasurer, on Friday. The amendment adds a new definition of de-minimus exposure which means holding less than 2% of the overall investment. Key Points:
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Clean Heat Standard (S.5) - Senate AppropriationsThe Senate Appropriations Committee dove back into S.5 on Tuesday. Chairwoman Kitchel notified the Committee that it was her intention to add a study and a check-back provision to the bill. Kitchel highlighted the importance of a “potential study.” It informs everything else, including the economic and technical feasibility of the plan. Based on Julie Moore’s testimony (Secretary, Agency of Natural Resources), this study needs to be the first step in this process, and must be added to the bill. Key Points:
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Clean Heat Standard (S.5) - Senate FloorAfter being passed by the Appropriations Committee earlier in the week, S.5 arrived on the Senate Floor Thursday afternoon. Key Points:
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HousingWhat you need to know:
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House Opportunities Relating to Everyone (S.100) - TuesdayThe Senate Committee on Natural Resources took up S.100 on Wednesday, with written testimony from from a number of stakeholders. Key Points:
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House Opportunities Relating to Everyone (S.100) - VNRCJon Groveman (Vermont Natural Resources Council) gave his background to the Committee and then addressed the Commission’s recommendations around the major reforms to Act 250, including lifting Act 250 review in certain designated areas as part of a tiered jurisdictional approach that they believed would avoid duplication with local zoning were robust planning and zoning programs existing. Key Points:
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House Opportunities Relating to Everyone (S.100) - ThursdayThe Committee resumed on Thursday with Thomas Weiss, a civil engineer, who testified about the contradictions in S.100 and various other bills. Key Points:
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House Opportunities Relating to Everyone (S.100) - FridayThe Committee returned on Friday to hear from Karen Horn (Director of Public Policy & Advocacy, VT League of Cities and Towns). She identified areas in S.100 where they believed flexibility to make changes in the bill were needed. Key Points:
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EducationWhat you need to know:
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Update on School Budgets - Feb 28, 2023On Tuesday, the Joint Fiscal Office (JFO) and the Agency of Education (AOE) provided their customary update to the House Ways & Means Committee. Chairwoman Kornheiser shared that she had asked JFO to include a new line item for cloud taxes, which would amount to $16.9M in revenue if added. This addition would result in a 5% increase in average property tax bills if coupled with the additional spending items the Committee is considering. |
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Misc. Education Bill - WednesdayOn Wednesday, the Senate Education Committee took up the latest draft of their miscellaneous education bill. One of the major components of the bill is study on the compensation and staffing levels for the State Board of Education (SBE). Key Points:
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Ending Independent School Choice (H.285) - WednesdayThe House Education Committee returned Wednesday morning to the bill that does away with Vermont’s public tuitioning system. Chairman Conlon opened the meeting, indicating that this would not likely be taken up again before the town meeting break. However, on Friday they will take another look at their committee bill on this topic. |
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Independent School Oversight - FridayThe House Education Committee took up their draft bill again on Friday, which would primarily look at strengthening anti-discrimination protections for independent schools. Chairman Conlon led off by saying that he wants to support Vermont’s anti-discrimination policies, like the public Accommodations Act. Notably, the new draft would also pause approval of further independent schools. He also reiterated that the purpose of the public tuitioning program, which is to fulfill our obligation to Vermont students where a public school does not exist or it is unpractical to operate one. |
Workforce DevelopmentWhat you need to know:
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Workforce Development FY2024 BudgetVictoria Biondolillo (Executive Director, State Workforce Development Board) testified to the House Commerce Committee on Wednesday, saying that the data collected by the Workforce Development Board illustrates two major issues. Key Points:
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Advance VermontTom Cheney presented Advance Vermont’s budget to the House Commerce Committee on Thursday. They are requesting $350,000 in FY2024 through their fiscal sponsor, the Vermont Student Assistance Corporation (VSAC), to continue their workforce development efforts in concert with state partners. Key Points:
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Good GovernmentWhat you need to know:
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Miscellaneous Ethics Bill - TuesdayThe Senate Government Operations Committee took up a draft bill on Tuesday that would make miscellaneous changes to ethics laws. Legislative Counsel walked through the bill with the Committee. Key Points:
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Changes to Election Laws (H.429) - March 2, 2023The House Government Operations Committee took up potential changes to their elections bill, H.429, on Thursday. Chairman McCarthy had an amendment to offer on the bill which would cap contributions from statewide candidates to political parties at $60K. Key Points:
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Ranked Choice Voting (S.32) - FridayLegislative Counsel shared with the Senate Government Operations Committee a new strike-all amendment for S.32 that it pushed adoption of Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) for presidential primaries in 2028. He went on to note that the new draft allows communities to adopt RCV for local elections. There is also a provision for a study committee. Key Points:
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Health CareWhat you need to know:
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Changes to the Department of Health AccessThe House Health Care Committee took up H.206, which is entitled “An act relating to miscellaneous changes affecting the duties of the Department of Vermont Health Access,” on Thursday. Key Points:
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Green Mountain Care Board 2023 AppointmentsThis week the Senate Health and Welfare Committee confirmed the appointments of a number of the Green Mountain Care Board (GMCB) members. Key Points:
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Things to watch for next week:
Just kidding, the Legislature is on break for Town Meeting!
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