Seth Bongartz, Chair of the Senate Education Committee, drew a new map for education governance reform in response to Governor Scott's plan. The significantly reduces the number of governance bodies in the education system but also preserves inter-state and tuitioning school districts in most instances.

The Vermont Age-Appropriate Design Code Act establishes regulations for online services and products that are likely to be accessed by minors. It emphasizes the protection of minors' data and outlines the responsibilities of businesses in handling this information.

The bill, H.129, is meant to simplify the school construction process and aid in a more equitable distribution of funds across the state while lowering the pressure on property tax increases. 

Dear Senate Government Operations Committee,

Having been involved in ethics legislation in Vermont for over a decade, we have significant concerns about H.1 which is on your Committee schedule for this week. We believe this bill represents a step backwards in transparency and accountability for public officials and that the bill was rushed out of the House before national ethics experts could weigh in.

This week tensions boiled over between Governor Scott and the Legislature over the mid-year budget adjustment for FY2025. The Legislature's version of the bill faced significant opposition from Governor Scott, who criticized it as "irresponsible" spending. At the heart of the dispute is the motel voucher program, which is set to expire in April for the summer (the FY2025 budget only funded the program for families most in need through the winter months). Legislative leaders, lacking the votes to override Governor Scott’s veto, shifted focus earlier this week; they pressed the Governor to extend the motel shelter program for a subset of unhoused persons, reflecting a narrower approach to address the "immediate needs" amid budget disputes.

This legislation aims to address issues surrounding the protection of consumer data and the regulation of online surveillance practices. The effort reflects growing concerns about digital privacy rights.

Dear House Commerce Committee,

Thank you for taking on Career and Technical Education (CTE) reform this year. This is such an important topic for the future of our state and our workforce. Campaign for Vermont has long supported efforts to put these resources front and center in our education system.

Montpelier, Vermont – On Tuesday, Campaign for Vermont Prosperity (CFV) issued a statement regarding a bill they say represents a step backwards on ethics reform. “It’s unfortunate,” said CFV Executive Director Ben Kinsley, “we have been making progress on ethics reform for nearly a decade now, but this bill moves us in the wrong direction.”

As legislators returned to Montpelier this week we saw some of the hastiest decision-making this year. To be fair, that is usually the case as the cross-over deadline looms large over committee work.