The Vermont State Ethics Commission presented a $210,353 budget to the House Appropriations Committee on Thursday, plus its annual report for 2023. Christina Sivret (Executive Director, Vermont State Ethics Commission) noted that the Commission received fifteen complaints (a 400% increase), twenty-nine complaint inquiries (a 163% increase), four advisory opinion requests (a 100% increase), and twenty-five guidance requests (a 19% increase) in 2023. 

Chair Kornheiser and members of the House Ways & Means Committee,

I have worked on education finance and policy issues in Vermont since 2014, including navigating the leadup to Act 46 and its aftermath. The crisis before you today is perhaps the gravest we have seen in decades. Sadly, nearly everyone who is part of the education system is culpable.

The basic facts are that we have more adults in our schools than any state in the country (and it’s not even close), resulting in the second highest cost per student. Over the past decades, we have seen steady spending increases[1], while staffing levels have persisted. Further, test scores have declined compared to other states who spend less[2].

Becca Washburn (Recreation Chair, Vermont Outdoor Recreation Outdoor Recreation Economic Collaborative) joined the House Agriculture Committee on Tuesday to review H.673, which proposes to direct the Vermont Outdoor Recreation Economic Collaborative to conduct an outdoor recreation economic impact study. It would also create a position at the Vermont Trails and Greenways Council (VTGC). Additionally, it would also appropriate funds to the Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation to oversee the development of best management practices for recreational trails in cooperation with the VTGC.

Judge Walsh introduced himself to the House General Committee and highlighted his 18 years as an attorney after being an engineer. For six years he represented the former Environmental Board and was also in private practice. His experience goes back to before Act 100 and the appeals process.

Legislative Counsel started reviewing Section 15 of H.719 for the House General Committee on Tuesday afternoon. This section creates some time limits on and on venues where they can be brought.

Susan Barrett (Executive Director, Green Mountain Care Board (GMCB)) and Julia Boles (Health Policy Advisor, GMCB) opened the Friday session with Senate Health & Welfare Committee discussing the GMCB. Their mission is to drive system-wide improvements in access, affordability and quality of health care to improve the health of Vermonters. They regulate major areas of Vermont’s health care system in service of the public interest. They also serve as an unbiased source of information and analysis on health system performance. Thirdly, they monitor and evaluate health care payment and delivery system reform to provide public care payment delivery system reform to provide public transparency. 

The Senate Economic Development Committee met on Friday to take additional testimony on the latest draft of the BE Home Bill.

Elizabeth Bridgewater (Executive Director, Windham and Windsor Housing Trust) thanked the Committee for prioritizing housing issues and seeking ways to make the development process itself faster and more efficient. Reforming the appeals process, she believes, is particularly needed as she “unfortunately has some experience” with this.

In 2021, Vermont initiated a comprehensive inventory and assessment of all public school buildings through Act 72, aiming to address long-standing issues stemming from the suspension of a school construction aid program in 2008. The subsequent creation of the School Construction Aid Taskforce in 2023, mandated by Act 78, aimed to analyze the assessment results and formulate recommendations for a new statewide aid program.

Chairman Bray kicked off the Senate Natural Resources Committee meeting on Thursday by acknowledging that Legislative Counsel has done great work producing a “very long bill,” S.308, based on the Natural Resource Board (NRB) recommendations. The core bill concepts were presented to the Committee, but they did not do a full walk-through because of the length of the legislation. The “advocates who are in this morning” were encouraged to respond to the draft with comments and concerns about the draft.