The bill updating Vermont’s Renewable Energy Standard (RES), H.289, reached the Senate Floor on Friday. Senator Bray, on behalf of the Natural Resources Committee, recommended they concur with the House version of the bill. He called this an “incremental version” of the RES that they started in 2015 (a 2.0 as it were). He argued that times are changing, and needs are changing, this bill advances the timeline for reaching 100% renewable & in-state generation to 2030. There had been different stakeholders who do not agree (utilities and solar/wind developers) on how to do this. They formed a committee to look at this over the summer and came to an agreement. The result, he claimed, was H.289.

Chairwoman Cummings opened the Senate Finance Committee meeting on Tuesday by reminding Senators that “we now have about four days (possession of H.887)… to figure out how to actually save the public school system.” It was noted that 30 school budgets had been defeated, some now twice. Senator Chittenden added the South Burlington budget 3^rd vote is next Tuesday.

Representative Conlon joined the Senate Education Committee on Wednesday afternoon. The Committee wanted to hear from him about a “formal check in” from the Commission on the Future of Education in January.

The Senate Economic Development Committee convened on Wednesday morning to review the new version of H.687, which incorporated parts of the bill they had worked on earlier in the session – S.311. Chairwoman Ram Hinsdale noted that there was a new amendment from Senator Bray that had just been released. She noted that Bray was claiming this amendment was the “holy grail of negotiations” between her and the Senate Natural Resources Committee.

On Tuesday, Nolan Langweil (Principal Fiscal Analyst, Joint Fiscal Office)  reviewed S.98 with the House Appropriations Committee. The bill relates to Green Mountain Care Board (GMCB) authority over prescription drug costs. The House Health Care Committee had made amendments concerning the GMCB Nominating Committee, and then passed the bill on to this Committee.

Chelsea Myers (Associate Executive Director of the Vermont Superintendents Association) testified in the House Education Committee on Wednesday concerning S.304, which deals Career and Technical Education. She noted that VSA had two stakeholder feedback meetings in late 2023.  Several core themes emerged from the first meeting including:

Dr. Gregory Rowangould (Director, Transportation Research Center) joined the House Transportation Committee on Wednesday morning. He had been asked to address the issue of reduced revenues from declining gas consumption as more people use EVs and higher mileage ICE vehicles combined with increasing inflation that impacts the material costs for maintaining roads. The Transportation Fund is getting stretched.

Options being considered included raising the gas tax, index gas tax to inflation, raise registration and inspection fees, shift funding from other streams, distance-based charges, tolls, congestion charging, more efficient use of existing resources. However, Rowangould’s presentation focuses on mileage fees. 

Stephanie Betit-Hancock (Director of Student Support Services, Windham Central Supervisory Union) offered to outline their work and why they support the BOCES bill to the Senate Education Committee on Friday afternoon.

Secretary Saunders (Secretary, Agency of Education) joined the Senate Education Committee on Friday afternoon to discuss Section 1 of the property tax yield bill, H.887. The Agency supports this section which creates the Commission on the Future of Education. She did offer some clarifying language ensuring more representation of policy experts can be accessed. She her written testimony.

Chairwoman Kornheiser outlined a list of reasons that have led to the moment and need for a joint hearing of the House Education and Ways & Means Committees this week. School budgets have a “rough road to passage this year,” she argued, and even with the default budget that takes effect July 1^st, districts will still eventually need to pass a budget. She is concerned that budgets may never pass. Additionally, the statute regarding tuitioning districts may have a little bit of conflict with itself.

She explained that after conversation with Chairman Conlon “and the field” (likely the interest groups representing school administrators) she sat down with the Joint Fiscal Office and Legislative Counsel to develop a set of scenarios as a starting point for discussions.