Ah, the eternal tug-of-war between "things were better back in my day" and "look how far we've come." Art Woolf's latest Substack dispatch, "Things Are Better Today, Really," offers a counterpoint to claims of wage stagnation since the 1970s by populists like Bernie Sanders. Woolf highlights a 34% real increase in median family income from $79,000 in 1969 to $105,800 in 2023 (adjusted dollars), and a 20% rise in median household income to $83,000 over that same period. He also emphasizes qualitative improvements — ­­such as advancements in consumer goods and medical technology —­ which inflation metrics often understate, that lead to an improved quality of life.

As Vermonters, many of us have felt the pinch of our state's housing shortage. Although we may not realize it; our state's housing crisis manifests itself in our high rents, short-staffed workplaces, increasing property-tax burden, aging population, and rising healthcare costs. Making our state inaccessible to young working families has significant consequences.

Housing is a cornerstone of stability and prosperity in any community, but in Vermont, its importance is amplified by the state's unique demographic, economic, and environmental challenges. With a population that is aging rapidly—projected to see 170K households aged 55+ by 2029—and a persistent shortage of affordable units, housing directly influences the ability of Vermonters to live, work, and thrive. Our state requires an additional 24K to 36K homes by 2029 to meet growing demand, normalize vacancy rates, and accommodate workforce needs, yet only about 2,300 new homes were permitted in 2022, far below the annual target of 5,000 to 7,000. This shortfall exacerbates issues like homelessness, where Vermont ranks second nationally in per capita rates, with over 3,295 individuals counted as unhoused in 2023, including a 200% increase in child homelessness since 2020. Without sufficient housing, basic social structures erode, affecting health outcomes, family stability, and community cohesion. This is particularly true for low-income and BIPOC families.

Every year, Campaign for Vermont sets a research agenda for when the legislature is out of session. These are topics that we want to focus on in the spirit of bringing forward new information and recommendations for our state's policymakers. This work might result in new research papers, new position statements, new legislation, or just furthering our own understanding of an issue.

At the end of last session a number of legislators announced they were not going to run for reelection and over a dozen more lost their reelection bids. In total, this meant 54 new faces in Montpelier this year, which created a serious stir. The political void departing legislators would be leaving behind – in terms of expertise, knowledge of the process, the history behind key bills, familiarity with staff – is hard to overstate.

The Legislature worked late last night, finally concluding that an education reform deal was out of reach. They are coming back in a couple weeks to (hopefully) finish the job.

The most significant event in Montpelier this week is the one that almost didn't happen... Sensing that the education reform bill (H.454) was going to have some challenges on the Senate floor, we issued an action alert on Monday. Those concerns turned out to be well-founded when Senate leadership announced on Tuesday that they were pulling the bill back from the floor.

I read Miro Weinberger’s recent opinion editorial “If Vermont wants a future of abundance, we must choose to build” with excitement. I too recently finished reading Ezra Klein’s new book, Abundance, and its relevance to Vermont is unquestionable.

We have a bunch of new bill reviews for you this week, including BOTH the House and Senate's versions of the housing bills and healthcare payment reform.

H.479 is the House's 2025 comprehensive housing bill aimed at addressing Vermont’s housing shortage through various programs, incentives, and regulatory changes. The legislation amends existing statutes and introduces new initiatives to improve rental housing, support manufactured home communities, enhance infrastructure, protect tenants, and streamline development processes.