Now that fall is here it will soon be time to look ahead to the 2024 legislative session, which starts on Jan. 3. To begin the preparation for the session and get input from district residents, “Dump & Donuts” office hours will take place this coming Saturday, Sept. 30 at the Chittenden transfer station from 8:30-10 a.m. and the Killington transfer station from 10:30 a.m.-12-noon. Please stop by for a treat, to say hi, and/or let me know what priorities you have for the next session.
While the State House has been quiet since the one-day veto session in June, the Governor’s administration has been busy with the aftermath of flooding that has hit the state this summer. The work of rebuilding is a long way from being done and will no doubt play a key role in the finances of the upcoming session.
With Scott’s declaration of emergency back in July, which expands the Governor’s authority to deal with a wide variety of relief efforts, the Legislature has been largely on the sideline (although many lawmakers likely played important roles within their own communities that were heavily damaged).
Perhaps it was the lack of attention that prompted the Speaker and Senate leader to write a letter to the Governor questioning whether he had the authority to issue new VT Strong license plates at a different price than the Irene plates 12 years ago and whether the proceeds could go to a different cause. While they indicated agreement in principle to the changes, some saw the letter as petty. For the Governor to call the Legislature back into special session to update the statute, even for a day, would have cost more than the new plates might raise in funding. Hopefully the different perspective on the plates is not a signal of further divide next year between the Governor and legislature when the session begins in January.
The past session saw the Legislature override Scott’s veto six times, including the state budget, the clean heat standard, and a new payroll tax for childcare support.
Some notes of interest:
The administration indicated that 18 state buildings in Montpelier suffered an estimated $100 million in damage because of the July flooding. It is unclear how much will be covered by FEMA and what will need to be funded out of the state budget at this juncture.
Although the state budget will face a potential stress test with flood remediation projects in the coming session, nearly 60 advocacy groups are calling on lawmakers to approve a new taxpayer funded family leave program in the coming session. Last winter, the measure passed the House with a new payroll tax, but not the Senate.
State economists increased the state’s general fund revenue forecast for the current fiscal year that began July 1 by $73 million. While it didn’t account for possible losses due to the flooding, most of the increase was the result of interest income earned on state funds due to higher rates and the one-time influx of federal money in the state treasury.
The Otter Creek Communication Union District, which is comprised of most Rutland County towns, was awarded a nearly $10 million grant to build out high speed broadband. The CUD plans to partner with Consolidated Communications. A special thanks to Larry Courcelle of Mendon, the Otter Creek Vice Chair and member of the state board of CUD’s for his help with this.
The new version of the VT Strong license plates may be purchased online at dmv.vermont.gov/vermontstrong23 or at DMV offices. The proceeds will benefit victims of this past summer’s flooding. They are $35.
In what has been a year of transition at the Vermont State Colleges, Dr. David Bergh will become the interim President of Vermont State University following the planned departure of Mike Smith next month. Bergh had previously served as Dean of Student Life and College Relations on the Johnson campus before moving on to other institutions. In the meantime, Chancellor Sophie Zdatny has announced she will step down at the end of the year.
The administration announced changes to the state grants to assist businesses impacted by the July flooding. The caps will be increased and tied to a percent of the total damages. (See related story in this edition). More information is available at accd.vermont.gov.
The town of Killington was a major beneficiary of a federally funded grant through the Northern Border Regional Commission with an award of $2.25 million. The grant is for infrastructure improvements including a municipal water system and a redesigned roadway system, which is required for the development of the Six Peaks Killington Village project.
The Green Mountain Care Board slashed the rate increase proposed by the UVM Health Network and the state’s largest hospital. The Board approved a 3.1% hike in rates after the hospital requested 10%. The Board is also asking for monthly updates on what the medical center is doing to curb costs.
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack has approved the Governor’s request for a Secretarial Disaster Designation in response to July’s flooding, which impacted thousands of acres of Vermont farmland. This comes on the heels of a widespread frost event in May, and is the second disaster declaration, emphasizing the difficult growing season that Vermont’s farmers have faced this year. Information about USDA’s disaster assistance programs is available at farmers.gov/recover.
As more issues come into focus for the 2024 session in the coming months, I will provide additional updates. In the meantime, enjoy all the Fall has to offer.
Jim Harrison is the Vermont state representative for Chittenden, Killington, Mendon and Pittsfield. He can be reached at: JHarrison@leg.state.vt.us or harrisonforvermont.com.
