On February 12, 2025
State News

Legislative update: looking ahead

Many of you have been in touch about the unprecedented actions being taken by our new President and those he has deputized. In addition to the scores of emails I’ve had from constituents, Montpelier was the focus of a huge demonstration on Wednesday, Feb. 5, protesting the actions taken by the Trump Administration targeting USAID, those working on our farms and in our forests, in the tourism, outdoor recreation sector, and our scientific research, arts, and culture communities. Clearly, a large number of Vermonters are very concerned, scared even, about what and how the current federal Administration is arbitrarily cutting and curtailing important, life-saving work, firing so many of our federal workforce, and threatening the lives and livelihoods of our refugees, farm and forestry employees.

With one-third of our state budget, over $3 billion, possibly at risk, the Legislature, the governor, and the treasurer are taking steps to identify programs affecting Vermonters. The threats of tariffs, loss of grant money, and key life-sustaining financial assistance for food, housing, and medical support mean there is a lot at stake for Vermonters. Our housing crisis alone will be further exacerbated if the tariffs imposed on Canadian lumber are allowed to go into effect. The federal government’s actions will affect our workforce, the scientific research at our colleges and universities, our businesses, and their exports.

The Legislature is working to protect as many Vermonters and Vermont programs as possible.  This will be a legal and financial challenge as many programs are up to 90% federally funded, and our National Guard is subject to the orders of our Commander and Chief. We clearly do not have the financial resources to fill all the gaps of lost federal funding, but we are exploring the resources and options we have to help shield Vermonters.

Vermonters should take heart that we have such a strong federal delegation (Balint, Sanders and Welch). Each of them has vocally opposed these unorthodox, anti-democratic, and harmful measures President Trump and DOGE have taken and are pushing back on.

As we look towards the future, Vermont has some stark choices to make. I encourage you to read a report recently presented to the Legislature by Kevin Chu and the Vermont Future’s Project entitled “Vermont Economic Action Plan – Towards Affordability and Abundance.” 

This non-partisan report, rich with data, makes the case that if we want a future of affordable abundance, we need a consistent strategy on how to grow our working-age population (2% a year for the next 10 years) and build more housing (7,000 units a year). It posits that we need to overcome our prejudice about growth and suggests that Vermont’s real threat is not growing at all. The report identifies 6 expansion strategies (recruitment and retention) and 4 efficiency strategies (economic alignment and stewardship) each of which challenges us to think outside the box.

Sen. Clarkson can be reached by email: [email protected] or by phone at the Statehouse (Tues-Fri) 802-828-2228 or at home (Sat-Mon) 802- 457-4627. 

Do you want to submit feedback to the editor?

Send Us An Email!

Related Posts

It’s not pretty

May 28, 2025
The legislative process is sometimes likened to sausage making, not pretty to watch. That was certainly true last week at the State House with education reform and a major housing bill being considered. Both had a week of ups and downs with more work still to be done. The Senate version of the education reform…

Ed funding reform moves forward

May 28, 2025
By Polly Mikula Vermont Senate passed H.454, the state’s landmark education reform bill, Friday night, May 23, after days of debate and uncertainty. The bill now heads back to the House, which was expected to call for a conference committee to work out its differences with the Senate version as soon as Tuesday, May 27.…

‘The winners are losers and the losers are winners’

May 21, 2025
That was how Vermont Public reporter Lola Dufort described one of the potential challenges to move to a foundation formula that is included in the education reform bill under consideration. Under a foundation financing system, which is common in most states, each school district receives a standard amount per student adjusted for certain factors like…

Statewide ban on phones in schools picks up steam

May 21, 2025
By Habib Sabet/VTDigger Vermont is on track to join a growing list of states that have banned smartphones from classrooms statewide. Last week, lawmakers in a key committee advanced legislation that would require all of the state’s public school districts and independent schools to develop policies prohibiting students from using smartphones and other personal devices like…