As I may have mentioned before, our House Appropriations Committee has a tradition of starting off each day with a short joke or riddle. Sometimes they are funny or get a laugh because they are lacking. It helps break the ice before we take testimony or discuss various expense priorities. Starting off the budget conference committee (three members of Senate Appropriations and three members of House Appropriations), last week to resolve differences in our versions of the budget, we thought we would try that routine with our Senate colleagues. Little did we know that the Senate Chair, Andy Perchlik, has a past as a stand-up comic. Not only could he answer many of our riddles, but he had his own that quickly came forward. We met our match and then some in this area!
On the actual budget, I am pleased to report that many compromises were made by all sides, including the governor’s team, to get us to the point that the six of us signed the report on Friday afternoon, May 9. It was a long week of meeting three times a day with other huddles in-between to resolve differences and come up with a new version of H.493 that will be presented to both chambers for approval this week. There is something in the package for everyone to take issue with as well as to like. After all, it is a $9 billion package including federal funded programs, state transportation funding and education payments.
Probably no surprise to my colleagues in the House, I was the last one to get to a “yes” on the package. I strongly objected to a $700K line item the Senate budget included to start up a climate superfund to eventually bill oil companies for past climate damage in Vermont. While the concept sounds good, the potential cost and likelihood of reward on this issue puts too much risk on Vermont taxpayers. It could cost Vermont many millions of dollars in future years with only a chance of success. As it is, we are already being sued by the U.S. Justice Dept. (along with 24 other states) over this first in the nation’s law. On Thursday, we reached a compromise on the issue and agreed to split the difference to 350K. I want to thank my House colleagues on the committee, Robin Scheu of Middlebury and Tiffany Bluemle of Burlington, along with the House Speaker Jill Krowinski, and the governor and his team for working with me on it (the governor was not a fan of the new expense either).
Friday afternoon also saw conference committees resolve two other major money bills, transportation and capital construction. If this was a normal year, agreement on these three pieces of legislation would signal a week or less of the session left. However, with this year’s education reform efforts still under consideration, as well as housing and health care reform, adjournment is likely to be extended by a couple of weeks.
Other issues of interest:
The House and Senate approved the annual yield bill that sets the statewide property tax rates. Using one-time surplus funds, the Legislature lowered the average increase in tax rates to about 1%. Communities may see higher or lower rates depending on their individual school budgets and adjustments for the Common Level of Appraisal. Some lawmakers warned that utilizing surplus funds to bring down tax rates could cause even larger increases next year.
H.218, which authorizes expenditures from the Opiod Abatement Special Fund, has been approved and sent to the governor. The legislation includes funds for the startup of the safe injection site in Burlington, which was passed last year over a veto by the governor.
As of Friday, 32 bills have been passed by both chambers, with 15 signed into law thus far. There have been two vetoes (both were versions of the mid-year budget adjustment bills).
With the money bills completed, let’s hope the committees working on the other major issues like housing, education and health care can also find a way forward.
Jim Harrison is the state representative for Chittenden, Killington, Mendon, and Pittsfield. He can be reached at [email protected].
