During the Town Meeting recess, we took the opportunity to visit our Maryland grandsons, Theo and Spencer. Six-year-old Theo challenged me to play a game of chess. I haven’t played chess in many years and even needed a refresher on which pieces could make which moves. And while I started strong, there was that gleam in the eye when Theo had my king cornered and proudly said, “Checkmate.”
While the annual Budget Adjustment Act is certainly not a game, there remains significant disagreement between legislative leaders and the governor over the extension of the winter rules for the hotel program. The Legislature has insisted on continuing the expanded winter rules until June 30. The first BAA was vetoed, and the second BAA is on the path to another veto over this issue.
On Friday afternoon, Governor Scott essentially “checkmated” the Legislature by issuing an executive order to implement his administration’s proposed compromise on the hotel voucher program. The order allows expanded winter rules to end on April 1, as agreed last year. However, it continues protecting homeless families with children and those with certain medical disabilities to remain in hotels without the 80-day cap that will now apply to everyone else in the program.
Another area where there is the potential for another stalemate is education reform. Last week, Governor Scott made it clear where he stands on the bill emerging in the House that takes more time to study the issue of district consolidation. He said, “I will not support adjourning this session without a bill to transition to a new funding system, establish a new governance structure that unlocks transformation, and includes a specific implementation timeline. All these steps are necessary to improve equity, maximize efficiency, achieve educational excellence, and be cost-effective for taxpayers.”
The Senate may be a bit more in line with the governor on reform efforts, with a plan under consideration that dramatically reduces the number of school districts and supervisory unions. The Senate Education Committee chair, Senator Bongartz, D-Bennington, is also attempting to combine existing districts with school choice rather than tackle that issue now statewide.
Related to education finance changes, the House Ways & Means Committee is reviewing a proposal to add multiple categories to the non-homestead property tax appraisals, which it could then tax differently. Currently, commercial apartments, second homes, and other non-residential properties are all treated the same.
Other issues of interest:
The House approved its version of the Fiscal Year ’26 budget after the House Appropriations Committee advanced the measure on a Monday 11-0 committee vote. The full House approved the bill, H.493, 104-38. There remains some concern over a few reductions the committee made, including a portion of the housing investments recommended by the administration, which the committee used to cover cost-of-living adjustments to many service providers. The bill now moves to the Senate.
The House approved H. 342, a new data privacy bill to protect the private information of public servants such as judges and law enforcement officers. While the concept has widespread support, controversy remains over a provision that may encourage lawsuits.
The House passed H.479, a bill to promote housing, on a wide tri-partisan vote. The measure includes helping with infrastructure improvements, such as water and sewer, streamlining the appeals process that often holds up approvals, and adding funding to assist landlords in rehabilitating old apartments and getting them back on the market.
The House approved the annual yield bill, H.491, which sets the statewide property tax rate. Under the legislation, which may change in the Senate, the House Ways & Means Committee utilized a $77 million surplus from the General Fund to lower average property tax rate increases to about 1 percent. Some are concerned that without education reforms to reduce costs, Vermonters could see a larger increase next year without the use of one-time surpluses to buy down rates.
The Senate approved legislation, H.2, previously passed by the House, to delay the Raise the Age initiative by two years. Had the action not been taken, 19-year-olds would have been treated as juveniles for most criminal charges on April 1.
The House approved H.481, which delays some of the permitting provisions of the 3-acre stormwater program. The law, enacted by a prior legislature, is expected to add significant costs to approximately 700 parcels, including fairgrounds and private roads, with over three acres of impervious surface.
Now to brush up on my chess.
