On March 21, the House passed the tri-partisan Education Finance Reform Bill, H.911 on a vote of 85-54. The bill provides a restructuring of the Education Fund, updating the Vermont personal income tax code to streamline it with the federal changes and […]
Category: State News
Legislative report: Who can be against lower taxes?
By Rep. Jim Harrison, R-Bridgewater, Chittenden, Killington & Mendon This past week, the Vermont House voted on a proposal to lower residential property taxes for education. Who could be against that? After careful consideration, I voted against H.911 when it […]
Scott announces school safety task force: Students locally, nationwide walk out of schools in protest, memorializing victims
By Katy Savage RUTLAND—Gov. Phil Scott started a speech before members of the Rutland Region Chamber of Commerce and Rutland Economic Development Fund Monday, March 12, by addressing what he called “the elephant in the room.” About a month ago, […]
Castleton closes Polling Institute, eliminates two dean positions
By Kelsey Neubauer, VTDigger The state’s only polling institute is among the casualties as Castleton University seeks to address a $1.5 million budget gap. Two dean positions have also been eliminated. Castleton spokesperson Jeff Weld said Tuesday, March 13, that the […]
On deck: budget, taxes, firearms and more
By Rep. Jim Harrison, R-Bridgewater, Chittenden, Killington and Mendon Some of the sessions big issues will be up for votes on the House floor this coming week, including the “must pass” state budget. This is the time of year when […]
Senate passes expanded medical marijuana bill
On Friday, March 2, the Vermont Senate approved bill S.216, to allow medical marijuana sales for any “disease, condition, or treatment as determined in writing by a qualifying patient’s health care professional,” according to page 334, of the March 1 Senate […]
School boards appeal to Legislature regarding funding bill
In school budgets presented to voters on Town Meeting Day, school boards and administrators rose to the challenge of keeping spending growth below the state’s target of 2.5 percent. FY 2019 statewide education spending growth is estimated at 1.5 percent, […]
35 Vermont towns pass climate resolutions
On Town Meeting Day, Vermont residents from 35 towns voted overwhelmingly in favor of resolutions seeking climate solutions. The exact wording of each resolution varied, but all the resolutions acknowledged the severity of climate change, urged the State of Vermont […]
Second half of legislative session begins
By Rep. Jim Harrison, R-Bridgewater, Chittenden, Killington & Mendon It was great to see so many people at the town meetings in each of the district towns last week. Bridgewater’s meeting was unique in the sense that it was held […]
Legislative update: Town Meeting week
By Senator Alison Clarkson It’s Town Meeting week and we are about half way through Vermont’s Legislative Session. We’ve pressed hard to vote out all the priority bills from our Committees in order to meet our “cross over” deadline (that […]