Vermont's business community unites in opposition to unemployment insurance bill -
Vermont business groups joined together this week in strong opposition to an unemployment insurance bill, S.10, that was approved last...more
Unemployment insurance bill will increase tax burden for Vermont businesses -
Without legislative intervention, Vermont businesses will experience an enormous increase in the unemployment insurance tax rate as a result of...more
Childcare bill becoming a heavy lift -
The House Committee on Human Services is working through H.171, a bill that would create a comprehensive child care system governed and subsidized by the state. The system would take...more
3/8/2021
/ Child Care ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Economic Development ,
Hospitality Industry ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Re-Opening Guidelines ,
Right to Bear Arms ,
State and Local Government ,
State Budgets ,
State Legislatures ,
State Taxes ,
Vermont
New stormwater requirements will cost property owners hundreds of millions of dollars -
The House Committee on Corrections and Institutions received a primer this week on the history behind the 3-acre general permit,...more
2/16/2021
/ Clean Water Act ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Environmental Conservation ,
General Permit ,
Governor Scott ,
Land Owners ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Re-Opening Guidelines ,
State and Local Government ,
State Legislatures ,
Tax Exemptions
Project based TIFs would expand rural redevelopment -
The Senate Committee on Economic Development, Housing and General Affairs is considering S.33, a bill that would allow more towns to apply for project-based tax...more
2/10/2021
/ Community Development ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Data Breach ,
Economic Development ,
Governor Scott ,
Income Taxes ,
Infrastructure ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Redevelopment ,
Relief Measures ,
State and Local Government ,
State Legislatures ,
State Pilot Programs ,
Unemployment Insurance
Vermont's legislature adjusts to a new normal -
The legislature convened remotely last week and seamlessly began its virtual session. While things are running smoothly technologically, lawmakers are operating under the...more
1/20/2021
/ CARES Act ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Executive Orders ,
Federal Funding ,
Governor Scott ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Public Schools ,
State and Local Government ,
State Budgets ,
State of Emergency ,
Town Hall Meetings ,
Vaccinations
Reopenings: Schools and the General Assembly Get Back to It.
Legislative Session 2020 started out like most sequels, with a feeling of déjà vu. It was Groundhog Day with a touch of “I Am Legend” thrown in for atmosphere....more
9/16/2020
/ Broadband ,
Business Entities ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Federal Funding ,
Financial Distress ,
Governor Scott ,
Hospitality Industry ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Public Pension ,
Public Schools ,
Re-Opening Guidelines ,
Remote Learning ,
Sole Proprietorship ,
State and Local Government ,
State Grants ,
State Legislatures ,
Tourism
Lawmaking in the COVID Era -
The legislature adjourned on June 26 at 8:41 p.m. Sort of. After holding what was nearly the longest and certainly the strangest session in history, the legislature has really only recessed,...more
7/7/2020
/ Broadband ,
CARES Act ,
Cloud Storage ,
Colleges ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Data Privacy ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Global Warming ,
Healthcare Workers ,
Internet Taxation ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Medical Monitoring ,
Minimum Wage ,
Misclassification ,
Paid Leave ,
PFAS ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Public Schools ,
State and Local Government ,
State Budgets ,
State Funding ,
State Grants ,
State Legislatures ,
Tobacco Regulations ,
Universities
Vermont has largely escaped the physical devastation of the COVID-19 pandemic, with the vast majority of cities and towns reporting zero to five cases. But the economic toll has been immense, and the scope of financial losses...more
When the legislature moved from the State House to the cloud eight weeks ago, it was anyone’s guess as to how that would work. The answer, it turns out, was about as well as one could expect. Small committees have functioned...more
5/8/2020
/ Child Care ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Governor Scott ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Public Schools ,
Re-Opening Guidelines ,
State and Local Government ,
State Budgets ,
State Legislatures ,
State Taxes
Renewable bill would raise rates by up to 10 percent per year -
The Senate Finance and Natural Resources and Energy committees took testimony this week on S.267, a bill to increase to 100 percent the renewable energy...more
3/2/2020
/ Capital Investments ,
Economic Growth ,
Educational Institutions ,
Energy Market ,
Governor Vetoes ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Incentives ,
Infrastructure ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Minimum Wage ,
PFAS ,
Power Plants ,
Renewable Energy ,
State and Local Government ,
Tax Increment Financing ,
Urban Planning & Development ,
Utility Rates ,
Wage and Hour
New Act 250 board proposal is gutted -
The House Committee on Ways and Means voted 9-1 this week in favor of an amendment to strike increases in permit fees proposed in H.926, the Act 250 reform bill. The fee increases, most...more
2/24/2020
/ Charging Stations ,
Cloud Computing ,
Construction Disputes ,
Construction Permits ,
Contractors ,
Economic Development ,
Electric Vehicles ,
Energy Efficiency ,
Environmental Policies ,
Fees ,
Healthcare Workers ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Motor Vehicles ,
PFAS ,
Renewable Energy ,
Rural Health Care Providers ,
Sales Tax ,
Software ,
State and Local Government ,
Telehealth
Divided House committee approves Act 250 compromise -
After more than a year of work, the House Natural Resources Committee voted 6-3 to approve sweeping changes to Vermont’s landmark land-use law, including a provision...more
2/19/2020
/ Educational Institutions ,
Employee Benefits ,
Global Warming ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Mental Health ,
Pending Legislation ,
Pensions ,
Renewable Energy ,
Retirement Plan ,
Stem cells ,
Suicide ,
Surprise Medical Bills ,
Tobacco Regulations ,
Vaping
Underfunded pension liabilities get needed attention
The topic of Vermont’s overwhelming state employee and teachers’ pension burdens rears its head on occasion, but legislators quickly move on to challenges more easily...more
2/10/2020
/ Biomass ,
Co-payments ,
Cost-Sharing ,
Driverless Cars ,
Economic Development ,
Educational Institutions ,
Employee Benefits ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare Facilities ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Mental Health ,
Non-Compete Agreements ,
Pensions ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Prescription Drug Coverage ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
State and Local Government ,
Telehealth ,
Tobacco Regulations
Global Warming Solutions Act: asking for too much or not enough?
The House Committee on Energy and Technology took testimony this week on the The Global Warming Solutions Act. University of Vermont Professor Jon Erickson...more
1/27/2020
/ ACOs ,
Board of Education ,
Capital Investments ,
Climate Change ,
Cloud Computing ,
Community Development ,
Competency Requirements ,
Educational Institutions ,
Elder Issues ,
Federal Agency Taskforce ,
Global Warming ,
Health Care Providers ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Minimum Wage ,
Non-Compete Agreements ,
Paid Family Leave Law ,
Pending Legislation ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Public Records ,
Research and Development ,
Small Business Loans ,
State and Local Government ,
State Budgets ,
Tax Returns ,
Tobacco Regulations ,
Wage and Hour ,
Ways and Means Committee
Paid Family Leave bill heading to a showdown -
The Senate approved the conference committee report on the paid family and medical leave bill on Friday, with a vote of 20-9-1. H.107 will now head to the House for a vote....more
1/20/2020
/ ACOs ,
Cloud Computing ,
Competency Requirements ,
Driverless Cars ,
Educational Institutions ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employment Contract ,
Environmental Policies ,
Federal Agency Taskforce ,
Health Care Providers ,
Healthcare Facilities ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Lead ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Mental Health ,
Non-Compete Agreements ,
Paid Family Leave Law ,
PFAS ,
Public Records ,
Revenue ,
Rural Health Care Program ,
State and Local Government ,
Tax Rates ,
Taxation ,
Water Quality
News about severe financial difficulties at the Brattleboro Retreat quickly spread throughout the State House this week, and just as quickly legislators rallied to throw their support behind the venerable institution....more
1/14/2020
/ Hospitals ,
Land-Use Permits ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Medicaid ,
Medical Monitoring ,
Mental Health ,
Minimum Wage ,
Non-Compete Agreements ,
Paid Family Leave Law ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Public Records ,
State and Local Government ,
Wage and Hour