Legislative Update 1/23/2023
This legislative session is still in the early stages, with a full third of members new to the job. A few bills have passed at this point which are simple updates to extend Covid-era provisions for remote meetings and similar “fixes.” [bridges?] The real focus has been on bringing members up to speed on the subjects of their committee jurisdiction.
On Friday Governor Scott gave his budget address outlining his priorities and suggested spending. Broadly there is a fair amount of alignment with legislative priorities. However, Vermont law requires that all budgets begin in the House, so the administration’s budget is more a wish list, and a lot of figures will change dramatically during the next four months.
This week many committees were working on various sections of the Budget Adjustment Act which reallocates surpluses or money that won’t be utilized from the last budget. The total is about $175M. The Housing and General Affairs Committee on which I serve is recommending another substantial commitment to building new housing stock. Each committee will have its own wish list and the Appropriations Committee will develop a final proposal balancing those requests.
Next week my committee will begin hearing testimony on H.66, the Family and Medical Leave Insurance bill. This is a revision of a bill that the legislature passed last year but the governor vetoed. The veto override attempt fell one vote short of the required 100 votes needed. Lessons learned from the pandemic have highlighted the need for people to take sick leave or to care for an ill family member without suffering a crippling financial loss. This year H.66 is starting out with over 100 sponsors, including me, so there is a very different dynamic.
In an attempt to pre-empt H.66, Governor Scott has announced his own more limited version of a Family Leave Plan. His is small, voluntary, and primarily available to state workers and those whose employers may already provide sick leave. The legislature’s version is far more comprehensive and will include self-employed, part-time, and low wage workers who really need this coverage. It would be funded through a payroll tax of about half a percent split between employer and employee, though the employer can opt to pay more. Stay tuned for updates!
As always, please reach out to me with questions or concerns, either by replying to this posting or by emailing me at rchesnut-tangerman@leg.state.vt.us or by leaving a message with the Sergeant at Arms at 802-828-2228.