Statehouse

House Appropriations Chair Kitty Toll Won't Seek Reelection

by Kevin McCallum on May 23, 2020 at 8:00AM

In an interview with Seven Days, Toll said the dire financial straits that the state faces made the decision to bow out tougher, not easier.

Scott Proposes 8 Percent Cut to Much of Vermont's State Budget

by Paul Heintz on May 20, 2020 at 12:14AM

The first — a reworking of the current state budget — won preliminary approval in the House last Friday. The second would govern spending in the first quarter of the next fiscal year, which starts in July.

Legislative Leaders Call on Scott to Mandate Masks in Vermont Stores

by Paul Heintz on May 19, 2020 at 3:47PM

In his remarks on Tuesday, Ashe suggested that Scott's health commissioner, Dr. Mark Levine, had failed to recommend a mask mandate or that Scott had ignored such a recommendation. "I confess, I wish the governor would order it and that the commissioner of health would encourage the governor to do so, because we've been very disciplined as a legislature and as a state so far in following the guidance of our public health officials," Ashe said.

Vermont House Backs Bill to Fill $195 Million State Budget Hole

by Paul Heintz on May 15, 2020 at 6:28PM

The House bill also appropriates a small portion of the $1.25 billion that the state received from the federal Coronavirus Relief Fund. It directs more than $5 million each to the Vermont State Colleges System, the University of Vermont and the Vermont Student Assistance Corporation.

Emma Mulvaney-Stanak Announces Bid for Vermont House

by Matthew Roy on May 15, 2020 at 4:15PM

Emma Mulvaney-Stanak, who formerly served as both a Burlington city councilor and as chair of the Vermont Progressive Party, has announced her candidacy for the Vermont House. Mulvaney-Stanak will run in the Chittenden 6-2 House district, where Rep. Jean O’Sullivan (D-Burlington) currently holds the sole seat.

Waylaid by Pandemic, Lawmakers Return Attention to More Routine Bills

by Kevin McCallum on May 14, 2020 at 5:22PM

Until recently, Ashe had made it clear that senators needed to focus solely on measures stemming from the COVID-19 crisis, such as expanding access to unemployment benefits and allowing the Senate to vote remotely.✖

Eviction Moratorium Bill Heads to Gov. Phil Scott

by Colin Flanders on May 5, 2020 at 11:28AM

The bill, S.333, seeks to prevent people from being thrown out onto the street at a time when the governor has issued a stay-at-home order to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Scott's order is set to expire May 15.

Scott Proposes Balancing Budget by Borrowing From Reserves

by Paul Heintz on May 4, 2020 at 11:35PM

The administration's plan to close the $195 million General Fund gap includes two components. The first is to draw down $138 million from the state's various reserve funds, which are currently worth $224 million.

Vermont Senate Approves $60 Million in Hazard Pay Grants

by Kevin McCallum on May 1, 2020 at 12:49PM

Sen. Ruth Hardy (D-Addison) said she was disappointed that school food service workers and farm workers were not included in the bill, but she supported it strongly anyway. She noted that the majority of workers covered by the bill are women.

Vermont Faces 17 Percent Shortfall in Tax Collections Next Year

by Paul Heintz on April 29, 2020 at 10:47PM

Kavet and executive branch economist Jeff Carr expect the state to bring in $146 million less in the final months of the current fiscal year than they had forecast just months ago. That doesn't include another $166 million in revenue that will arrive later than expected due to delays in tax due dates.

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