Business -
Administration’s Economic Development Proposal – The Commissioner of Economic Development, Joan Goldstein, briefly updated the Senate Committee on Economic Development this week on the administration’s...more
Business -
The unemployment bill formerly known as S.10 – Business owners had their most challenging year in memory. Many hoped that the legislature, knowing this, would have sought to offset their challenges....more
6/3/2021
/ Broadband ,
Climate Change ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Economic Development ,
Energy Efficiency ,
Energy Storage ,
Executive Orders ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Public Schools ,
State and Local Government ,
State Budgets ,
State Legislatures ,
State Taxes ,
Unemployment Insurance ,
Vermont
Legislative Chess -
It’s the time of year when the legislature plays chess. Sometimes it even plays speed chess, with programs, initiatives, and tax code changes flying in and out of bills as they move back and forth...more
Senate passes budget -
On Friday, the Senate gave final approval to the $7.17 billion FY 2022 budget, H.439. Senate Appropriations Chair Jane Kitchel, D-Caledonia, called it “as complicated a budget as I’ve ever had to put...more
Governor proposes $90 million for state capital investment -
Department of Economic Development Commissioner Joan Goldstein presented Governor Scott's Capital Investment Grant Proposal to the Senate Economic Development...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
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
Legislators briefed on state pension challenges The House Government Operations Committee met on Thursday to discuss Vermont's overwhelming pension-underfunding problem. Joint Fiscal Office staff member Chris Rupe presented...more
1/26/2021
/ CARES Act ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Defined Benefit Plans ,
Economic Development ,
Employee Benefits ,
Executive Orders ,
Governor Scott ,
Natural Resources ,
Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) ,
Pensions ,
Real Estate Development ,
Retirement Plan ,
Unemployment Insurance
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
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
Early in the session, the House Commerce and Economic Development Committee established workforce development as its priority. The committee took weeks of extensive testimony on the workforce issues facing Vermont. ...more
5/31/2019
/ Agribusiness ,
Cannabis Products ,
Conservation ,
Contract Renewal ,
Data Privacy ,
Deregulation ,
Economic Development ,
Farms ,
Insurance Industry ,
Insurance Regulations ,
Job Creation ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Marijuana ,
Proposed Legislation ,
State and Local Government ,
Tax Rates
Final push on clean water governance bill -
The House Committee on Natural Resources continued its work this week on S.96, a bill that would adopt a clean water investment and governance proposal promoted by the Agency of...more
The Senate this week passed a bill imposing strict liability and medical monitoring obligations on commercial users of toxic substances on a 21-8 vote. Given the recent and intense focus on toxic releases of chemicals such as...more
3/18/2019
/ Child Care ,
Comprehensive Primary Care (CPC+) ,
Economic Development ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare ,
Hospitals ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Medical Monitoring ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Rural Health Care Providers ,
Social Services ,
Strict Liability ,
Transparency
A May 18th adjournment brought to a close the first half of the 74th biennial session of the Vermont General Assembly. Drama awaits as Gov. Phil Scott has threatened to veto H.518, the fiscal year 2018 budget, over an...more
5/30/2017
/ ACOs ,
Affordable Housing ,
Biologics ,
Carbon Taxes ,
Cell Towers ,
Decriminalization of Marijuana ,
Economic Development ,
Energy Sector ,
Energy Storage ,
Energy-Efficiency Tax Credits ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Escrow Accounts ,
First Amendment ,
Independent Contractors ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Lifeline Program ,
Medical Marijuana ,
Mental Health ,
Mortgages ,
Net Metering ,
Paid Family Leave Law ,
Power Grid ,
Pregnancy Discrimination ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Retirement Plan ,
Rural Development ,
Sexual Assault ,
Social Media Policy ,
State Budgets ,
Students ,
Suicide ,
Telecommunications ,
Telemarketing ,
Telemedicine ,
Tobacco Regulations ,
Toxic Exposure ,
Water
The House Ways and Means Committee is considering a proposal from the Vermont Department of Taxes to reduce the amount of use tax a person can pay without providing records to prove his or her tax liability. The rate would...more
3/21/2017
/ ACOs ,
Ambulance Providers ,
Economic Development ,
Emergency Response ,
Firemen ,
Health Care Providers ,
Independent Contractors ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Lifeline Program ,
Low-Income Issues ,
Mental Health ,
Misclassification ,
Nurses ,
Paid Family Leave Law ,
Police ,
Proposed Legislation ,
PTSD ,
Sales & Use Tax ,
Sexual Assault ,
Social Media Policy ,
Tax Liability ,
Telecommunications ,
Tobacco Regulations ,
Toxic Chemicals ,
Ways and Means Committee ,
Workers' Compensation Claim
House Commerce Considers Independent Contractors, Again -
Vermont's business community continues to plead with lawmakers to update the statute defining independent contractors, arguing that current law is costly and...more
3/7/2017
/ Economic Development ,
Economic Realities Test ,
Employee Definition ,
Health Care Providers ,
Independent Contractors ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Mental Health ,
Misclassification ,
Motor Vehicles ,
Nurses ,
Proposed Legislation ,
PTSD ,
Public Schools ,
Rural Areas ,
Rural Development ,
Suicide ,
Tax Increases ,
Urban Planning & Development ,
Wage and Hour ,
Water ,
Workers' Compensation Defense
Act 188 Plans On Hold as New Chemical Bill is Introduced -
Nearly three years after the legislature passed a law to regulate children’s products containing chemicals of high concern, a web site intended to inform the...more
2/28/2017
/ ACOs ,
Affordable Care Act ,
Angel Investors ,
Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (BCBS) ,
Blue Cross ,
Blue Shield ,
Children's Products ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Duty to Warn ,
Economic Development ,
Employee Housing ,
Hazardous Substances ,
Health Care Providers ,
Health Insurance ,
Hospitals ,
Housing Market ,
Insurance Industry ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Meals-Gifts-and Entertainment Rules ,
Medicaid ,
Mental Health ,
Minimum Wage ,
Municipalities ,
Original Source ,
Pending Legislation ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Pregnancy ,
Pregnancy Discrimination ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Public Health ,
R&D ,
Research and Development ,
Safety Standards ,
Senate Finance Committee ,
Suicide ,
Tax Credits ,
Tax Increment Financing ,
Tax Revenues ,
Toxic Chemicals ,
Traditional News ,
Vaccinations ,
Wage and Hour ,
Wages
Governor’s $35 Million Housing Bond Discussed in Ways and Means Committee -
Executive Director Gus Selig of the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board revealed some of the details this week behind the $35 million bond...more
2/20/2017
/ ACOs ,
Affordable Care Act ,
Affordable Housing ,
Agricultural Sector ,
Aircraft Equipment ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Drug Pricing ,
Economic Development ,
Funding ,
Health Care Providers ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare Facilities ,
Job Creation ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Medicaid ,
Mental Health ,
Millennials ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Prescription Drugs ,
R&D ,
Research and Development ,
Rural Areas ,
Rural Development ,
Sales Tax ,
State Budgets ,
Tax Credits ,
Telemedicine ,
Transfer Taxes
The Agency of Transportation has submitted a proposal to the House Transportation Committee that would allow the agency to seek damages from a utility that fails to move or adjust a utility line that is in a state or local...more
2/13/2017
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Auto Insurance ,
Coal ,
Divestment ,
Economic Development ,
Employee Benefits ,
Exxon Mobil ,
Fossil Fuel ,
Health Care Providers ,
Health Insurance ,
Hospitals ,
Insurance Industry ,
Investment ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Lyft ,
Medicaid ,
Mental Health ,
Municipalities ,
Natural Gas ,
Notice Requirements ,
Oil & Gas ,
Pending Legislation ,
Pensions ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Pharmacies ,
Qualified Health Plans ,
Right of Way ,
Sharing Economy ,
State Pilot Programs ,
Telecommunications ,
Telemedicine ,
Telephone Service Providers ,
Transportation Industry ,
Uber ,
Utilities Sector ,
Water
Equipment Supplier/Dealer Bill Moving in Commerce -
A bill that would tip the scales in contract negotiations between farm and yard equipment suppliers and their local dealers has passed the Senate and is now pending...more
3/29/2016
/ Broadband ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Drug & Alcohol Abuse ,
Drug Pricing ,
Economic Development ,
Health Care Providers ,
Independent Contractors ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Pesticides ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Retail Market ,
Suppliers ,
Telecommunications ,
Workplace Violence
Committee Decides Physician Acquisition Disclosure Bill Is Unnecessary -
The Senate Health and Welfare Committee has decided not to pursue consideration of S.245, a proposal to require disclosure of new affiliations...more
3/1/2016
/ Affiliated-Business Arrangements ,
Antitrust Violations ,
Audits ,
Coal ,
Divestment ,
Economic Development ,
Exxon Mobil ,
Health Care Providers ,
Independent Contractors ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Penalties ,
Permits ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Telecommunications ,
Water Quality