The Vermont Legislature has adjourned the first half of its biennium.
The Vermont Senate was the first to adjourn around 8:30 Friday evening.
Closing remarks by leaders in each chamber are a tradition before the final gavel falls.
This was Democrat/Progressive Phil Baruth’s first session serving as Senate Pro-Tem. He told senators they made significant progress in four areas.
“Child care was at the top of our list,” Baruth said. “Twenty years from now we may look back on H.217 as the most important bill of this biennium. We’ve also made history in terms of gun safety. We banned paramilitary training. We addressed our state’s alarming suicide crisis and we’ve made thoughtful changes here and there to keep guns out of the hands of those who would abuse them. In all of this we’ve held harmless Vermonters’ rights to self-defense and traditional hunting and target shooting. On housing we braved the divide between economic development and environmental protection. In response to the threat of climate change we passed S.5 and then overrode the governor’s veto of the bill.”
The Vermont House adjourned several hours later at about 11:30, following a debate and then passing the $8.5 billion state budget. Democratic Speaker Jill Krowinski said they gathered in January with a vision to make the state more equitable and resilient.
“Together we passed policies that benefit Vermonters in every corner of our state and creates an economy that works for everyone,” Krowinski said. “We continued to work to mitigate the impact of climate change on our state. Members, last year our nation witnessed the overturning of Roe v. Wade. We have stood firmly in defense of these rights and passed additional legislation this session to protect Vermonters. The budget we just passed includes an incredible package of investments essential to services and infrastructure desperately needed in all of our 14 counties. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention our historic universal child care bill. The individuals that care for our Vermont children will get the resources and financial support that they deserve while families will have increased access to child care that they can actually afford.”
Republican Governor Phil Scott addressed each chamber as they reached adjournment. His comments to the House and Senate are identical except for a few comments tailored for the individual body. He reminded legislators that when he addressed them in January they were in good fiscal shape with a surplus that would allow the state to invest in fundamental needs.
“You supported a number of these initiatives,” Scott said. “That includes investments to welcome more refugees who then contribute to our workforce and communities. We expanded important health services to more regions and more Vermonters including dental care, mental health, substance use treatment and prevention. We did take some steps forward with smart regulatory reforms to build more housing, which we desperately need in many areas of the state.”
Scott acknowledged disagreements between the Democratically-controlled legislature and his Republican administration.
“From my perspective in order to revitalize communities and welcome more workers across the state, we’ve got to make Vermont more affordable,” the governor said. “And to be clear, if we’re taking money out of one pocket to put it into the other, that’s not making anything more affordable. Right now, it appears this is an area where we may disagree. Every single one of your towns elected me, and you, because they wanted balance and they want sustainable solutions at a price they can afford. And it’s not as though we disagree on the goals. It’s the how and the pace in which we get there where there is disagreement.”
The legislature is scheduled to return to Montpelier on June 20th for a veto session.
