STATE TO MAIN

February 17, 2023

Good Afternoon –

 

This session, all roads lead to housing (or lack thereof). The issue is a recurring theme across committees, as it has become a foundational concern for many other key issues. In testimony on funding for paid family leave and childcare from Eli Lesser-Goldsmith of Healthy Living Market and Café, the conversation ultimately became centered on housing, and the need for urgent action to ensure more people can live and work in Vermont. A joint public hearing on housing was also held this week and featured key testimony from Lisa Groeneveld of OnLogic.

 

While some committees are prioritizing the immediate needs of Vermonters, others are spending time on setting goals to ensure a healthy future for Vermont. Unfortunately, the latter focuses on keeping Vermont undeveloped, without balancing the ability of Vermont to meet housing demands. We know that Vermont’s natural resources can thrive with smart growth development. This is why the Vermont Chamber has introduced the idea, based on data from VHFA, of setting a housing goal of 40,000 new units by 2040 to complement the goals of 30% of land conserved by 2030 and 50% by 2050.

 

As always, the Vermont Chamber advocacy team can be reached at govaffairs@vtchamber.com.

 

Sincerely,

Megan Sullivan, VP of Government Affairs
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The Vermont Chamber is continuing to urge legislators to consider the collective impact of proposals on Vermont businesses when evaluating funding sources for new revenue streams. Testimony this week encouraged the Senate Finance Committee to consider the inability of employers to fund multiple major investments in new paid family and medical leave and childcare proposals without putting the success of their business, and their communities, at risk.


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Bill Updates

  • S.5 Affordable Heat – The Senate Natural Resources and Energy Committee voted the new version out of committee unanimously which is expected to add up to 70 cents to a gallon of heating fuel.
  • S.9 Auditor/Contractors – The Senate Government Operations Committee heard testimony on this bill from industry partners. The Associated General Contractors of Vermont testified that the bill would allow the Auditor access to records related to contracts without any guardrails, which would be a significant expansion of the Auditor’s authority.
  • H.10 VEGI – Modernization proposals put forward by the Governor’s administration were predictably met with adversity from longstanding critics who are vehemently opposed to the existence of the program in any form. The Vermont Chamber will testify next week on the need maintain this important program and for a balanced third-party analysis amid personal and political agendas hindering the ability for productive discourse on Vermont’s only business incentive program.
  • S.45 SALT – The Joint Fiscal Office testified before the Senate Finance Committee that the bill would have a minimal impact on state revenues, and would provide a federal tax benefit of $10-20 million for Vermont resident filers.
  • H.55 UI – The Department of Labor worked through technical issues in this bill with the House Commerce and Economic Development Committee this week. The Committee will attempt to remedy the bonding issue for small nonprofit employers and pass the bill out of committee ahead of crossover.
  • H.92 UI – The House Commerce and Economic Development Committee brought in the Department of Labor for a discussion on how to better communicate existing programs to those who need them. The Committee may not pursue passage of this bill before crossover. 
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