State to Main: Week 13

STATE TO MAIN

April 7, 2023

Good Afternoon –

The Vermont Chamber advocacy team remains dedicated to advocating for the legislature to pass bills that are rooted in the economic reality of Vermont. Many legislators believe that now is the time to raise new payroll, business, and consumer taxes to pay for new and expansive programs, but each issue the legislature celebrates comes at a price. We know that Vermont can be a leader on major initiatives without placing an undue burden on voters. The Vermont Chamber will continue to work to advocate that legislators strike a balance between spending on new programs and taxing Vermonters.

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

Sincerely,

Megan Sullivan, VP of Government Affairs

Will the House Make Meaningful Progress on Housing Legislation?

The House took up the Senate’s housing bill this week starting in the House General and Housing Committee. The committee will not be reviewing any provisions related to municipal zoning and Act 250 and will instead focus on housing-specific programs. This would mean a review of changes to state and municipal bylaws will be done in the House Energy and Environment Committee, which historically has been reluctant to address Act 250 barriers. The Vermont Chamber continues to be a leader on the need for bold leadership to reduce barriers to the creation of housing.

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Data Privacy Bill Requires Further Research to Understand Impact on Businesses

Members of the House Commerce and Economic Development Committee raised concerns about the structure of a sweeping consumer privacy bill. While legislators are in support of the concept, it’s likely the legislation will not move forward in its current form. The language of H.121 is largely unworkable, raising questions on the ability of small businesses to comply if it were to become law. Instead, the Vermont Chamber will work with legislators on reframing a strong consumer privacy bill that will not lead to unintended consequences for Vermont businesses.

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Legislature Makes Progress on Liquor Law Modernization

For business owners who are depending on immediate action to ensure they can continue to operate, the Senate’s immediate attention to H.288 issue is essential. The bill was previously passed by the House without contest. The Vermont Chamber testified that the liquor liability legislation be met with the same swift action in the Senate.

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Legislative Intern Spotlight: Lucy Heisey

There’s a stellar team of interns elevating Vermont Chamber advocacy efforts this session and we’re introducing you to each of them throughout the session. The 2023 Legislative Monitoring Collaborative is made possible by the support of the National Life Group.

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Bill Updates

H.10 VEGI – The House Ways and Means Committee took additional testimony on the bill and reinstated a provision to allow the elected State Auditor into the executive session, a significant overreach of open meeting law. After not voting on the legislation by the crossover deadline, the bill language has been added to the Tax Increment Financing bill passed by the Senate. Other additions to the bill are expected to be highly controversial between the House and the Senate.
H.255 – The House Ways and Means Committee received an introduction of legislation that would make all military retirement and military survivor benefit income exempt from being taxed. The Vermont Chamber has been a champion on this issue, securing a partial exemption in the 2022 session.
S.56 Childcare – The House Human Services Committee continued to hear from childcare advocates about the current state of the industry and components of S.56.
Unemployment Insurance and Workers’ Compensation – The Senate Economic Development, Housing, and General Affairs Committee stated its intent to fold H.55, H.217, and parts of S.101 together in one bill in an effort to pass the labor legislation this session.

Vermont Chamber News

Vermont Can’t Grow Without Cell Service

The Vermont Chamber joined a coalition of Vermont businesses, organizations, and individuals to urge lawmakers to support investment in Vermont’s cellular infrastructure.

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