Town Meeting marks the halfway point in
the Vermont legislative session, and it’s a good time to highlight some of the work
the legislature has accomplished. The
House passed some significant legislation in these first two months, and we
will continue to work on our key priorities in collaboration with the Senate
prior to our anticipated May adjournment.
One of our priorities is to use Vermont’s
share of federal stimulus funds to boost recovery and set the stage for a
strong future, while building a balanced budget that reflects our values as we
tackle the complex and interconnected challenges of housing, workforce, and
childcare. Of the $1.049 billion Vermont received from the American Rescue Plan
Act (ARPA), over $600 million was allocated for
fiscal year 2022 (FY22) investments,
leaving more than $400 million available. This infusion of federal dollars will
not be sustained over time, nor will state revenue levels which have been outpacing
forecasts. In developing the FY23 budget, our challenge is to make strategic
use of one-time money to address extraordinary ongoing needs in order to
support and strengthen Vermont communities, families, and vulnerable Vermonters
now and into the future.
Workforce development is another one of
our legislative priorities this year. With 25,000 job openings in Vermont and
an unemployment rate of just 2.5 percent, we’re trying to identify and remove
the barriers that are preventing people from working or returning to work.
We’re also listening to education and training providers to see if we can
provide better opportunities for Vermonters to gain postsecondary credentials
and degrees of value, which increase earning potential in rewarding careers. Vermont’s
17 regional Career and Technical Education (CTE) centers provide critical
pathways to improve career readiness for students and adult learners and play a
big role in workforce development. Stakeholders across Vermont in the business,
nonprofit, education and government sectors have committed to a common goal of
having 70 percent of Vermonters possess a postsecondary degree or credential of
value, such as an apprenticeship, certificate or license. The legislature is
considering several proposals to revamp and support CTE, with bills under
consideration in several committees. While there are worker shortages across
the board, the shortage of nurses has put severe pressure on our healthcare
system due to COVID-19. This is exacerbated by a shortage of nursing professors.
The legislature is looking for ways through scholarships and grants to support
Vermont’s colleges in expanding their nursing programs, attracting nursing
professors and helping current RNs who wish to become professors.
The Legislature recognizes that climate
change is an existential threat to our way of life and several bills aim at
reducing our greenhouse gas emissions in the two categories producing the most
emissions: transportation and heating. I have previously written about two bills
from my committee, Energy and Technology, that promote municipal energy resilience
and help Vermonters reduce their dependence on fossil fuels for heating. The
House Transportation Committee is reviewing the Governor’s “Transportation
Bill,” which recommends approximately $40 million in investments to support a
state highway electric vehicle (EV) charging network and incentives for EVs as
well as electric bicycles, ATVs, and snowmobiles. The Transportation Innovation
Act (H.552) has similar objectives and also includes funding for transportation
programs for lower income Vermonters and continuation of zero-fare public
transit. These initiatives will be helped by the bipartisan Infrastructure
Investments and Jobs Act (IIJA), signed into law by President Biden in November
2021.
There
is a lot of work being done in many other areas including pension funding,
support of the forest economy, registration of construction contractors,
support for mixed-income and multi-family housing, racial and social justice,
telehealth initiatives, toxic waste, and more. Bills dealing with these issues
will be coming up for a vote in the two weeks after Town Meeting to meet the
crossover deadline when bills need to be passed in order to be considered by
the Senate. Stay tuned.
