Business -
Short-term Rental Registry – The Senate Committee on Economic Development, Housing and General Affairs took testimony on S.210, a Rental Registry bill intended to replace last year’s S.79 which was vetoed by...more
1/18/2022
/ Cannabis-Related Businesses (CRBs) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employee Definition ,
Energy Sector ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Misclassification ,
Rental Property ,
Retailers ,
Short-Term Lease ,
Small Business ,
Unemployment Insurance
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
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
The Senate Economic Development, Housing and General Affairs Committee had its first look at H.313, a bill passed by the House that proposes to make miscellaneous changes to alcoholic beverage laws. Among other things, the...more
Vermont's business community unites in opposition to unemployment insurance bill -
Vermont business groups joined together this week in strong opposition to an unemployment insurance bill, S.10, that was approved last...more
Unemployment insurance bill will increase tax burden for Vermont businesses -
Without legislative intervention, Vermont businesses will experience an enormous increase in the unemployment insurance tax rate as a result of...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
New stormwater requirements will cost property owners hundreds of millions of dollars -
The House Committee on Corrections and Institutions received a primer this week on the history behind the 3-acre general permit,...more
2/16/2021
/ Clean Water Act ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Environmental Conservation ,
General Permit ,
Governor Scott ,
Land Owners ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Re-Opening Guidelines ,
State and Local Government ,
State Legislatures ,
Tax Exemptions
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
Vermont's legislature adjusts to a new normal -
The legislature convened remotely last week and seamlessly began its virtual session. While things are running smoothly technologically, lawmakers are operating under the...more
1/20/2021
/ CARES Act ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Executive Orders ,
Federal Funding ,
Governor Scott ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Public Schools ,
State and Local Government ,
State Budgets ,
State of Emergency ,
Town Hall Meetings ,
Vaccinations
Reopenings: Schools and the General Assembly Get Back to It.
Legislative Session 2020 started out like most sequels, with a feeling of déjà vu. It was Groundhog Day with a touch of “I Am Legend” thrown in for atmosphere....more
9/16/2020
/ Broadband ,
Business Entities ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Federal Funding ,
Financial Distress ,
Governor Scott ,
Hospitality Industry ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Public Pension ,
Public Schools ,
Re-Opening Guidelines ,
Remote Learning ,
Sole Proprietorship ,
State and Local Government ,
State Grants ,
State Legislatures ,
Tourism
Lawmaking in the COVID Era -
The legislature adjourned on June 26 at 8:41 p.m. Sort of. After holding what was nearly the longest and certainly the strangest session in history, the legislature has really only recessed,...more
7/7/2020
/ Broadband ,
CARES Act ,
Cloud Storage ,
Colleges ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Data Privacy ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Global Warming ,
Healthcare Workers ,
Internet Taxation ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Medical Monitoring ,
Minimum Wage ,
Misclassification ,
Paid Leave ,
PFAS ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Public Schools ,
State and Local Government ,
State Budgets ,
State Funding ,
State Grants ,
State Legislatures ,
Tobacco Regulations ,
Universities
Vermont has largely escaped the physical devastation of the COVID-19 pandemic, with the vast majority of cities and towns reporting zero to five cases. But the economic toll has been immense, and the scope of financial losses...more
When the legislature moved from the State House to the cloud eight weeks ago, it was anyone’s guess as to how that would work. The answer, it turns out, was about as well as one could expect. Small committees have functioned...more
5/8/2020
/ Child Care ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Governor Scott ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Public Schools ,
Re-Opening Guidelines ,
State and Local Government ,
State Budgets ,
State Legislatures ,
State Taxes