Friday, June 22, 2018
The resolution also expressed "a profound hope that the family separation policy will not be reinstated," and that federal authorities would reunite separated families "immediately."
The measure had 90 cosponsors. The final tally was 106 in favor and 17 against, with the dissenting votes all coming from Republicans. There was no floor debate before the vote, but some members rose to explain their votes afterward. The longest statement in opposition came from Rep. Gary Viens (R-Newport), a retired U.S. Border Patrol agent.
"Any time parents and children come to the United States illegally, they are processed," he said. "They have two choices: Family members can admit they crossed the border illegally and return home, or face detention and prosecution."
Viens continued, "It's terrible what's going on, but it was the parents' decision that led to the separation, not the government's."
The 16 other no votes came from Reps. Lynn Batchelor (R-Derby Line), Steve Beyor (R-Highgate Springs), Patrick Brennan (R-Colchester), Thomas Burditt (R-West Rutland), Bob Frenier (R-Chelsea), Doug Gage (R-Rutland City), Marianna Gamache (R-Swanton), Rodney Graham (R-Williamstown), Bob Helm (R-Fair Haven), Mark Higley (R-Lowell), Marcia Martel (R-Waterford), Constance Quimby (R-Concord), Carl Rosenquist (R-St. Albans), Brian Savage (R-Swanton), Brian Smith (R-Derby) and Warren Van Wyck (R-Ferrisburgh).
Tags: Gary Viens , Donald Trump , immigration , Image , Web Only
Wednesday, June 20, 2018
"I would not predict a veto," Administration Secretary Susanne Young said after the hearing. "But this new proposal is not substantially different from the last one."
The most recent budget, H.13, would have held residential property tax rates level but would have not stopped a 5.5-cent statutory increase in nonresidential rates from going forward. The committees' new plan reduces the nonresidential rate by one penny.
The Appropriations, Finance and Education committees convened jointly due to severe time constraints. If there's no budget on July 1, state government would be forced to shut down. And so far, the Scott administration has refused to disclose contingency plans for that eventuality.
Tags: Susanne Young , Phil Scott , Jane Kitchel , Ann Cummings , Phil Baruth , Ginny Lyons , Mark Perrault , Stephen Klein , budget , Image , Web Only
Tuesday, June 19, 2018
Every Republican present voted to sustain their governor's veto, including those who had previously voted "yes" on the budget bill. Only three Republicans were absent.
There was no debate before the roll call. It appeared that all sides knew how the vote would turn out and saw no reason to delay the inevitable.
Legislative leaders crafted the budget bill, H.13, to include the vast majority of a new spending plan while setting aside the few areas of disagreement with Scott. It would have lifted the pressure of a pending government shutdown, which would happen on July 1 in the absence of a budget. But the governor vetoed the bill because, he argued, it would have done nothing to prevent a statutory increase in nonresidential property taxes. (Democratic leaders have said they would have addressed the automatic increase in separate legislation.)
Tags: Don Turner , Phil Scott , George Till , Kurt Wright , budget , Image , Web Only
Friday, June 15, 2018
The governor's veto came as no surprise. He had warned legislators that he would oppose any tax increase. The bill, H.13, would have resulted in an automatic 5.5 cent property tax increase on nonresidential landowners. Earlier Thursday, both Scott and legislative leaders appeared to dig in at separate press conferences about the spending bill stalemate, which has lasted more than a month.
Scott had until midnight Thursday to sign or veto the legislation. He announced his decision around 8 p.m.
Tags: Vermont , Phil Scott , budget , governor , veto , bill , spending , Tim Ashe , Mitzi Johnson , Image , Web Only
Thursday, June 14, 2018
No one knows for sure what a shutdown would mean because there's no precedent in Vermont history. "The [Vermont] constitution is clear," Sen. Jane Kitchel (D-Caledonia) said at a Statehouse press conference. "We cannot spend money we haven't appropriated."
The governor, speaking at a press conference at Elmore State Park, refused to discuss whether his administration has prepared contingency plans, even as state employees and recipients of state funds grow increasingly anxious. "I'm confident we'll come to an agreement," Scott said. When another reporter raised the contingency question, he said again, "I'm confident we'll come to an agreement."
Tags: Phil Scott , Tim Ashe , Jane Kitchel , Ann Cummings , budget , Image , Web Only
Thursday, June 7, 2018
The bill would set homestead property tax rates at this year's level and allow nonresidential rates to rise by 5.5 cents. The latter portion has attracted the governor's opposition; he continues to oppose any increase in property tax rates. Majority Democrats argue that the bill does not actually include a tax increase; it merely allows current law to set the nonresidential tax rate. And if signed by the governor, it would avoid a potential government shutdown on July 1, the beginning of the new fiscal year.
The process took only a single day thanks to a suspension of Senate rules, which was approved on a 21-4 vote. Senators Carolyn Branagan (R-Franklin), Randy Brock (R-Franklin), Brian Collamore (R-Rutland) and Dave Soucy (R-Rutland) were the dissenters, while two members of the Republican caucus were absent and one — Sen. Richard Westman (R-Lamoille) — voted with the Democratic majority.
Tags: Phil Scott , Randy Brock , Michael Sirotkin , Brian Campion , Carolyn Branagan , Brian Collamore , Richard Westman , David Soucy , Jason Gibbs , Image , Web Only
Tuesday, June 5, 2018
Gov. Phil Scott, who rejected the legislature’s first budget last month, opposes its second attempt because the proposal wouldn’t prevent an increase in the nonresidential property tax rate.
His objections didn’t stop the House from voting 83-40, along party lines, for the new budget. Before doing so, lawmakers rejected several amendments designed to meet the Republican governor’s demand that property tax rates stay level.
Rep. Scott Beck (R-St. Johnsbury) proposed keeping rates level by using about $33 million in one-time general fund money to pay for Act 46 school district merger incentives. That money would be paid back to the general fund in later years. Last week, the House voted down a similar proposal from Rep. Cynthia Browning (D-Arlington).
Democrats suggested the amendment would simply postpone a tax increase, which would occur when it came time to pay the money back. “We don’t like the idea of turning it into a loan. We think that’s bad policy,” said House Ways and Means chair Janet Ancel (D-Calais).
Tags: Phil Scott , Vermont House , property taxes , budget , Image , Web Only
Friday, June 1, 2018
The vote was 86-44, and broke essentially along party lines. The bill must gain approval on a second vote, to be taken on Tuesday. It would then move to the Senate, most likely next Thursday.
And at the end of all this is a near-certain gubernatorial veto.
Scott has insisted on two key points: Using onetime money to prevent increases in either homestead or nonresidential property tax rates, and enacting a five-year plan to curtail school spending. The House bill would keep homestead rates at current levels, but allow an increase in nonresidential rates mandated by existing law.
In a memo to legislative leaders sent on Thursday, Administration Secretary Susanne Young expressed the governor's opposition to the bill because it would only keep homestead tax rates level. She wrote that under the bill as it stood, "meaningful and good faith conversations on preventing an increase for the non-residential payers cannot occur."
Tags: Phil Scott , Anne Donahue , Mitzi Johnson , Susanne Young , Vermont House , Governor , Speaker of the House , budget , Image , Web Only
Wednesday, May 30, 2018
The bill would essentially pass almost all of the budget Scott previously vetoed — except for the school funding provisions to which he objected. It passed the House Appropriations Committee on Tuesday; action on the House floor Wednesday would have required a rules suspension, to which House Republicans did not agree.
Scott continued to insist on his school funding plan, including the use of $44 million in onetime money to keep property tax rates level and a package of measures designed to rein in school spending. Those include higher student-to-staff ratios, statewide bargaining of teacher health care benefits, reforms in special education funding and further consolidation in the public school system.
If there's no budget in place by July 1, the start of the new fiscal year, state government would be forced to shut down. Citing the ongoing standoff, House Democratic leaders put together a budget that omits the areas of disagreement and would lift the pressure of a July 1 deadline. "Vermonters are not well served by a shutdown, or by the possibility of a shutdown," said Rep. Janet Ancel (D-Calais), chair of the House Ways and Means Committee.
Tags: Kitty Toll , Phil Scott , Anne Donahue , Mitzi Johnson , Jim Harrison , special session , budget , Image , Web Only
Saturday, May 26, 2018
“My primary objection to the bills … is that together they result in an unnecessary and avoidable $33 million increase in statewide property tax rates,” Scott wrote in a letter to lawmakers explaining his vetoes.
In anticipation of his veto of the budget, Scott summoned lawmakers to Montpelier Wednesday for a special session. Now the administration must come to an agreement with lawmakers by July 1 in order to avoid a shutdown of the state government.
Tags: Phil Scott , budget , education , veto , Jane Kitchel , Image , Web Only