THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS Policy committees in the House worked diligently this week to finalize their spending recommendations for the FY2023 Budget Adjustment Act (BAA). Each committee sent a letter to the House Appropriations committee outlining their BAA priorities. Many of these recommendations are in response to Governor Phil Scott’s proposals. Some are […]
MONEY, MONEY, MONEY The third week of the 2023 legislative session was all about the state budget. The week started with the January meeting of the Emergency Board (E-Board), which consists of the governor and the chairs of the Appropriations and Ways and Means committees in the House and the Appropriations and Finance committees in […]
By FOCUS, a Leonine Business Several new state laws will take effect this year banning products with “forever chemicals” in response to impetus nationwide to protect consumers from known toxins. Absent federal guidance, states have aimed to eliminate nonessential uses of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances known as PFAS. PFAS are found in many consumer products […]
By FOCUS, a Leonine Business On May 3, POLITICO leaked an official draft opinion by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito overruling the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that established a constitutional right to abortion in the United States. The opinion was written for Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization and reports that five […]
SHAKEUPS The Vermont Legislature is scheduled to adjourn on Thursday, May 12. At least that is the plan, and after a couple weeks of highly complex air traffic control with the budget and many other bills it looks like lawmakers may be able to meet that goal. It has been challenging for lawmakers to find […]
BUDGET WARS Governor Phil Scott drew a not-so-surprising line in the sand this week on both the FY2023 budget and the plan to reform the state’s pension program. On Tuesday the governor issued statements criticizing both bills, saying the legislature focused too much on growing government in the budget and that his input was not […]
FINAL COUNTDOWN? Tensions between Governor Phil Scott and the Democratic majority in the legislature escalated this week as the Senate worked to finalize its spending, tax, economic development and workforce packages. Governor Scott said publicly that he is not afraid to veto legislation he does not support – a comment that was clearly directed at […]
By FOCUS, a Leonine Business During the COVID-19 pandemic, more than 35 states began allowing restaurants and bars to sell cocktails to-go, offering a lifeline to the hospitality industry ravaged by closures and decreased foot traffic. Since then, 18 states and the District of Columbia have enacted laws to make cocktails to-go a permanent feature. […]
