So, like, the Vermont legislators were like super optimistic that Governor Phil Scott would totally sign this $9 billion budget they sent him. They were all like, “Yeah, he’s gonna sign it for sure!” Even though there are still some major issues, including the whole education reform thing, that haven’t been figured out yet this session.
The budget negotiators finally came to a compromise on the budget last week, and then the Senate was all about it earlier this week. And then, just yesterday, the House was like, “Yeah, we’re totally on board with this budget,” and they voted 132-2 in favor of it. So, it’s pretty much a done deal at this point.
Rep. Robin Scheu, who’s like the chair of the House Committee on Appropriations, was all about how they worked super hard to make sure they had enough funds set aside in case the economy tanks or the federal government decides to stop funding stuff like Medicaid. She was all like, “We got this, Vermonters!”
This budget is gonna include $77.2 million to help reduce property taxes for homeowners this year, which is gonna be a huge relief for a lot of people. They’re only looking at a 1 percent increase compared to last year’s crazy 14 percent hike. Plus, they’re throwing in an extra $20 million for transportation projects by not diverting money from the transportation fund anymore. Governor Scott’s gonna be stoked about that.
And get this, there’s like $100 million set aside in case things go south and they need to address some major budget shortfalls. It’s like an emergency fund for when things hit the fan. The Republicans are totally on board with this budget, which is a big reason why everyone’s pretty sure Scott is gonna sign it without any issues.
Rep. Jim Harrison was all, “Yeah, this budget isn’t perfect, but it’s a solid compromise on a lot of things.” So, things are looking pretty good on that front. But the whole education reform situation is still kind of up in the air. The Senate Finance Committee barely passed a reform bill that a bunch of senators weren’t too happy about.
If the whole Senate ends up passing that version, they’re gonna have to go through this whole reconciliation process with the House, which has a completely different version. It’s gonna be a whole thing, for sure. But hey, that’s politics for you, right?
