Ron Strider
Well-Known Member
It took lawmakers just one day of a scheduled two-day veto session to pass a new state budget and end weeks of impasse with Republican Gov. Phil Scott, but the swift action Wednesday left a marijuana legalization bill on the shelf until next year.
Scott and Democratic legislative leaders kicked off the veto session Wednesday with a news conference to outline the agreement they reached to resolve differences about how to save on the cost of teacher health care plans. From there, the House and Senate retreated to their respective chambers to pass a new budget.
After lengthy briefings from legislative staffers on the compromise bill, both the House and Senate passed the measure on voice votes. Without a roll call vote, individual legislators will not be on the record as having voted for or against the budget.
The other major issue on the agenda for lawmakers in the special veto session did not fare as well. The Senate passed a revised marijuana legalization bill on a voice vote to replace S.22, which Scott vetoed last month. The revised bill, like the original, would have legalized the possession of up to 1 ounce of dry marijuana, up to four mature marijuana plants and up to two immature plants.
Scott vetoed the original measure and cited concerns about some of the penalties related to legalization, as well as road safety issues. He said publicly at the time, however, that if lawmakers addressed his concerns that he would sign a new bill. The governor also indicated he would help gather support for a rules suspension to help ensure its passage during the veto session.
"If we get to a point where we think we can agree, I certainly will reach out," Scott told Vermont Public Radio earlier this month. "I'm not sure that I'll have the power to change minority leadership's mind on this, but I'll advocate for it."
The House declined Wednesday to even consider the revised bill. Because of the compressed timeline of the special session, a suspension of the rules was required for legislation to be called up. The House vote to suspend the rules received a majority of 78 votes, but that fell far short of the required three-fourths super majority required for a rules suspension.
Scott said at his weekly news conference Thursday he did not ask any lawmakers to vote in favor of a rules suspension. The governor also denied his previous statement saying he would urge lawmakers to suspend the rules.
"I didn't say that. I said that once we came to conclusion that I was going to reach out to the House Republicans and tell them what I had done and ask them what they were planning to do, which I did do yesterday," Scott said. "I didn't encourage them. I didn't twist any arms. This was a personal decision that they had to make."
While legalization opponents hailed the bill's failure to pass, the setback is likely temporary. Proponents of legalization will look to pass the bill again in January with the same July 1, 2018, effective date when lawmakers return to the State House. Opponents will not be able to stop it as long as the slight majority in the House that favors it holds together.
Contract compromise
Passage of a new budget bill Wednesday followed Scott's veto earlier this month of one passed by lawmakers last month. Scott also vetoed a property tax bill, saying both vetoes were necessary because lawmakers failed to save property taxpayers' money on the cost of teachers' health care benefits.
The compromise unveiled Wednesday will require local school districts to save a collective $13 million over the next two fiscal years. Contract negotiations will remain at the local level, but local teachers unions and school boards will have a benchmark health plan to aim for to determine expected costs.
The benchmark plan will be the gold-level Consumer Driven Health Plan offered by the Vermont Education Health Initiative, with teachers covering 20 percent of premiums and school districts covering 80 percent. The Agency of Education will determine what districts spent on health care for teachers and support staff in fiscal year 2017 and speculate on what should be spent in fiscal 2018 based on teachers and staff utilizing the benchmark plan, plus an additional 5 percent cost cushion.
The state will then withhold 65 percent of the projected savings from schools in fiscal 2018 and 35 percent of the savings in fiscal 2019. The total savings for property taxpayers is expected to be $8.5 million in 2018 and $4.5 million in 2019. Districts that do not negotiate health care contracts with teachers that achieve the savings identified by the Agency of Education will be force to cut their budgets elsewhere to account for the reduced payments from the state.
The compromise was viewed dimly by the major stakeholders it impacts – the Vermont chapter of the National Education Association and the Vermont School Boards Association. But Scott and legislative leaders said the deal is a practical compromise that betters the state.
" After the governor's veto, everyone came to the table to focus on a compromise that worked for all parties," said House Speaker Mitzi Johnson, D-South Hero. "Compromise involves everyone getting a bit of what they want, while giving up parts of what they had hoped. We achieved that sweet spot with this bill."
The governor also touted the deal and the underlying budget, which does not raise taxes or fees on Vermonters.
"The budget that passed today is the result of hard work and compromise. I thank each member of my administration, the Legislature and all in state government for their work and commitment to serving Vermonters," he said. "We have more to do to change the trajectory of our state, but I am very proud of what we achieved together this session."
Scott acknowledged at his weekly news conference Thursday that he did not achieve his original goals in the compromise – a statewide health care contract that would deliver up to $26 million in annual savings.
"I wouldn't say I was a clear winner. I don't think there were any clear winners, other than we collectively came to conclusion," he said. "I would have liked to have seen more savings and I feel like we let the school boards down in some way."
News Moderator: Ron Strider 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Pot bill never makes it to vote | | Rutland Herald
Author: NEAL P. GOSWAMI
Contact: Company Directory | Rutland Herald
Photo Credit: Bob Kinzel
Website: Rutland Herald
Scott and Democratic legislative leaders kicked off the veto session Wednesday with a news conference to outline the agreement they reached to resolve differences about how to save on the cost of teacher health care plans. From there, the House and Senate retreated to their respective chambers to pass a new budget.
After lengthy briefings from legislative staffers on the compromise bill, both the House and Senate passed the measure on voice votes. Without a roll call vote, individual legislators will not be on the record as having voted for or against the budget.
The other major issue on the agenda for lawmakers in the special veto session did not fare as well. The Senate passed a revised marijuana legalization bill on a voice vote to replace S.22, which Scott vetoed last month. The revised bill, like the original, would have legalized the possession of up to 1 ounce of dry marijuana, up to four mature marijuana plants and up to two immature plants.
Scott vetoed the original measure and cited concerns about some of the penalties related to legalization, as well as road safety issues. He said publicly at the time, however, that if lawmakers addressed his concerns that he would sign a new bill. The governor also indicated he would help gather support for a rules suspension to help ensure its passage during the veto session.
"If we get to a point where we think we can agree, I certainly will reach out," Scott told Vermont Public Radio earlier this month. "I'm not sure that I'll have the power to change minority leadership's mind on this, but I'll advocate for it."
The House declined Wednesday to even consider the revised bill. Because of the compressed timeline of the special session, a suspension of the rules was required for legislation to be called up. The House vote to suspend the rules received a majority of 78 votes, but that fell far short of the required three-fourths super majority required for a rules suspension.
Scott said at his weekly news conference Thursday he did not ask any lawmakers to vote in favor of a rules suspension. The governor also denied his previous statement saying he would urge lawmakers to suspend the rules.
"I didn't say that. I said that once we came to conclusion that I was going to reach out to the House Republicans and tell them what I had done and ask them what they were planning to do, which I did do yesterday," Scott said. "I didn't encourage them. I didn't twist any arms. This was a personal decision that they had to make."
While legalization opponents hailed the bill's failure to pass, the setback is likely temporary. Proponents of legalization will look to pass the bill again in January with the same July 1, 2018, effective date when lawmakers return to the State House. Opponents will not be able to stop it as long as the slight majority in the House that favors it holds together.
Contract compromise
Passage of a new budget bill Wednesday followed Scott's veto earlier this month of one passed by lawmakers last month. Scott also vetoed a property tax bill, saying both vetoes were necessary because lawmakers failed to save property taxpayers' money on the cost of teachers' health care benefits.
The compromise unveiled Wednesday will require local school districts to save a collective $13 million over the next two fiscal years. Contract negotiations will remain at the local level, but local teachers unions and school boards will have a benchmark health plan to aim for to determine expected costs.
The benchmark plan will be the gold-level Consumer Driven Health Plan offered by the Vermont Education Health Initiative, with teachers covering 20 percent of premiums and school districts covering 80 percent. The Agency of Education will determine what districts spent on health care for teachers and support staff in fiscal year 2017 and speculate on what should be spent in fiscal 2018 based on teachers and staff utilizing the benchmark plan, plus an additional 5 percent cost cushion.
The state will then withhold 65 percent of the projected savings from schools in fiscal 2018 and 35 percent of the savings in fiscal 2019. The total savings for property taxpayers is expected to be $8.5 million in 2018 and $4.5 million in 2019. Districts that do not negotiate health care contracts with teachers that achieve the savings identified by the Agency of Education will be force to cut their budgets elsewhere to account for the reduced payments from the state.
The compromise was viewed dimly by the major stakeholders it impacts – the Vermont chapter of the National Education Association and the Vermont School Boards Association. But Scott and legislative leaders said the deal is a practical compromise that betters the state.
" After the governor's veto, everyone came to the table to focus on a compromise that worked for all parties," said House Speaker Mitzi Johnson, D-South Hero. "Compromise involves everyone getting a bit of what they want, while giving up parts of what they had hoped. We achieved that sweet spot with this bill."
The governor also touted the deal and the underlying budget, which does not raise taxes or fees on Vermonters.
"The budget that passed today is the result of hard work and compromise. I thank each member of my administration, the Legislature and all in state government for their work and commitment to serving Vermonters," he said. "We have more to do to change the trajectory of our state, but I am very proud of what we achieved together this session."
Scott acknowledged at his weekly news conference Thursday that he did not achieve his original goals in the compromise – a statewide health care contract that would deliver up to $26 million in annual savings.
"I wouldn't say I was a clear winner. I don't think there were any clear winners, other than we collectively came to conclusion," he said. "I would have liked to have seen more savings and I feel like we let the school boards down in some way."
News Moderator: Ron Strider 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Pot bill never makes it to vote | | Rutland Herald
Author: NEAL P. GOSWAMI
Contact: Company Directory | Rutland Herald
Photo Credit: Bob Kinzel
Website: Rutland Herald
