Submit Your News
Vermont Government Affairs Update- February 4, 2025
On Tuesday, January 28, Governor Phil Scott addressed the Vermont people and the legislature from the floor of the House or Representatives. In his address he outlined the many differences in opinions with the way he and the former legislative supermajority believed the state should be spending taxpayer funds. He also proudly explained that we need to “fix broken systems not just fund them” when we are not happy with the results that we get from Vermonts programs such as education. His focus in the 2026 state budget will be creating affordable housing and transforming the grades PreK-12 education funding system.
This Vermont budget announcement comes on the heels of the 2025 presidential inauguration. There is fear among Vermonts legislators that Federally funded programs, or other State programs expected to end with the Trump administration which could Vermonts many nonprofits. Many of the legislators in Vermonts mostly “blue” leaning state house have been writing bills to deal with concerns related to social policies or economic policies that will impact many of their favorite initiatives and organizations. Some of those bills are/will be aimed at initiatives like universal school lunch and some will be workforce development programs.
Apart from the few “must pass” bills that go every year, some technical updated to existing laws, and some environmental law revisions there have been few bills related to employment or contractors released in the legislature so far. Most agree that in Vermont this is usually a good thing. This is quite normal at the beginning of a Vermont biennium, but rapid release of bills is expected soon.
Your team at ABC NH VT is hard at work looking for ways to promote your industry and the hard work you do, so we can get help with workforce development programs from our partners in government. There are “annual” bills related to housing, workforce and economic development that are places good ideas can be introduced by the public and even ABC NH VT that we will be working on this year.
This week be on the lookout on our social media and within our emails for links to see Matt Musgrave, Vermont Regional Director- ABC NH who will be at the state house with a special guest and first public announcement of Vermont’s newest training center for construction at the legislature.