The Democratic-controlled Vermont Legislature on Tuesday overrode a number of Republican Gov. Phil Scott's vetoes and agreed to a plan to extend emergency hotel housing for the most vulnerable of the homeless population.
The Legislature overrode the governor's vetoes of the budget bill as well as legislation to expand child care.
“This budget stands as a commitment to Vermonters: We hear your voices and stand by your side,” said House Speaker Jill Krowinski in a statement, “It includes appropriations that benefit every Vermonter, including significant investments in housing; high-quality, affordable child care; Medicaid rate increases for healthcare, mental health and substance use disorder providers; community resilience and climate initiatives; broadband access, and others."
Scott has said while he shares many of the goals of the Legislature, he believes it was spending too much money.
“Vermonters have made their ongoing concerns about the affordability of our state abundantly clear,” the governor wrote in a message to lawmakers last week when he allowed the free school meals legislation to become law without his signature.
"Despite these concerns and my efforts, legislative action this year has added a new, approximately $100 million payroll tax; $20 million in unnecessary DMV fee increases; hundreds of millions in additional cost pressures that will come as a result of the override of my veto of the clean heat standard bill; an unsustainable $70 million increase in base budget spending over my recommendation; an eventual doubling of their own pay and benefits; and more."
Scott said he objected to the bill that expands child care subsidies for some families because of the payroll tax to partially pay for it.
The Legislature’s $150 million child care plan expands child care subsidies to families with incomes up to 575% of the federal poverty guidelines. It also increases pay for child care workers and will be paid for with help from a 0.44% payroll tax split between employers and employees.
Krowinski said by overriding the governor's veto, the legislature is “addressing the pressing issue faced by families throughout Vermont who struggle to balance child care responsibilities with their work."
The House and Senate also agreed to an amendment to extend pandemic-era emergency housing in hotels for a segment of the homeless population. Those 1,200 households should continue to be housed while alternative housing placements are developed, including emergency housing beds, according to the bill. The legislation requires the state to work with community partners to help find housing for those staying in hotels by April 1, 2024, unless they have already found housing.
To continue to be eligible for the hotel housing, households must contribute 30% of their gross household income to the cost of the hotel housing, participate in case management processes, and search for alternative housing.
