Town Meeting Legislative Update
Much of the discussion at the Ferrisburgh Town meeting Saturday morning revolved around affordability and especially Veterans' retirement benefits. To promote movement on the following affordability related bills, I highly recommend you contact the chair of the committee holding these bills to encourage them to take up the bill and vote it out of committee.
H.43 - Exempting military retirement benefits from VT income tax, Committee chair: Emilie Kornheiser
H.16 - Repealing the Affordable Heat Act (aka. Clean Heat Standard), Committee chair: Kathleen James
H.74 - Exempting Social Security benefits from VT income tax, Committee chair: Emilie Kornheiser
In addition, I believe Governor Scott’s four key policy proposals, which were just released to the House and assigned to committees for review, are on the right track. The education, housing, and climate action plans all have aspects of affordability in them.
Education Transformation Plan - bill available here: H.454
The goal is to both improve education quality and reduce overall costs. We’re in a unique position where we can improve student outcomes while making Vermont’s education system more fair, effective, and financially sustainable. The keys proposals in this bill are:
New funding formula to ensure equal resources for students, regardless of where they live.
Streamlined governance by consolidating school districts into regional districts to reduce costs and improve efficiency.
More transparent property tax system with a single statewide education tax rate.
State oversight to improve quality, including staffing ratios and standardized graduation requirements.
Leaving local control to the local school principle and local advisory board elected by local people.
This plan modernizes Vermont’s schools to provide high-quality education while controlling costs.
Public Safety Reform Plan - bill available here: H.411
The goal is to ensure accountability for offenders and improve mental health and addiction responses. The key proposals in this bill are:
Repeal the “Raise the Age” law so that 19-year-old offenders are prosecuted as adults.
Tougher bail laws to keep repeat offenders from committing more crimes while awaiting trial.
Allow law enforcement access to criminal records that are otherwise sealed for employment.
Limit judicial discretion for repeat violent offenders to prevent lenient sentences.
Expand pre-trial supervision for repeat offenders and strengthen addiction treatment programs in prisons.
This plan aims to make Vermont’s communities safer by holding criminals accountable while also providing pathways to rehabilitation.
PATH Housing Plan - bill available here: H.412
The goal is to increase affordable housing, revitalize neglected communities, and streamline regulations to speed up home construction. The key proposals in this bill are:
$50 million investment to increase homeownership opportunities and rental housing.
$9.1 million Infrastructure Fund to help communities build utilities needed for new housing.
Regulatory reforms to cut red tape and reduce costly appeals that delay housing projects.
Brownfield cleanup funds to turn abandoned properties into housing developments.
With rising housing costs, this plan ensures Vermont builds more affordable homes while keeping development fair and efficient.
Affordable Climate Action Plan - bill available here: H.289
The goal is to ensure Vermont’s climate policies are effective, legally sound, and affordable without raising costs. The key proposals in this bill are:
Reform the Global Warming Solutions Act (GWSA) to remove the provision encouraging lawsuits and instead focus on net-zero emissions by 2035 instead of rigid reduction targets.
Rebalance leadership of climate measures with Administration members who implement them.
Ensure funding for clean energy projects, electric vehicle incentives, and home weatherization without raising new taxes by keeping an incentive instead of a penalty framework.
Change the Renewable Energy Standard to a Clean Energy Standard, allowing nuclear energy to count.
This plan prioritizes practical and cost-effective climate action while protecting Vermont’s working lands and economy.
Summary of the Governor’s Proposals
Governor Scott’s proposals focus on education reform, public safety, housing, and affordable climate action—all while avoiding unnecessary tax increases and ensuring smarter use of public resources — are designed to make Vermont’s future safer, more sustainable, and more prosperous for all residents.
House Environment Committee Update
In my committee we have taken testimony on a broad variety of topics from beavers to old growth forests, from logging, to clean water. We have focused our policy activity on further restricting the dangerous “forever chemicals” called PFAS from getting into our eco-streams and on modifications to the 3-acre rule in the Clean Water Act to make it less costly. On Thursday we received assignment to adjudicate the Governor’s Housing bill, H.412, so I suspect that will be a heavy focus of our committee going forward.
Thank you for electing me to be your representative in November. I am honored and humbled by the opportunity you have given me to serve you and am enthusiastically embracing it.
Rob North
www.NorthForVTHouse.com
Addison, Ferrisburgh, New Haven, Panton, Vergennes, and Waltham.
