The Vermont legislature adjourned Friday night after nearly two weeks of overtime. It was the final push for some highly contested legislation. The state’s over $9 billion budget, which passed Friday, includes $12 million for a multipurpose facility at the University of Vermont. It was a highly debated part of the budget. The funding allocation was part of Gov. Phil Scott’s budget request in January. He proposed that the money come from the state’s higher education trust fund. The project to create new athletic facilities broke ground in 2019, but paused during the pandemic.Some lawmakers objected, saying that trust funds are for scholarships for students attending public colleges and universities. But lawmakers came to a compromise to use $10 million from the unclaimed properties fund to cover the majority of the funding request.”With that $10 million, we came to an agreement: use $10 million of this unclaimed property, transfer $2 million from the higher education trust fund to get to the 12 million,” said Sen. Andrew Perchlik (D/P- Washington County). “The House asked for some conditions that we in the Senate thought were acceptable and that the university thought were acceptable.”Conditions include fundraising goals, and the university must complete construction in the next three years. Perchlik also said the funding is key for UVM as it faces declining enrollment. There have also been conversations as the session winds down about banning law enforcement from wearing masks. New York passed legislation as part of its budget this week. It prohibits local, state and federal officers from wearing a face covering while interacting with the public. There are carve-outs for things like tactical gear, sunglasses and medical masks. Vermont was trying to pass its own version of the law, but failed to secure the necessary votes in the House for a floor vote. Sen. Becca White (D- White River Junction), who pushed for the bill, said a similar one will be considered next session. “I know that I will be campaigning on this issue this summer. If I’m reelected, it will be a major priority to disallow the masking and identification block that we’ve seen from ICE agents and people under the idea that it’s an appropriate thing to do,” the senator said. White expects to see the conversation come up again when lawmakers reconvene for the next session in January. On Thursday, Scott vetoed a bill that would have regulated data centers that came to the Green Mountain State. In his veto, Scott said Vermont already has regulatory authority through Act 250, and the bill would have created a dangerous precedent for other industries like manufacturing. This bill was not a moratorium on data centers in the state, but rather a way to regulate any that may come to Vermont.Some representatives say there are more pressing issues the legislature needs to address before data centers, like electric costs. “As things progress, and we’ll look at it. You got an infrastructure to worry about. You’ve got electricity costs that are way out of control,” said Rep. Ken Goslant (R- Washington-1). “We spent so much money on solar and wind and all this stuff, sort of instead of taking care of our regular infrastructure.”Others say the time to act is now, as artificial intelligence data centers continue to pop up across the country.”We will definitely be bringing this issue back. This is a new and emerging area for the Vermont legislature, but not one for the United States,” said Rep. Laura Sibilia (I- Dover). “We are seeing the rapid proliferation of data centers across the country. We’re seeing a lot of states saying, ‘Hold on a second. We really need to get a handle on this.'”The House narrowly failed to override the governor’s veto.
The Vermont legislature adjourned Friday night after nearly two weeks of overtime. It was the final push for some highly contested legislation.
The state’s over $9 billion budget, which passed Friday, includes $12 million for a multipurpose facility at the University of Vermont. It was a highly debated part of the budget.
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The funding allocation was part of Gov. Phil Scott’s budget request in January. He proposed that the money come from the state’s higher education trust fund.
The project to create new athletic facilities broke ground in 2019, but paused during the pandemic.
Some lawmakers objected, saying that trust funds are for scholarships for students attending public colleges and universities.
But lawmakers came to a compromise to use $10 million from the unclaimed properties fund to cover the majority of the funding request.
“With that $10 million, we came to an agreement: use $10 million of this unclaimed property, transfer $2 million from the higher education trust fund to get to the 12 million,” said Sen. Andrew Perchlik (D/P- Washington County). “The House asked for some conditions that we in the Senate thought were acceptable and that the university thought were acceptable.”
Conditions include fundraising goals, and the university must complete construction in the next three years.
Perchlik also said the funding is key for UVM as it faces declining enrollment.
There have also been conversations as the session winds down about banning law enforcement from wearing masks.
New York passed legislation as part of its budget this week. It prohibits local, state and federal officers from wearing a face covering while interacting with the public. There are carve-outs for things like tactical gear, sunglasses and medical masks.
Vermont was trying to pass its own version of the law, but failed to secure the necessary votes in the House for a floor vote.
Sen. Becca White (D- White River Junction), who pushed for the bill, said a similar one will be considered next session.
“I know that I will be campaigning on this issue this summer. If I’m reelected, it will be a major priority to disallow the masking and identification block that we’ve seen from ICE agents and people under the idea that it’s an appropriate thing to do,” the senator said.
White expects to see the conversation come up again when lawmakers reconvene for the next session in January.
On Thursday, Scott vetoed a bill that would have regulated data centers that came to the Green Mountain State.
In his veto, Scott said Vermont already has regulatory authority through Act 250, and the bill would have created a dangerous precedent for other industries like manufacturing.
This bill was not a moratorium on data centers in the state, but rather a way to regulate any that may come to Vermont.
Some representatives say there are more pressing issues the legislature needs to address before data centers, like electric costs.
“As things progress, and we’ll look at it. You got an infrastructure to worry about. You’ve got electricity costs that are way out of control,” said Rep. Ken Goslant (R- Washington-1). “We spent so much money on solar and wind and all this stuff, sort of instead of taking care of our regular infrastructure.”
Others say the time to act is now, as artificial intelligence data centers continue to pop up across the country.
“We will definitely be bringing this issue back. This is a new and emerging area for the Vermont legislature, but not one for the United States,” said Rep. Laura Sibilia (I- Dover). “We are seeing the rapid proliferation of data centers across the country. We’re seeing a lot of states saying, ‘Hold on a second. We really need to get a handle on this.'”
The House narrowly failed to override the governor’s veto.
