[T]he prospects of legislative adjournment this week dimmed Thursday evening after lawmakers went home without a done deal on the minimum wage and paid family leave bills, and with House Republicans pledging not to fast-track votes on compromise proposals if they materialize.
Late Thursday afternoon, leadership in the House and Senate agreed on the outlines of a deal on minimum wage and paid family leave — the two major outstanding policies of the session.
Under the deal, the House would vote on an amendment to put Vermont on a path to a $12.25 minimum wage within two years. The Senate would pass a paid leave bill that would allow workers to voluntarily pay into a program that funds time off for personal medical issues, in addition to a mandatory payroll tax to fund time off for sick family members and newborn children.
But early Thursday night, Democratic leaders in the Senate announced they were going to head home and continue pick things up Friday morning.
“We need a night’s sleep and we need to give them some time,” said Sen. Majority Leader Becca Balint, D-Windham.
Even if Democrats finalize a deal on Friday, an adjournment would require cooperation from House Republicans, who have been sidelined in the end-of-session discussions.
While House Republicans have agreed to speed up votes on the budget and revenue bills, they have pledged to stall votes on paid family leave and minimum wage.
Republicans criticized Democrats on Thursday for failing to hammer agreements on their top legislative priorities until the very end of the session.
“We have seen nothing from anyone for weeks and weeks and weeks and now all of a sudden suspend rules so we can pass these so we can adjourn?” said House Minority Leader Pattie McCoy, R-Poultney.
“The nineteenth week, the eleventh hour, and they still don’t have it? Something’s wrong, and I will absolutely not suspend rules on that,” she said.
With 43 members, Republicans in the House have the 38 votes needed to successfully prevent Democratic leadership from taking up bills ahead of schedule. When bills move between the House and the Senate, lawmakers must wait 24 hours before holding a vote—unless the rules are suspended.
Throughout the session, Republicans have opposed the proposed minimum wage increase and the Democrats’ paid leave plan, which relies on a mandatory payroll tax.
“The governor’s probably going to veto them,” said Rep. Heidi Scheuermann, R-Stowe. “Why should we have to stick around for a point they’re trying to make?”
Balint said that despite Republicans’ plans to stall votes, the goal is still to adjourn with both bills tomorrow.
“If it takes more time, it takes more time,” she said.
