This is an excerpt of Final Reading. For the full rundown of bills in motion at the Statehouse, the daily legislative calendar and interviews with newsmakers, sign up here for the unabridged version delivered straight to your inbox Tuesday through Friday evenings.
— U.S. Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vt., made his first interruption on Friday when he was heard ordering a turkey sandwich over the phone during Gov. Phil Scott’s morning press conference.
But he made a second, less high profile one during a meeting of the Legislature’s Joint Rules Committee in the afternoon, when he was heard asking for “a big glass of water” before he began speaking to lawmakers.
“We know you made a turkey sandwich order earlier, congressman,” Senate President Tim Ashe said. “Now we’ve got your water order as well.”
“It was good though, I got it from the Kountry Kart deli,” Welch responded. – Xander Landen
— After he voted for a bill Thursday that allocates federal funding for businesses hit hard by Covid-19, Welch told lawmakers that he knows Vermont needs more resources from the federal government.
He also said that he will push to give the state more “flexibility” with the money it already has. Lawmakers are concerned because the $1.25 billion they have received to cover Covid-19 costs can’t currently be used to fill major gaps in the state budget.
“What I’m hearing from you is you need money and you need flexibility,” he said. “And then a lot of the tough decisions you’re going to make about where to allocate resources, about who needs it most.” – Xander Landen
— The Senate and House health committees received an update from health insurance representatives about a measure the General Assembly passed in its initial Covid-19 response package that requires insurance companies to cover all Covid-19 testing and treatments.
Sara Teachout, director of Government, Public and Media Relations for Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Vermont, told lawmakers that the insurance body has projected that it has enough in patient reserves to cover all Covid-19 costs.
But Sen. Ann Cummings, D-Washington, said she’s concerned these cost waivers may shoot up insurance rates.
“Every time we do away with a co-pay or payment on one part, it has to be balanced by increasing something somewhere else,” Cummings said. “And some of us at least are getting a little concerned about what all of this could do to insurance rates next year or the year after.” – Grace Elletson
— The Vermont Senate has already passed legislation that would establish a moratorium on evictions during the Covid-19 crisis. But on Friday, Winooski Mayor Kristine Lott suggested they should also pass a measure that would prevent landlords from declining to renew tenants’ leases.
“We are concerned about non-renewal of leases as a way to get around that,” Lott told the Senate Government Operations Committee Friday.
The mayor noted that June is a popular month for lease renewals in Winooski, and that social distancing measures would still be in effect. The eviction moratorium bill has yet to see a vote in the House. – Xander Landen
