IN APRIL 29’S FINAL READING:
— The Vermont Legislature’s economist projects revenue losses from Covid-19 will triple in the upcoming fiscal year and that the state could see its coffers plummet by $430 million.
Tom Kavet, the Legislature’s economist, told House Appropriations that state revenues and economic activity will be tied to how the Covid-19 pandemic plays out in the coming months. However, he anticipates that even if businesses reopen soon, consumer activity won’t immediately return to pre-pandemic levels.
“A lot of spending on tourism and travel is done by older age cohorts and that is the group that’s most affected by the virus and probably will be the most fearful about coming back,” he said. – Xander Landen
— The House passed S.333, a bill that would enact a rent and foreclosure eviction moratorium across the state for the duration of the Covid-19 state of emergency, and 30 days after. It passed after some lawmakers challenged the bill for favoring irresponsible tenants over landlords.
Rep. Tom Stevens, D-Waterbury, stressed that the bill aims to protect renters who have lost income due to Covid-19 from being evicted during a public health crisis. “This is not a vacation from rent,” Stevens said. The bill will be taken up for a third reading Friday. – Grace Elletson
— The House also passed a bill, S. 182, that would loosen licensing requirements during the pandemic for workers like plumbers and electricians and allow sheriff department’s to access emergency funding to keep their departments financially afloat during the pandemic.
Rep. Zachariah Ralph, P-Hartland, wanted to cut the section about sheriffs out of the bill because he felt the Legislature was infringing on “local and municipal politics” and that the bill provided no payback accountability for the money sheriffs may need to borrow. His amendment failed and the bill passed. – Grace Elletson
— Senate Judiciary took up a handful of topics in committee, one of which was carried over from concerns brought to senators last week that stimulus check and unemployment insurance money was being taken by the state to pay Vermonters’ debts.
Cameron Wood, with the Department of Labor, clarified: Vermonters would only see money pulled from these checks if they have outstanding child support bills, or if the state overpaid them in the past and that money had to be returned. He ensured that no private collectors were able to take from these checks. – Grace Elletson
— Judiciary also heard from Patricia Gabel, the court administrator for the Judiciary, about the much criticized roll-out of a new online court filing system. There was disagreement between lawmakers and Gabel about whether the Legislature was informed that a $5.25 fee would be attached to each filing.
Gabel said the plan was presented to both Institutions committees in 2019. But Sen. Joe Benning, R-Caledonia, who is chair of Senate Institutions, said he never heard about a fee attached to the filing system. Neither did Therese Corsones, executive director of the Vermont Bar Association, who said the group wasn’t made aware of the fee until last Monday.
Senate Judiciary Chair Dick Sears, D-Bennington, said his concern comes down to oversight, not that a fee is being instituted. He agreed with Gabel that fees might be needed to pay for the system. The question, he said, is how this fee caught so many off guard. – Grace Elletson
— Senate Ag Chair Sen. Bobby Starr, D-Essex-Orleans, began sketching out a potential Covid-19 farmers relief package during committee discussion Wednesday.
The working draft is based on the 2007 dairy assistance program. Starr said he believes it would cost about $9 million, funded by the $1.25 billion the state has received from the CARES Act.
Vice Chair Sen. Chris Pearson, P/D-Chittenden, advocated that it be a package that all Vermont farmers could take advantage of and not limited to the dairy sector. Pearson also said he would prefer the package include an incentive for farms to plan for and anticipate future traumatic events.
“We also need to be smart about spending our dollars so when we are out of this — and it’s not going to be in two months — that we can look constituents in the face and say ‘We have done our best to be smart and to be more resilient,’” Pearson said. – Kit Norton
— Diane Bothfeld, of the Agency of Agriculture, also told Senate Ag lawmakers that the agency has been successful in diverting some of the milk that would be dumped to the Vermont Food Bank.
The partnership between Dairy Farmers of America, Hood and the food bank is delivering 6,000 gallons of bottled milk next week and a second load of 42,000 cups of yogurt the following week, she said. – Kit Norton
