— The Vermont Senate advanced legislation that would give Vermont Secretary of State Jim Condos the unilateral authority to expand mail-in voting during the Covid-19 pandemic, after he and Gov. Phil Scott struggled to reach an agreement on the policy.
The legislation, which advanced 21-7, mostly along party lines, removes a requirement for the governor to sign off on emergency elections changes during the pandemic. It is expected to pass on a second vote Wednesday and then heads to the House, where Democratic leaders have signaled support.
Democrats argued that establishing a universal vote-by-mail system is important to protect the health of voters and poll workers in November. Republicans said the expansion is unnecessary and opens up avenues for voter fraud. – Xander Landen
— Taxing the rich to make up for Covid-19 revenue shortfalls is a “doomsday scenario” said Senate Finance Chair Anne Cummings, D-Washington. Her committee has been collecting information on how many millionaires — or billionaires — Vermont has, in case lawmakers decide a high-earners income tax is needed.
But Cummings said it’s a last resort. She said lawmakers are hoping that the federal government loosens restrictions on CARES Act money so that it can be used to fill budget shortfalls. “The only other options we have right now are cutting, taxing or borrowing,” she said.
Last week Doug Farnham, deputy commissioner of the Department of Taxes, provided Cummings’ committee with income information about Vermont’s top earners. According to Farnham, the most recent tax filings say Vermont has 612 residents who brought in over $1 million in income.
That number drops off steeply as the income brackets go up. There are only 11 Vermonters who brought in over $18 million in income. And due to privacy restrictions, Farnham couldn’t identify if there are any Vermont residents who made above that threshold. – Grace Elletson
— Sen. John Rodgers, D-Essex-Orleans, has missed the Democratic Party filing deadline to run for reelection this Fall. So now he’s asking his constituents to write in his name for the Aug. 11 primary, according to the Caledonia Record.
And if that plan fails, Rodgers said he would run as an independent. “It’s all on me,” Rodgers told the Record. “I’m still going to work on a write-in campaign. I’m hoping that folks who I have been working hard for for years will write me in.” – Grace Elletson
— Lawmakers in House Corrections began pondering what a return to the Statehouse may look like post Covid-19. The Golden Dome was strapped for space before the pandemic hit, and a study earlier this year proposed solutions for the spatially challenged Statehouse.
But Covid-19 has presented new challenges to in-person legislating. During the committee discussion, some recommended installing glass shields between lawmakers at committee room tables. Others said that witnesses could continue testifying remotely.
Corrections Committee Chair Alice Emmons, D-Springfield, said the Legislature may need to contract another group of spatial experts to figure out how the Statehouse could reconvene. – Grace Elletson
— During a virtual press conference, a coalition of Vermont business owners made their message to lawmakers clear: they need aid to keep their businesses alive, and they need it fast.
“We cannot emphasize the urgency of this need enough,” said Sue Bette, owner of Bluebird Barbecue in Burlington. She and others said the Legislature needs to move the governors’ stimulus package through the chambers quickly so that grants can be distributed to business owners.
Some lawmakers have expressed frustration that the $1.25 billion in federal aid is being used up quickly and that they’re being asked to move a massive stimulus package through on such a tight deadline. But Jed Davis, owner of the Farmhouse restaurant group, said now is not the time to nitpick the legislation.
“In the restaurant sector, the need is incredibly real. I don’t see any bad actors in our community,” Davis said. “I understand the Legislature’s need to move cautiously. Although I would argue this is a unique time. And it might be best not to let the perfect get in the way of the good.” – Grace Elletson
