An amendment to this year’s omnibus transportation bill would increase most fees that the DMV charges — for new driver’s licenses, vehicle registrations and license plates, among others — by nearly 20%.
Spokesperson Jason Maulucci told VTDigger on Friday that the Governor’s Office is watching as lawmakers scale back some of Gov. Phil Scott’s highest priority items.
The legislation would enact one of the most generous paid family and medical leave programs in the country, but the price tag is significant.
The bill would impose new regulations on independent schools that accept public tuition money.
The governor stopped short of threatening a veto, saying “I think that we need to make sure that we give legislators the ability to make changes.”
Friday was the deadline for bills to clear their committee of origin. Those that didn’t are unlikely to become law this session.
“Our laws should protect people, not push them further toward the margins of our society,” Sen. Becca White said at a press conference calling on Vermont to decriminalize sex work.
This year’s miscellaneous motor vehicle bill includes a measure that would allow Vermonters to put their licenses, learner’s permits and nondriver identification cards on their phones.
The current version of the bill would require the Vermont Pension Investment Commission to create a plan to divest Vermont’s three statutory pension plans — with a few exemptions — from the fossil fuel industry by 2031.
The legislative session’s midway Town Meeting break marks a brief respite before legislators return to a flurry of activity leading up to Crossover Day.