Dear Constituents –

Our Statehouse week began with a ceremonial reading of a House Concurrent Resolution congratulating the 2026 Richford Rockets basketball team on their D-IV championship win.  The team and their coaches traveled to Montpelier to be present for the reading, offered by their local Senators and Representatives. It is always a pleasure to receive visits from school groups and their chaperones at the Statehouse. I will take this opportunity to remind readers that the Governor has an open-door coffee hour each Thursday morning at 8am, and the Lt Governor also offers a similar opportunity for the public to engage with administration officials at these scheduled times:  https://ltgov.vermont.gov/coffeewithconstituents. More information on connecting with the Governor’s Office can be found at: https://governor.vermont.gov/contact-us-requests.

Our work on the House Floor reflects the time that we are spending in Committee reviewing bills passed before crossover and amended by the other Chamber. A full listing of each bill passed can be found on the General Assembly website in each day’s House and Senate Journals.

The Government Operations & Military Affairs Committee, of which I am Vice-Chair, passed S.298 (VT Voting Rights) and is currently continuing to hear testimony on: S.206 (Early Childhood Educator licensure), S.278 (cannabis), and the sections of S.323 (miscellaneous agriculture subjects) pertaining to hemp. It’s important to note that if one types a bill number into the bill tracker on the General Assembly website, the most recent draft of the bill isn’t what pops up as a result.  It takes some digging to find that on the webpage of the committee that has possession of the bill.  Drafts can vary widely in content from one version to the next, especially as we approach the end of the session.

The Rural Caucus this week heard presentations on a Medicare-related issue affecting Critical Access Hospitals (which NMC is not designated as).  We continue to discuss updates to S.325, which is the vehicle for repeal of Act 181’s Road Rule and Tier 2 and 3 language.  The House Environment Committee is closing in on passing out that bill, so to find the latest version, please see their webpage. There is also a great deal of talk in general about land conservation, particularly with respect to including land in the Current Use Program as part of the calculation.

Communication is a key ingredient in the democratic process, and I welcome your questions and concerns as I continue to represent my constituents in the Statehouse. Please feel welcome to reach out to me at [email protected] and to learn more about my work at www.hangoforhouse.com

Stay well,

Rep Lisa Hango, Berkshire (Franklin-5)