Dear Constituents –

The Vermont General Assembly, although not officially adjourned, has taken a break. The House will hold token sessions until June 16, joining our Senate colleagues to leave the H.454 Education Committee of Conference to work to put together an Education Transformation Plan that addresses our communities’ diverse needs and challenges. There will be more to come on this during our “veto session” later in the month.

Notable on passage: the S.127 Committee of Conference report on housing and housing development contains many of the asks that the Rural Caucus put forward in a failed amendment a week ago.  The Community Housing Infrastructure Program (CHIP) in this bill has been described as the most impactful development tool that passed in recent Vermont history. The S.51 Committee of Conference report mirrors a bill passed by the House on May 7 that offers tax credits for Vermont households, and military retirees, survivors and veterans. The military language in particular has been submitted for 19 years by Reps Canfield of Fair Haven and Morrissey of Bennington and has finally advanced to the Governor’s desk, which is an admirable effort by those long-time legislators. While not the 100% income tax exemption that many had hoped for, this is a big step forward for Vermont military retirees and veterans and brings us closer to what is offered by surrounding states.

Please reach out at [email protected] with questions and concerns.  It is an honor to serve.

Stay well,

Rep Lisa Hango, Franklin-5