The Vermont Chamber of Commerce released the2011-2012 Vermont Chamber Legislative Report Card. TheLegislative Report Card assesses legislators’support of economic development and business issues important to Vermont Chamber members. ‘While we have seen some positive economic indicators in Vermont, our businesses continue to struggle in this economy and they remain interested in legislative changes that will impact their businesses. TheReport Cardinforms our members and the public on legislators’support of key business issues like health care, taxes and energy,’explained Betsy Bishop, Vermont Chamber President. ‘It is our hope that theReport Cardgenerates discussions among legislators and businesses regarding these important economic issues,’ added Bishop.
The biennial assessment looks at roll call votes on amendments and bills that impact Vermont businesses. This year’s collection of roll call votes includes votes taken on health care, the comprehensive energy bill, taxation and the telecommunications legislation.
In the House, 69 of the 153 Representatives achieved a score above 50% from the Vermont Chamber. On the Senate side, 11 of 30 Senators scored better than 50%. ‘Overall, the Vermont Chamber is pleased with the biennial outcome. In both the House and Senate we saw a number of votes cast without regard to partisan positions,’commented Jessica Gingras, Vermont Chamber Lobbyist and Legislative Assistant. ‘The 2012 session can be characterized as more productive for businesses than the 2011 session resulting in more favorable ratings overall, especially in the House where they were able to pass several bills unanimously,’Gingras added.
TheVermont Chamber Legislative Report Cardis issued after the end of each biennium andalso includes a list of Vermont Chamber Champions, legislators who worked behind the scenes to support issues important to the Vermont Chamber.
SENATE VOTES EXPLAINED: 2011
1)2011 Telecommunications Bill - S.78: The telecommunications bill allows for an expedited permit
process, specifically for Act 250, in an effort to expand broadband services in Vermont. The Vermont
Chamber supports the goal of expanding broadband to every last mile, with a laser focus on providing
services to those individuals and businesses that are unserved. A ‘yes’vote supported the Vermont
Chamber position.
Results: Passed, 29-1
2)Relating to Health Care Reform - H.202: This roll call vote was taken on an amendment that would have
allowed an insurance market to exist outside of the new Health Insurance Exchange after 2014. The
Vermont Chamber supported this amendment with the recognition that an outside market would have
allowed for greater choice for businesses. A ‘yes’vote supported the Vermont Chamber position.
Results: Failed, 11-19
3)Relating to Health Care Reform - H.202: This roll call vote was taken on an amendment that would have
determined the size of businesses mandated to purchase insurance within the Health Insurance Exchange by
defining the ‘small group market’from businesses with one hundred or fewer employees, to businesses
with fifty or fewer. The Vermont Chamber advocated for the passage of this amendment to implement a new
system with the least amount of disruption, allowing a smoother transition. A ‘yes’vote supported the
Vermont Chamber position. *
Results: Failed, 10-20
*In March of 2012, the Vermont Chamber was successful in working with the Administration and the
Legislature to redefine’small group market’to businesses with fifty or fewer employees in the 2012 health
care reform bill, H.559.
SENATE VOTES EXPLAINED: 2012
4)Relating to Health Care Reform - H.559: Similar to the amendment offered in 2011, this roll call was taken on
an amendment that would have delayed the mandatory participation date in the Health Insurance Exchange by one
year. Small businesses would have been allowed to voluntarily purchase within the new system in 2014, with the
State mandate beginning in 2015. The Vermont Chamber’s lobbying team advocated for the passage of this
amendment in an effort to ensure that as many options as possible were available for small businesses after the
implementation of the Exchange. A ‘yes’vote supported the Vermont Chamber position
Results: Failed, 12-15
5)Miscellaneous Tax Changes - H.782: This roll call vote was taken on an amendment that included language to
ban the taxation of cloud computing services, and provide a refund to those individuals and companies who
remitted the tax prior to 2010 (but after 2006). A bulletin issued by the Vermont Tax Department in 2010 redefined
prewritten software as tangible personal property subject to the State’s 6% sales tax. The Vermont Chamber agreed
with the Governor’s position, and advocated for the passage of this amendment with recognition that many
companies were unaware their services, under this clarifying bulletin, were subject the sales tax, and shouldn’t be
in the future. A ‘yes’vote supported the Vermont Chamber position.
Results: Passed, 15-14
6)Comprehensive Energy Bill - S.214: This roll call vote was taken on the Senate version of the comprehensive
energy bill. The bill was improved over the House version by reducing the size of the standard offer and removing
the mandatory RPS provision. However, the bill increases the amount of renewable power from costly small scale
projects by an additional 77 megawatts, bringing the total requirement to 127 megawatts. The Vermont Chamber
opposed the final version of the Senate bill because it believes that utilities should be allowed to negotiate for best
prices for electricity rather than requiring higher priced power through a mandated standard offer program. We
were pleased that all of our cost containment recommendations were incorporated into the bill. A ‘no’vote
supported the Vermont Chamber position.
Results: Passed, 21-4
HOUSE VOTES EXPLAINED: 2011
1)2011 Telecommunications Bill - S.78: The telecommunications bill streamlines and provides an expedited
permit process, specifically for Act 250, in an effort to expand broadband services in Vermont. Using a
mixture of federal stimulus and state monies, the bill focuses on regulating the process by which the State
plans to achieve universal broadband coverage. The Vermont Chamber advocated in support of the bill, and
supports the goal of expanding broadband to every last mile, with a laser focus on providing services to
those individuals and businesses that are unserved. A ‘yes’vote supported the Vermont Chamber
position.
Results: Passed, 124-1
2)Mandatory Work Breaks - H.41: This roll call vote was taken on a bill that would have mandated work
breaks for all Vermont employees. The Vermont Chamber opposed this bill’s prescriptive language that
would have contradicted existing Federal and State labor law, as well as attempts to implement a one-size
fits all solution to an issue that received no formal complaints at the Department of Labor. Although the bill
exempted employers who, for safety reasons, needed more flexibility, the Vermont Chamber advocated
against the bill, questioning the need for such a mandate. A ‘no’vote supported the Vermont Chamber
position.
Results: Passed, 72-61
3)Jobs Bill - H.287: This vote was taken on the 2011 jobs bill that included a comprehensive package to
stimulate job growth in Vermont that expanded across all sectors. The bill enhanced existing workforce
development programs, while allocating monies to new programs that would help the agriculture industry,
stimulate the growth of manufacturing jobs, create a statewide internship program, and provide support for
the strengthening of downtown regions. A ‘yes’vote supported the Vermont Chamber position.
Results: Passed, 122-13
4)Health Care Reform - H.202: This roll call was taken on an amendment that would have exempted selfinsured
companies, and their employees, from contributing into the finance mechanism created to fund the
anticipated single payer system. A ‘no’vote supported the Vermont Chamber position.
Results: Failed, 49-88
HOUSE VOTES EXPLAINED: 2012
5)Health Care Reform - H.559: This amendment would have allowed the Health Care Insurance Exchange
to be voluntary for small businesses in Vermont rather than mandating participation in 2014. The Vermont
Chamber advocated for the passage of this amendment to provide as much choice as possible for small
businesses. A ‘yes’vote supported the Vermont Chamber position on this amendment.
Results: Failed, 57-80
6)Labor Bill - H.762: This roll call was taken on the 2012 House labor bill that included Vermont Chamber
sponsored provisions that would have created a volunteer certification process for sole contractors in the
State, a Vermont Chamber priority. The House omnibus labor bill demonstrated a clear collaboration
between the Department of Labor, the House Commerce and Economic Development Committee, and the
Vermont Chamber. Unfortunately the Senate did not pass this provision. A ‘yes’vote supported the
Vermont Chamber position.
Results: Passed, 131-0
7)Comprehensive Energy Bill - H.468: The House version of the energy bill would have required each of
Vermont’s retail electricity providers to either purchase or produce new renewable energy supplies so that
renewables represented thirty-five percent of each utility's energy portfolio by 2032. The bill also
authorized 150 MW of cumulative standard offer which provides a Public Service Board determined price
for small scale renewables. The Vermont Chamber advocated for stringent cost containment language, a
more reasonable, balanced RPS goal, and a lower standard offer agreement. We were successful in
obtaining a ‘market-based procurement mechanism’which will set a lower price for the standard offer
segment through a bidding process. A ‘no’vote supported the Vermont Chamber position.
Results: Passed, 91-46
Source: Vermont Chamber of Commerce, 7.20.2012. The Vermont Chambers Legislative Report Card can be found on the Vermont Chamber website athttp://www.vtchamber.com/issues-policy/publications_and_resources.aspx
The Vermont Chamber of Commerce, the largest statewide, private, not-for-profit business organization represents nearly every sector of the state's corporate/hospitality community. Our mission is to create an economic climate conducive to business growth and the preservation of the Vermont quality of life.