by Hilary Niles vtdigger.org All signs point to Saturday adjournment for the Vermont Legislature — with or without the minimum wage and economic development bills. But a new employer tax assessment which would be used to help balance the budget may be the key to whether or not those bills end up passing. House Speaker Shap Smith, D-Morrisville, and Senate President Pro Tem John Campbell, D-Windsor, said Friday morning they expect the tax and budget bills to be worked out today and make it through both chambers Saturday.
They say they are leaving it up to Republican leadership to decide whether to take up the minimum wage and economic development bills. The minority party would have to agree to suspend procedural rules in order to act on the legislation quickly enough to finish by Saturday night.
“If they’re willing to give up on an economic development bill and a bill that would raise wages for Vermonters, that’s on their shoulders,” Campbell said.
“Their lack of planning does not create an emergency for me,” said House Minority Leader Don Turner, R-Milton.
Turner said his party knows economic development is important, but disagrees with two major changes to workers’ compensation laws that are embedded in S.220.
Proponents of the changes say they add important protections for workers. Opponents say the changes will drive up the costs of employment.
“This is one time when we might be able to stop one more attack on employers,” Turner said.
But if the tax bill comes out of a joint House-Senate conference committee without a roughly $3.5 million employer assessment, he might be willing to change his tune.
“If that came to me, that might change the whole thing,” Turner said.
Smith said if the House Republicans are not willing to agree to suspend rules in order to take up the minimum wage and economic development bills today, he and Campbell are not willing to take the session into next week.
He estimated the cost of coming back for another day would run about $60,000 — money he didn’t think Vermonters would want to pay for that purpose.
“If (the Republicans) want to prevent Vermonters from getting a raise, that’s up to them,” Smith said.