by Timothy McQuiston Vermont Business Magazine Governor Scott has informed the Legislature of actions taken on bills delivered to him by lawmakers last week. Below is a list of bills that were signed, vetoed or allowed to go into law without signature on May 21 and May 22. Among the notable vetoes include bills related to paid family leave, increasing the minimum wage, recreation liability, and the toxic substance liability. All these bills, the governor maintains, undermine the state's economy by either increasing the cost of doing business or contribute to over-regulation, which will eventually increase the cost of doing business. The result of all, he said, will make Vermont a less viable place to do business, increase costs and cost jobs.

What these bills do not address are the two major bills that invoked a legislative Special Session, which will begin Wednesday. Scott called for the Special Session to address the budget and the tax bills. Without a budget or tax plan, state government will shut down July 1. But he only received H911 (tax bill) and H924 (2019 Budget "Big Bill") on Tuesday. Scott has indicated he intends to veto both unless the tax hikes in H911 are removed or reworked.

The Special Session is intended mainly to address those two vital pieces of legislation. But within a Special Session, any measure can be addressed by lawmakers. When he called lawmakers back to the State House, he said he hoped to have a resolution on the tax and spend bills. Lawmakers will meet Wednesday briefly and then return in earnest on May 30. 

The major sticking point is the increase in the property tax. Lawmakers have said they are simply setting tax rates to meet the school spending levels determined by Town Meeting voters last March. Scott said he has said all along that he will not accept any spending measures that increase taxes, especially since there is a surplus, he said, of $100 million rolling over from the current fiscal year.

RELATED STORY: Speaker Johnson, advocates react to Scott's vetoes

The bills Scott acted upon are noted below, the vetoed bills that included a message are noted below and the message is included.

BILLS:

The Governor has informed the House of Representatives that on the twenty-second day of May, 2018, he returned without signature and vetoed a bill originating in the House of the following title:

H.196     An act relating to paid family leave  (see attached letter)

Governor to inform the Senate that on the twenty-second day of May, 2018, he returned without signature and vetoedbills originating in the Senate of the following title:

S.40        An act relating to increasing the minimum wage  (see attached letter)

S.105     An act relating to consumer justice enforcement  (see attached letter)

S.197     An act relating to liability for toxic substance exposures or releases  (see attached letter)

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The Governor has informed the House of Representatives that on the twenty-second day of May 2018, allowed to become law without his signature bills originating in the House of the following title:

H.636     An act relating to miscellaneous fish and wildlife subjects  (see attached letter)

H.764     An act relating to data brokers and consumer protection (see attached letter)

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The Governor has informed the House of Representatives that on the twenty-second day of May 2018, he signed a bill originating in the House of the following title:

H.910     An act relating to the Open Meeting Law and the Public Records Act  (see attached letter)

The Governor has informed the Senate that on the twenty-second day of May 2018, he signed a bill originating in the Senate of the following title:

S.289     An act relating to protecting consumers and promoting an open Internet in Vermont  (see attached letter)

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The Governor has informed the House of Representatives that on the twenty-second day of May 2018, he signed bills originating in the House of the following titles:

H.526     An act relating to regulating notaries public

H.554     An act relating to the regulation of dams and the testing of groundwater sources

H.562     An act relating to parentage proceedings

H.676     An act relating to miscellaneous energy subjects

H.728     An act relating to bail reform

H.894     An act relating to pensions, retirement, and setting the contribution rates for municipal employees

H.912     An act relating to the health care regulatory duties of the Green Mountain Care Board

The Governor has informed the Senate that on the twenty-second day of May 2018, he signed a bill originating in the Senate of the following title:

S.260     An act relating to funding the cleanup of State waters

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The Governor has informed the House of Representatives that on the twenty-first day of May 2018, he signed bills originating in the House of the following titles:

H.404     An act relating to Medicaid reimbursement for long-acting reversible contraceptives

H.718     An act relating to creation of the Restorative Justice Study Committee

H.859     An act relating to requiring municipal corporations to affirmatively vote to retain ownership of lease lands

H.895     An act relating to legislative review of certain report requirements

H.925     An act relating to approval of amendments to the charter of the City of Barre

H.926     An act relating to approval of amendments to the charter of the Town of Colchester

H.25       An act relating to domestic terrorism

H.132     An act relating to limiting landowner liability for posting the dangers of swimming holes

H.378     An act relating to the creation of the Artificial Intelligence Task Force

H.410     An act relating to appliance efficiency, energy planning, and electric vehicle parking

H.603     An act relating to human trafficking

H.639     An act relating to eliminating cost-sharing for certain breast imaging services

H.660     An act relating to establishing the Commission on Sentencing Disparities and Criminal Code Reclassification

H.663     An act relating to municipal regulation of accessory on-farm businesses and to hemp cultivation

H.684     An act relating to professions and occupations regulated by the Office of Professional Regulation
H.710     An act relating to beer franchises

H.727     An act relating to the admissibility of a child’s hearsay statements in a proceeding before the Human Services Board

H.731     An act relating to miscellaneous workers’ compensation and occupational safety amendments

H.736     An act relating to lead poisoning prevention

H.739     An act relating to energy productivity investments under the self-managed energy efficiency program

H.806     An act relating to the Southeast State Correctional Facility

H.874     An act relating to inmate access to prescription drugs

H.899     An act relating to a town fee report and request

H.908     An act relating to the Administrative Procedure Act

H.916     An act relating to increasing the moral obligation authority of the Vermont Economic Development Authority

H.917     An act relating to the Transportation Program and miscellaneous changes to transportation-related law

H.927     An act relating to approval of amendments to the charter of the City of Montpelier

The Governor has informed the Senate that on the twenty-first day of May 2018, he signed a bill originating in the Senate of the following title:

S.225     An act relating to pilot programs for coverage by commercial health insurers of costs associated with medication-assisted treatment

BILLS VETOED