Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott signed the $7.17 billion budget bill this morning as passed by the Legislature. He has several other bills, including the Act 250 bill, sitting on his desk. He said he would deliberate on them this weekend. Scott said at his press briefing this morning that he is disappointed by the condition of the Act 250 bill that was conceived as a major upgrade to the landmark legislation, which passed by the Legislature in 1970 and signed into law by Governor Deane Davis.
Scott said the administration and the lawmakers had been working on the updating of the environmental law for two years. He said the bill that eventually came to him stripped out most of the language except for an interim extension of a trail provision without creating an exemption for them to Act 250 provisions.
He said today that among groups concerned with the bill is the Vermont Association of Snow Travelers (VAST) who are concerned that landowners will cease to allow for passage through privately held lands. Scott suggested that the bill would have been better if structured after the original House bill.
The Vermont Natural Resources Council is among environmental groups who are urging the governor to sign the bill (H.926) because they say it will better maintain intact forests and protect wildlife habitat when large projects are being reviewed and bolster rural economic development by supporting working forests.
Actions Taken by Governor Scott on Bills During the 2020 Legislative Session
October 2, 2020
- Signed H.969, An act relating to making appropriations for the support of government (Budget)
September 23, 2020
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Signed S.233, An act relating to uniform licensing standards
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Signed S.337, An act relating to energy efficiency entities and programs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the thermal energy and transportation sectors. Press Release and Letter to Legislators
September 15, 2020
- Vetoed H.688, An act relating to addressing climate change. Press Release and Veto Message
July 13, 2020
- Signed S.219, An act relating to addressing racial bias and excessive use of force by law enforcement. Signing Statement
- Signed S.338, An act relating to justice reinvestment
- Signed S.339, An act relating to miscellaneous changes to laws related to vehicles
- Signed S.342, An act relating to temporary workers’ compensation amendments related to COVID-19. Signing Statement
- Signed H.552, An act relating to the Vermont Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Pollution Control Revolving Fund
- Signed H.572, An act relating to the Maternal Mortality Review Panel
- Signed H.716, An act relating to Abenaki hunting and fishing licenses
- Signed H.754, An act relating to restructuring and reorganizing General Assembly staff offices
- Signed H.837, An act relating to enhanced life estate deeds
- Signed H.956, An act relating to miscellaneous amendments to alcoholic beverage laws
July 6, 2020
- Signed H.955, An act relating to capital construction and State bonding budget adjustment
- Signed H.960, An act relating to miscellaneous health care provisions
July 2, 2020
- Signed H.965, An act relating to health care- and human services-related appropriations from the Coronavirus Relief Fund
- Signed H.966, An act relating to the COVID-19 funding and assistance for broadband connectivity, housing, and economic relief
- Signed S.351, An act relating to providing financial relief assistance to the agricultural community due to the COVID-19 public health emergency
- Allowed to become law without his signature S.348, An act relating to temporary elections procedures in the year 2020. Letter to Legislators
July 1, 2020
- Signed H.438, An act relating to the Board of Medical Practice and the licensure of physicians and podiatrists
- Signed H.558, An act relating to exempting the Victims Compensation Board from the Open Meeting Law
- Signed H.650, An act relating to boards and commissions
- Signed H.656, An act relating to miscellaneous agricultural subjects
- Signed H.750, An act relating to creating a National Guard provost marshal
- Signed H.788, An act relating to technical corrections for the 2020 legislative session
- Signed H.936, An act relating to sexual exploitation of children
- Signed H.943, An act relating to approval of amendments to the charter of the City of St. Albans
- Signed H.946, An act relating to approval of the adoption of the charter of the Town of Elmore
- Signed H.957, An act relating to extending the deadline to test for lead in the drinking water of school buildings and child care facilities
- Signed H.963, An act relating to sunsets related to judiciary procedures
- Signed S.128, An act relating to physician assistant licensure
- Signed S.232, An act relating to implementing the expansion of juvenile jurisdiction
- Signed S.301, An act relating to miscellaneous telecommunications changes
June 30, 2020
- Signed H.961, An act relating to making first quarter fiscal year 2021 appropriations for the support of State government, federal Coronavirus Relief Fund (CRF) appropriations, pay act appropriations, and other fiscal requirements for the first part of the fiscal year
- Signed H.959, An act relating to education property tax
- Signed H.942, An act relating to the Transportation Program and miscellaneous changes to laws related to transportation
June 23, 2020
- Signed H.254, An act relating to adequate shelter for livestock
- Signed H.608, An act relating to incompatible local offices
- Signed H.635, An act relating to regulation of long-term care facilities
- Signed H.958, An act relating to communications union districts
June 19, 2020
- Signed S.350, An act relating to creating emergency economic recovery grants
June 15, 2020
- Signed H.554, An act relating to approval of the dissolution of the Village of Perkinsville and the merger of the Village with the Town of Weathersfield
- Signed H.643, An act relating to banking and insurance
- Signed H.793, An act relating to the powers and duties of the Auditor of Accounts
- Signed H.947, An act relating to temporary municipal tax rate provisions in response to COVID-19
- Signed H.948, An act relating to temporary municipal proceedings provisions in response to the COVID-19 outbreak
- Signed H.950, An act relating to allowing remote witnesses for advance directives for a limited time
- Signed H.951, An act relating to the municipal emergency statewide education property tax borrowing program
- Signed H.953, An act relating to fiscal year 2020 supplemental budget adjustments
- Signed S.255, An act relating to captive insurance. Press Release
- Signed S.283, An act relating to the Town of Hartford’s tax increment financing district
- Signed S.343, An act relating to delaying special education changes due to the COVID-19 state of emergency
- Signed S.345, An act relating to temporary municipal provisions in response to the COVID-19 outbreak
- Signed S.347, An act relating to suspension of time frames for civil license suspension hearings for certain DUI offenses
May 14, 2020
- Signed S.182, An act relating to government operations regarding emergency medical services and public safety in response to COVID-19
- Signed S.333, An act relating to establishing a moratorium on ejectment and foreclosure actions during the COVID-19 emergency
- Signed S.344, An act relating to temporary municipal tax rate provisions in response to COVID-19
April 28, 2020
- Signed H.550, An act relating to unclaimed property
- Signed H.741, An act relating to criminal record checks on contractors working in State-owned or -leased facilities
- Signed S.114, An act relating to the emergency judicial response to the COVID-19 public health emergency
- Signed S.316, An act relating to execution of wills during an emergency
- Signed S.326, An act relating to the State Advisory Panel on Special Education
- Signed S.340, An act relating to FY 2020 interfund borrowing authority
- Signed S.341, An act relating to disclosure of tax information to facilitate the provision of Pandemic Unemployment Assistance benefits
March 30, 2020
- Signed H.681, An act relating to government operations in response to the COVID-19 outbreak
- Signed H.742, An act relating to Vermont’s response to COVID-19
March 18, 2020
- Signed S.240, An act relating to recruiting new remote workers and new relocating workers
March 5, 2020
- Signed S.110, An act relating to data privacy and consumer protection
March 4, 2020
- Signed H.760, An act relating to fiscal year 2020 budget adjustments
February 27, 2020
- Signed H.83, An act relating to prohibiting female mutilation or cutting
February 20, 2020
- Signed S.108, An act relating to employee misclassification
February 10, 2020
- Vetoed S.23, An act relating to increasing the minimum wage. Press Release and Veto Message
February 4, 2020
- Signed H.143, An act relating to appointing town agents
January 30, 2020
- Vetoed H.107, An act relating to paid family leave. Press Release and Veto Message
Source: Montpelier, Vt. – Governor 10.2.2020