by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today signed the emergency housing bill, H.171, that had been hammered out as a compromise with legislative leaders in the days before last week's "veto session." The bill updates the General Assistance "hotel/motel" homeless program into next year, as well as provides additional money and guidelines going forward. The bill helped avoid a situation in which the governor's veto of the budget could have been sustained by a small number of Democrats who were unhappy with leadership for not putting more money into homeless assistance. Ultimately the budget veto was comfortably overridden.
Also today, Governor Scott vetoed an updated "bottle bill," as expected, which would have greatly expanded the beverage container redemption law. In doing so he said it was too expensive and onerous for wholesalers and retailers and, in any case, not necessary with the success of the "zero-sort" recycling program.
Lawmakers will not get a chance to override this veto until next January.
You may see his veto letter to the Legislature below.
On June 29, Governor Scott signed a bill of the following title:
- H.171, An act relating to adult protective services and emergency housing transition (click here to view comments from the Governor on this legislation at his weekly press conference)
On June 29, Governor Scott returned without signature and vetoed a bill of the following title:
- H.158, An act relating to the beverage container redemption system
Regarding H.158, Governor Scott sent the following letter to the General Assembly:
The Honorable BetsyAnn Wrask
Clerk of the Vermont House of Representatives
State House
Montpelier, VT 05633
Dear Ms. Wrask:
Pursuant to Chapter II, Section 11 of the Vermont Constitution, I’m returning H.158, An act relating to the beverage container redemption system, without my signature with my objections stated below.
I’m a long-time advocate of recycling and support a strong system to help Vermonters do so. But as I’ve consistently said, I believe expanding the labor intensive 1970s-era bottle deposit system would move us backwards, and we should instead focus on investing in and improving zero-sort (or blue bin) recycling.
I’m concerned this bill will result in higher costs for Vermonters due to deposit fees added to a wide range of beverage products; increased handling fees will be passed onto consumers to fund the redemption system; and increased recycling costs for towns, businesses and residents as high-value cans and bottles are removed.
It simply makes no sense to toss aside the progress we’ve made since the mandatory Universal Recycling Law of 2012, to expand a separate system that diverts the most valuable recyclables away from the blue bin system.
Finally, I’m concerned that even with the bill’s efforts to modernize the redemption system, redemption centers are likely to continue to struggle to find the space needed for more storage and the workforce needed to handle and sort the higher volume.
In light of these objections, I’m returning this legislation without my signature pursuant to Chapter II, Section 11 of the Vermont Constitution.
Sincerely,
/s/
Philip B. Scott
Governor
To view a complete list of action on bills passed during the 2023 legislative session, see below or click here.
Action Taken by Governor Scott on Bills During the 2023 Legislative Session
This page includes action by the Governor on bills presented to him by the General Assembly in 2023. To see actions for the 2022 legislative session, click here.
Click here to search bills, acts, resolutions, and constitutional proposals introduced during the 2023-2024 legislative biennium.
January 25, 2023
- Signed H.42, An act relating to temporary alternative procedures for annual municipal meetings and electronic meetings of public bodies | Statement
February 13, 2023
- Signed H.1, An act relating to legislative oversight of payment reform and conflict-free case management for developmental disability services
March 20, 2023
- Signed H.46, An act relating to approval of the dissolution of Colchester Fire District No. 3
- Allowed H.145, An act relating to fiscal year 2023 budget adjustments, to become law without his signature | Letter
March 30, 2023
- Signed H.411, An act relating to extending COVID-19 health care regulatory flexibility
April 18, 2023
- Signed H.28, An act relating to diversion and expungement | Statement
- Signed H.466, An act relating to technical corrections for the 2023 legislative session
- Signed S.54, An act relating to individual and small group insurance markets
April 20, 2023
- Signed H.148, An act relating to raising the age of eligibility to marry
April 25, 2023
- Signed H.35, An act relating to the Victims Assistance Program
May 2, 2023
- Signed H.190, An act relating to removing the residency requirement from Vermont’s patient choice at end of life laws
May 4, 2023
- Signed H.271, An act relating to approval of amendments to the charter of the Town of Springfield
- Signed H.418, An act relating to approval of an amendment to the charter of the Town of Barre
- Vetoed S.5 | Letter
May 8, 2023
- Signed S.3, An act relating to prohibiting paramilitary training camps
- Signed H.41, An act relating to referral of domestic and sexual violence cases to community justice centers
- Signed H.76, An act relating to captive insurance
- Signed H.146, An act relating to amendments to the charter of the Northeast Kingdom Waste Management District
May 10, 2023
- Signed H.89, An act relating to civil and criminal procedures concerning legally protected health care activity | Statement
- Signed S.37, An act relating to access to legally protected health care activity and regulation of health care providers | Statement
May 15, 2023
- Signed H.150, An act relating to approval of an amendment to the charter of the Village of Alburgh
- Signed H.178, An act relating to commissioning Department of Corrections personnel as notaries public
- Signed H.288, An act relating to liability for the sale of alcoholic beverages
May 25, 2023
- Signed H.53, An act relating to driver’s license suspensions and revenue for the Domestic and Sexual Violence Special Fund
- Signed H.110, An act relating to extending the sunset under 30 V.S.A. § 248a
- Signed H.161, An act relating to issuance of burning permits
- Signed H.222, An act relating to reducing overdoses | Statement
- Signed H.495, An act relating to the approval of the amendment to the charter of the Town of Middlebury
- Signed H.506, An act relating to approval of amendments to the election boundary provisions of the charter of the City of Burlington
- Signed H.507, An act relating to approval of amendments to the polling place provisions of the charter of the City of Burlington
May 27, 2023
- Allowed H.508, An act relating to approval of an amendment to the ranked choice voting provisions of the charter of the City of Burlington, to become law without signature. | Letter
- Vetoed H.494, An act relating to making appropriations for the support of government | Letter
- Vetoed H.386, An act relating to approval of amendments to the charter of the Town of Brattleboro | Letter
- Vetoed H.509, An act relating to approval of amendments to the voter qualification provisions of the charter of the City of Burlington | Letter
May 30, 2023
Click here to view a signing statement for S.4, S.36, S.89, S.91, and S.138.
- Signed S.4, An act relating to reducing crimes of violence associated with juveniles and dangerous weapons
- Signed S.36, An act relating to crimes against health care workers at hospitals and against emergency medical treatment providers
- Signed S.47, An act relating to the transport of individuals requiring psychiatric care
- Signed S.73, An act relating to workers’ compensation coverage for firefighters with cancer
- Signed S.89, An act relating to establishing a forensic facility
- Signed S.91, An act relating to competency to stand trial and insanity as a defense
- Signed S.138, An act relating to school safety
May 31, 2023
- Signed S.17, An act relating to sheriff reforms
- Signed S.48, An act relating to regulating the sale of catalytic converters
- Signed S.95, An act relating to banking and insurance
- Signed S.112, An act relating to miscellaneous subjects related to the Public Utility Commission
- Vetoed S.39, An act relating to compensation and benefits for members of the Vermont General Assembly | Letter
June 1, 2023
- Signed H.62, An act relating to the interstate Counseling Compact
- Signed H.77, An act relating to Vermont’s adoption of the Physical Therapy Licensure Compact
- Signed H.86, An act relating to Vermont’s adoption of the Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology Interstate Compact
- Allowed H.230, An act relating to implementing mechanisms to reduce suicide and community violence, to become law without his signature | Letter
- Signed H.282, An act relating to the Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact
- Vetoed H.305, An act relating to professions and occupations regulated by the Office of Professional Regulation | Letter
- Signed H.473, An act relating to radiologist assistants
- Signed H.517, An act relating to approval of the dissolution of Duxbury-Moretown Fire District No. 1 and to deputy State’s Attorneys
- Vetoed S.6, An act relating to law enforcement interrogation policies | Letter
- Signed S.14, An act relating to a report on criminal justice-related investments and trends
- Signed S.99, An act relating to miscellaneous changes to laws related to vehicles
- Signed S.115, An act relating to miscellaneous agricultural subjects
- Signed S.135, An act relating to the establishment of VT Saves
- Signed S.137, An act relating to energy efficiency modernization
June 5, 2023
- Signed S.100, An act relating to housing opportunities made for everyone | Statement
- Signed S.33, An act relating to miscellaneous judiciary procedures
June 6, 2023
- Signed H.45, An act relating to abusive litigation filed against survivors of domestic abuse, stalking, or sexual assault
- Signed H.94, An act relating to removing the Reach Up ratable reduction
- Signed H.102, An act relating to the Art in State Buildings Program
- Signed H.206, An act relating to miscellaneous changes affecting the duties of the Department of Vermont Health Access
- Vetoed H.217, An act relating to child care, early education, workers’ compensation, and unemployment insurance | Letter
- Signed H.492, An act relating to setting the homestead property tax yields and the nonhomestead property tax rate
June 8, 2023
- Signed H.125, An act relating to boards and commissions
- Signed H.157, An act relating to the Vermont basic needs budget
- Signed H.452, An act relating to expanding apprenticeship and other workforce opportunities
- Signed H.481, An act relating to public health initiatives to address death by suicide
- Signed H.488, An act relating to approval of the adoption of the charter of the Town of Ludlow
- Signed H.489, An act relating to approval of an amendment to the charter of the Town of Shelburne
- Signed H.504, An act relating to approval of amendments to the charter of the Town of Berlin
- Signed H.505, An act relating to approval of an amendment to the charter of the City of Rutland
June 12, 2023
- Signed H.31, An act relating to aquatic nuisance control
- Signed H.67, An act relating to household products containing hazardous substances
- Allowed H.126, An act relating to community resilience and biodiversity protection, to become law without his signature | Letter
- Signed H.227, An act relating to the Vermont Uniform Power of Attorney Act
- Signed H.414, An act relating to establishing an unused drug repository for Vermont
- Signed H.479, An act relating to the Transportation Program and miscellaneous changes to laws related to transportation | Statement
June 14, 2023
- Signed H.127, An act relating to sports wagering | Statement
- Allowed H.165, An act relating to school food programs and universal school meals, to become law without signature | Letter
- Allowed H.270, An act relating to miscellaneous amendments to the adult-use and medical cannabis programs, to become law without signature | Letter
- Signed H.461, An act relating to making miscellaneous changes in education laws
- Signed H.470, An act relating to miscellaneous amendments to alcoholic beverage laws
- Signed H.480, An act relating to property valuation and reappraisals
- Signed H.493, An act relating to capital construction and State bonding | Statement
June 19, 2023
- Signed H.175, An act relating to modernizing the Children and Family Council for Prevention Programs
- Signed H.291, An act relating to the creation of the Cybersecurity Advisory Council
- Signed H.471, An act relating to technical and administrative changes to Vermont’s tax laws
- Signed H.472, An act relating to miscellaneous agricultural subjects
- Signed H.476, An act relating to miscellaneous changes to law enforcement officer training laws
- Signed H.482, An act relating to Vermont Criminal Justice Council recommendations for law enforcement officer training
- Signed H.490, An act relating to approving the merger of the Village of Lyndonville with the Town of Lyndon
Source: 6.29.2023. Montpelier, Vt. - Governor
