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Senator Peter Welch: Energizing our Communities Act with Vermont Outdoor Recreation Leaders at the Catamount Outdoor Family Center 04/25/2024

From the Office of Senator Welch:

Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) joins Protect Our Winters (POW) and Vermont outdoor recreation leaders to celebrate Earth Week and unveil the Energizing Our Communities Act, legislation to support local communities that host Department of Energy (DOE) supported transmission projects. The program will help build trust between local governments and transmission developers so the nation can sustainably increase transmission capacity, which is crucial to a national clean energy transition. The Energizing Our Communities Act invests revenue from certain federal Department of Energy loan programs back into communities, including tribal governments, who host transmission infrastructure. This bill aims to support national transmission grid build-out by ensuring communities see the benefits of transmission at the ground level.

Who: Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vt.); Sam Masters, Protect Our Winters; John Atkinson, Executive Director of Catamount Outdoor Family Center; Ashley LaPorte, Vice President of Purpose & Impact, Burton; Ted Brady, Executive Director of the Vermont League of Cities and Towns; and Blake Keogh, Athlete.

Community Media Public Benefit Bill: H.575 and S.181: Vermont House Committee on Appropriations - Budget Changes 04/24/2024

Review of VAN FY25 Request at the House Committee on Appropriations.

On Thursday, the base appropriation for VAN briefly came up in House Appropriations during JFO’s presentation of the Senate’s changes to the budget.

Senator Peter Welch: Celebrate Introduction of the STAGE Act with Vermont’s Nonprofit Theaters 04/24/2024

From the Office of Senator Welch:

Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) convenes leaders from Vermont’s nonprofit theaters under the marquee of The Flynn in Burlington to celebrate the introduction of the Supporting Theater and the Arts to Galvanize the Economy (STAGE) Act. The STAGE Act establishes a new Professional Nonprofit Theater Grant Program to support the theater arts industry and workforce through a lagging recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Featuring Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vt.); Vermont Secretary of Commerce Lindsay Kurrle; Jay Wahl, Executive Director of the Flynn Center; Susan Evans McClure, Executive Director of the Vermont Arts Council; Carol Dunne, Producing Artistic Director of Northern Stage.

Community Media Public Benefit Bill: H.575 and S.181: Vermont Senate Committee on Finance - Testimony of H.657 Modernize Vermont’s Communications Taxes and Fees 04/23/2024

Testimony of H.657 a bill meant to modernize Vermont's communications taxes and fees at the Senate Committee on Finance.

On Tuesday, Senate Finance discussed and took testimony on H.657, the Telecommunications Modernization bill. First they walked through a new version of the bill with Legislative Counsel Maria Royle. Senate Finance has amended the bill so that it essentially now does not include fees on communications property or on the use of the State’s right-of-ways, but instead, commissions studies and inventories on those issues. Rob White from the Agency of Transportation testified and noted his appreciation for this move, as an inventory of the poles in the right of way is a significant undertaking. Following all of this discussion, David Healy, a retired GIS consultant who works with the CUDs, and in his past was instrumental in establishing the State’s GIS agency office, testified that the State already had access to most if not all of this data. The Cmte then decided to ask the State’s GIS office to come in to testify about this.

H.657 draft 2.1 (as amended by Senate Finance in draft) :
https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2024/WorkGroups/Senate%20Finance/Bills/H.657/Drafts,%20Amendments,%20Other%20Legal%20Documents/H.657~Maria%20Royle~%20Draft%201.2,%204-23-2024~4-23-2024.pdf

Under the Dome: Climate & Environment - Neonics, Flooding, and Renewable Energy 04/22/2024

Host Bobby Lussier, CCTV's Development Director, speaks with Representative Gabrielle Stebbins and Senator Irene Wrenner about climate and the environment on this Earth Day edition of Under The Dome.

To contact your local representative, you can find their contact information on the State's website. 

Community Media Public Benefit Bill: H.575 and S.181: Vermont Senate Committee on Finance - Testimony of H.657 Modernize Vermont’s Communications Taxes and Fees 04/19/2024

Testimony of H.657 a bill meant to modernize Vermont's communications taxes and fees at the Senate Committee on Finance.

On Friday, the Cmte heard from the Department of Taxes, who discussed the challenges inherent in conducting an inventory of the various properties and items in H.657 that would be assessed for fees. This includes the telephone property tax, the Universal Service Charge, and the Right of Way fees. The Cmte asked Leg Counsel to strip out all of these items from the bill, and instead ask VTRANS to conduct a study on what it would take to complete their inventory of poles and wires in the state right of way, and what the cost-benefit analysis would be for completing that inventory, administering fees, and the revenue that would be generated.

H.657: As Passed by the House:
https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2024/WorkGroups/Senate%20Finance/Bills/H.657/Drafts,%20Amendments,%20Other%20Legal%20Documents/H.657~Maria%20Royle~As%20Passed%20by%20the%20House~4-10-2024.pdf

Community Media Public Benefit Bill: H.575 and S.181: Vermont House Republican Caucus - Discussion of S.55 Update to Open Meeting Law 04/19/2024

Discussion of S.55 Update to Open Meeting Law at the House Republican Caucus.

On Tuesday, Representative Higley gave a brief update on S.55 in the House Republican Caucus - the bill is currently in the House Government Operations and Military Affairs committee. Representative Higley said CUDs have concerns about having a physical location with the bill due to the large areas of land they can represent. Representative Parsons brought up that his town (Newbury) has one phone line and limited access to the internet which could complicate implementation of S.55 requirements. The committee does not plan to vote on the bill this week.

S.55: As Passed by the Senate:
https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2024/Docs/BILLS/S-0055/S-0055%20As%20Passed%20by%20the%20Senate%20Unofficial.pdf

Community Media Public Benefit Bill: H.575 and S.181: Vermont Senate Committee on Appropriations - Discussion of VAN FY25 Request 04/19/2024

Discussion of VAN FY25 Request at the Senate Committee on Appropriations.

On Friday, the committee finally revealed the language that will go along with your appropriation, which is great - it directs the Secretary of State to recommend the level of funding for VAN for future years as part of its budget presentation next year. This language might change a bit.

Both the base appropriation and this language will be items to be discussed in the Conference Committee on the Budget because, as you recall, the House only included $1m in base funding for VAN. That process should start up in about 2 weeks.

Community Media Public Benefit Bill: H.575 and S.181: Vermont Senate Committee on Finance - Testimony of H.657 Modernize Vermont’s Communications Taxes and Fees 04/18/2024

Testimony of H.657 a bill meant to modernize Vermont's communications taxes and fees at the Senate Committee on Finance.

On Thursday, the Cmte heard from the Controller of the Franklin Telephone and Independent Telephone Companies, one of two small telecommunications providers exempted from certain fees in the bill. They also heard a proposed 18-page amendment to H.657 offered by Sens. Wrenner and MacDonald, that would postpone the right-of-way fees in the bill until such time as an inventory of poles and wires in the state can be completed. And, that the inventory should be completed using specific GIS technologies. Steven Whitaker provided input on this amendment, and also testified along with Sen. Wrenner.

H.657: As Passed by the House:
https://legislature.vermont.gov/Documents/2024/WorkGroups/Senate%20Finance/Bills/H.657/Drafts,%20Amendments,%20Other%20Legal%20Documents/H.657~Maria%20Royle~As%20Passed%20by%20the%20House~4-10-2024.pdf

Community Media Public Benefit Bill: H.575 and S.181: Vermont Senate Committee on Appropriations - Discussion of VAN FY25 Request 04/18/2024

Discussion of VAN FY25 Request at the Senate Committee on Appropriations.

Throughout the week, the committee continued to work on the budget, finishing it up on Friday. VAN’s allocation of $1m in base funding continued to appear on various documents that were reviewed by the committee, and they repeatedly confirmed that they were supporting this allocation. Also on Thursday, the committee briefly discussed the streaming tax (S.181) and Senator Sears once again expressed opposition to the bill, saying it is a “double tax.” Senator Kitchel pretty quickly shut down this conversation.

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