State Budget

Democratic leaders in the House dialed back some of the Republican governor's top priorities in favor of other initiatives. The proposal does not include $131 million in new spending initiatives approved by House lawmakers in separate bills earlier this week.

Lawmakers are seeking increased allocations for housing, health care, public safety and more, but they will soon have to decide whether to throw those initiatives by the wayside and live within the current revenue forecast, or raise taxes so they can accommodate the additional spending.

Gov. Phil Scott won’t unveil his proposal for next year’s state budget until January, but he’s already told members of his cabinet that he wants to keep spending increases below the rate of inflation.

Host Connor Cyrus talks with political reporter Bob Kinzel about which bills Gov. Phil Scott has signed and vetoed.

Gov. Phil Scott is threatening to withhold support for the state budget if lawmakers don't restore the "essential initiatives" in his spending plan.

Vermont is experiencing an unusual budget year. Because of the impact of the huge influx of federal stimulus and COVID relief funds, the state has large surpluses in both the general fund and the education fund. But questions remain on how to spend that money through tax cuts.

The first week of the new legislative session is wrapping up, and this hour, we're checking in with political journalists about what to expect in policies and bills related to the state's workforce, pensions, budgets, Vermont's COVID-19 response, and more.

Gov. Phil Scott wants to spend $25 million in federal funds to weatherize thousands of homes, especially those of low- and middle-income Vermonters.Scott…

State Treasurer Beth Pearce says Vermont will need to make “extraordinarily painful” cuts to retirement benefits for teachers and state employees in order…

The Scott Administration wants to renegotiate the second year of a two-year contract with state employees. But the employee union says state officials…