House Speaker Jill Krowinski

Vermont Governor Phil Scott delivered his budget address to a joint session of the Legislature this afternoon, focusing on affordability, demographics and education costs.

The Vermont Legislature gaveled into a new biennium this morning and its first order of business involved organizational items and choosing the leaders of each chamber.

This week the Vermont Department of Taxes released its annual “December 1st” letter, which forecasts property tax rates for the next fiscal year. Following a substantial hike this year, the department is predicting another increase. Republican Governor Phil Scott addressed the issue during his weekly briefing today, a day after Democratic leaders in the House responded.

The rift between Vermont’s Republican governor and the Democratically-controlled Legislature was on display after a legislative session this week overrode most of the governor’s vetoes.

Before the full House chamber takes up the bill this week, Speaker Jill Krowinski, a Democrat, gathered key committee chairs and advocates, saying there must be a course correction in the state’s public education system.

The Vermont House Ways and Means committee advanced a bill that sets the property tax rate and makes changes to the state’s education finance system.

The speaker of the Democratically controlled Vermont House joined the chair of that chamber’s Appropriations Committee to discuss budget deliberations and rebut Republican Governor Phil Scott’s ongoing criticism that their plan is fiscally irresponsible.

Vermont House Speaker Jill Krowinski is pushing back on Republican Governor Phil Scott’s claim that no action is being taken on housing bills in the Legislature.

The Vermont state legislature is preparing to reconvene after a break for Tuesday’s Town Meeting Day. School budgets were a key focus for Vermont voters amid concerns about rising costs.

Democratic House Speaker Jill Krowinski discusses her priorities for the legislative session, including flood recovery.