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Childcare bill becoming a heavy lift
The House Committee on Human Services is working through H.171, a bill that would create a comprehensive child care system governed and subsidized by the state. The system would take several years to establish. The work began in earnest last year.
There are two critical studies in the bill. The first is the creation of an Early Care and Education Systems and Administration Advisory Committee which would ultimately advise relevant state agencies regarding the delivery of appropriate services. This 20-member committee would include representatives of three business-related representatives: the Vermont Business Roundtable, the National Federation of Independent Businesses, and Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility.
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The Vermont Mayors Coalition recently announced the issues it wants the state legislature to prioritize this session.
The Coalition represents eight of the state’s nine cities and was formed in 2013 to advocate on issues of joint concern. Six mayors must support any issue to be included in the priorities.
Winooski Mayor Kristine Lott said the group’s top priorities are pandemic response and support for housing and food security. “We would really like to see the legislature mobilize funds quickly, as soon as they’re available, and extend the housing stabilization rent and mortgage support programs that were already in place and leverage those programs for immediate assistance to Vermont Vermont households. So when somebody can no longer make their rent, make their mortgage payments, mobilizing funds instead of letting them fall months behind. We also want to encourage or rather urge the extension of contracts already in place that are supporting local organizatio
Project based TIFs would expand rural redevelopment
The Senate Committee on Economic Development, Housing and General Affairs is considering S.33, a bill that would allow more towns to apply for project-based tax increment financing. TIFs allow municipal governments to fund new private infrastructure projects through the anticipated tax revenue that results from the new projects.
S.33 would create a pilot program limited to six projects with a $1.5 million cap per application. This bill was considered last year with a higher limit but was lowered to get the support of the Senate Finance Committee chair. Witnesses testified this week in favor of increasing the cap to at least $4 million.
The Legislature convened Jan. 6, still affected in so many ways by the COVID-19 crisis, as well as by events in Washington. Our first three days were taken up with