Budget negotiators reached a compromise on the budget late last week, and the Senate embraced it earlier this week. The House followed suit on Thursday with a resounding vote of 132-2.
Rep. Robin Scheu (D-Middlebury), chair of the House Committee on Appropriations, said she and her colleagues worked hard to set aside funds that will be needed if the economy slows or the federal government pulls back funding for programs such as Medicaid.
“We worked hard to address key priorities and serve Vermonters well now, while maintaining flexibility for the inevitable cuts that are to come,” Scheu said from the House floor.
The budget includes $77.2 million to reduce the property tax burden on homeowners this year. That infusion of one-time cash will reduce the average increase to 1 percent, compared to 14 percent last year.
It also includes an extra $20 million for transportation projects by ending the practice of diverting excess transportation fund revenue for other uses. This was one of Scott’s budget priorities.
The budget also sets aside about $100 million that the legislature or the five-member Vermont Emergency Board could tap to address major budget shortfalls when the legislature is not in session.
The strong support of Republican lawmakers is one reason many expect Scott to sign what is commonly called the Big Bill.
“The bill before you is not perfect, but it is a really good compromise on so many fronts,” Rep. Jim Harrison (R-Chittenden) said.
The status of the education reform effort remains up in the air. The Senate Finance Committee narrowly advanced a reform bill on Thursday that several senators panned.
If passed by the whole Senate, that version would still need to go through what is expected to be a painful reconciliation process with the very different version passed by the House.