Phil Scott

Governor Scott engaged in negotiations with Democratic and Republican legislative leaders regarding H.955, the year's education funding and governance reform bill, over the course of a week of closed-door meetings in May 2026. The compromise amendment that emerged on Friday night did not include mandatory school district consolidation, instead establishing voluntary merger processes with merger committees required to meet by October 15 and resident votes scheduled for March 2028. According to the governor's spokesperson, Scott's primary concern shifted to achieving a more stable property tax trajectory rather than mandating consolidation.

Governor Scott signed Executive Order 01-26, which establishes the Vermont Artificial Intelligence Economic Task Force. The task force was created to examine how the state can adopt artificial intelligence technology. Scott invited Vermonters to apply for positions on the task force.

Scott's administration implemented wetlands regulatory rule changes through Executive Order 06-25 designed to expedite and reduce the cost of residential construction in Vermont. The Legislative Committee on Administrative Rules voted 5-3 to object to the rule changes, with the vote divided along party lines. The rule modifications were framed by Scott's administration as part of a broader response to Vermont's housing affordability crisis.

In September, Scott issued an executive order that sought to allow housing development in certain unmapped wetlands without a permit and to reduce the buffer zone around wetlands from 50 feet to 25 feet, citing the goal of accelerating home construction. The Scott administration subsequently initiated a formal rulemaking process to implement these changes after the Attorney General indicated the executive order alone was insufficient. On May 22, 2026, the Vermont Legislature's Committee on Administrative Rules rejected the proposed rules in a 5-3 vote, with the committee stating the changes conflicted with lawmakers' intent to protect wetlands.

The Vermont House Human Services Committee tabled S.206, legislation passed by the Senate in March that would have established a tiered licensure system for individual childcare staff with higher minimum training requirements, new licensure fees, and expanded oversight structures. Committee Chair Rep. Theresa Wood stated the bill would remain "on the wall" without a formal vote, citing unresolved questions about potential unintended consequences including impacts on home-based provider recruitment and staffing shortages. Wood indicated that lawmakers would continue developing licensure reform proposals, though a new bill would be required in the next biennium due to the current session's end.

The Vermont Senate unanimously advanced H.938, legislation establishing a Vermont Homeless Response Continuum that restructures the state's approach to serving approximately 4,000 unhoused people by creating tiered shelter options including prevention supports, highly structured shelters, low barrier shelters, and specialized facilities for specific populations. The bill restricts the use of private motels and hotels, which currently serve as the state's largest shelter provider, by imposing caps on the number of rooms available annually and limiting individual stays while requiring onsite support services. The legislation, which received preliminary Senate approval on May 20, 2026, will proceed to final Senate vote and then to Governor Phil Scott's desk after House consideration.

Governor Scott issued an executive order on Monday establishing the Vermont Artificial Intelligence Economic Taskforce to develop recommendations for artificial intelligence adoption in state government and Vermont businesses. The taskforce, chaired by Neale Lunderville, must present up to five recommendations within 90 days for how state government could use AI to improve public services, and will focus on economic acceleration, small business competitiveness, and community resilience. Membership includes secretaries from the Agency of Digital Services and Agency of Commerce and Community Development along with leaders from various economic sectors.

In March 2026, Governor Scott signed legislation that allows Vermont to purchase vaccines from sources other than the CDC and mandates that insurers cover vaccination costs, establishing state independence from federal vaccine policy changes. The law was enacted in response to changes made by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. following his confirmation as head of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which resulted in the CDC scaling back recommended childhood vaccines and loosening Covid-19 shot recommendations. Vermont's vaccination rates have remained relatively stable following the law's passage, though pediatricians report increased parental hesitancy about vaccines since the federal policy changes took effect.

Governor Scott held a news conference stating that the Legislature appeared to be reversing an agreement regarding adjustments to wetland buffer sizes for certain housing projects. Scott indicated that modifications to Vermont's land-use laws concerning wetland buffers had been previously agreed upon but were not being implemented as expected. The Governor called on lawmakers to proceed with the agreed-upon changes to wetland buffer regulations.

Governor Phil Scott issued a statement in response to the Vermont Department of Health's annual report showing that overdose deaths in Vermont decreased by 25% in 2025, with 170 deaths recorded compared to 227 in 2024. Scott stated that Vermont would continue to invest in proven strategies including treatment, intervention, harm reduction, and recovery services to address addiction. The governor's statement acknowledged the decline while noting that additional work remains to support Vermonters struggling with substance use disorder.

In April 2026, the Vermont Labor Relations Board ordered Governor Scott's administration to rescind a return-to-office requirement that mandated state employees work at physical offices three days per week, a policy Scott had implemented the previous year. Scott's administration subsequently requested the labor board pause its order while appealing to the Vermont Supreme Court, arguing the policy's reversal would cause irreparable financial harm due to leased office space and required employee reimbursements. On May 8, 2026, the labor board declined the state's request to pause the order, ruling that any financial disruption would result from the state's own actions, though the board did agree to temporarily pause a provision requiring reimbursement to affected employees.

The Vermont House voted to partially repeal Act 181, a 2024 land-use law that modified Act 250, Vermont's development-review policy. The repeal targeted the most contentious provisions including the "road rule" and "Tier 3" conservation measures, which lawmakers determined were alienating rural landowners. The House passed S.325, the vehicle for these changes, with unanimous approval following hours of floor debate that included amendments on permitting exemptions for farm-based businesses.

Governor Scott signed H.723, an act relating to posting of land, into law in May 2026. The legislation, introduced in January by House Representative Zon Eastes and reviewed by the House Committee on Environment and the Senate Committee on Natural Resources, removes the requirement for landowners to include dates on posters when posting their property. The change modifies Vermont's existing land posting procedures for property owners.

Governor Scott's administration appealed a Vermont Labor Relations Board order from April 1, 2026, that required the state to rescind its 2025 policy mandating state employees return to physical offices three days per week. The Vermont Supreme Court agreed on April 27, 2026, to expedite the appeal and endeavor to hear the case in June, after state attorneys argued the labor board's decision had created "substantial disruptions and uncertainty" for government operations. The labor board's order also required the administration to offer reinstatement to employees who had left due to the return-to-office requirement and to reimburse them for any monetary losses incurred.

Members of the Vermont House Judiciary Committee significantly revised Senate Bill 208, removing provisions that would have required all law enforcement officers operating in the state to display identification and prohibited them from wearing masks to conceal their identities. The original bill's requirements applied to federal, state, and local law enforcement agents, but the revised version limits the bill to directing a Vermont law enforcement board to create a model statewide policy on identification and masking standards. The committee's decision followed a federal appeals court ruling that struck down California's similar law as unconstitutional under the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution.

The Vermont Senate advanced H.949, legislation that would use $100.9 million in state surplus revenue to reduce property tax rates in the upcoming fiscal year, resulting in an average property tax increase of 3.8%. The Senate's action aligned more closely with Governor Scott's January budget proposal, which called for using $105 million in surplus funds to buy down property tax rates, rather than the House proposal to set aside half of the surplus for future years. The legislation passed on second reading and will proceed to a conference committee to reconcile differences between the Senate and House versions.

Vermont lawmakers included language in H.933, the miscellaneous tax bill, to opt the state into the federal Scholarship Tax Credit program established under Congress's One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which allows federal taxpayers to claim tax reimbursements of up to $1,700 for contributions to eligible education organizations. The legislation, initially introduced by Senator Seth Bongartz, D-Bennington, directs program funds toward students attending public schools or approved independent schools rather than private school choice. The final outcome remains contingent on regulations expected from the U.S. Treasury Department in the summer that will determine which organizations are eligible and what authority states have over program administration.

Chittenden County State's Attorney Sarah George declined to prosecute six protesters arrested during a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raid in South Burlington on March 11, 2026, citing her analysis that charging individuals with no criminal records would place unfair burden on them for harm caused by multiple parties that day. George stated in her decision that she identified unacceptable behavior by both some protesters and some law enforcement officials during the incident, in which police arrested demonstrators on charges including disorderly conduct and assault on a law enforcement officer. Vermont Public Safety Commissioner Jennifer Morrison and Vermont State Police Director Colonel Matthew T. Birmingham responded by condemning George's decision as setting a dangerous precedent that could embolden criminal behavior at future events.

The Vermont Senate passed H.723 on a voice vote Tuesday, legislation that would require landowners to post their property once and renew registration with town clerks every 365 days rather than reposting signs annually. The bill, which previously passed the House in March, was drafted by Rep. Zon Eastes following public confusion after the Department of Fish and Wildlife announced and then reversed a policy clarifying that no-trespassing signs were valid only during the calendar year they were posted. The legislation now awaits action at the governor's desk.

The Vermont Senate Appropriations Committee approved H.951, a $9.4 billion state budget bill on Tuesday that would allocate $101 million to reduce property tax burdens in the upcoming fiscal year. The bill includes an additional $4 million in tax relief through renter tax credits as outlined in the companion "yield bill," H.949, resulting in a projected 3.8% average increase in property tax bills statewide. Governor Phil Scott has not yet indicated whether he will sign the spending plan, amid ongoing disagreements with legislative leadership over education funding and reform measures.

The Vermont House of Representatives passed H.955, an education reform bill, on a narrow vote of 79-62 on April 17, 2026, which establishes a voluntary school merger process through regional cooperative education service agencies rather than mandated consolidation. The legislation implements a new education funding formula that allocates money to school districts based on student enrollment and creates study committees within seven regional entities to facilitate voluntary district mergers and service-sharing arrangements. Governor Phil Scott has indicated the proposal is unacceptable, stating that the funding formula would disadvantage smaller and rural districts, and the bill now proceeds to the Senate where significant changes are anticipated.

Governor Scott stated vocal opposition to a wealth tax bill being considered by the Vermont House Ways and Means Committee in April 2026. The bill would create a new income tax bracket of 13.3% for the top 1% of Vermont households with incomes over $586,634 and levy an additional 4% tax on investment income for households with income over $250,000, expected to raise more than $170 million. Scott's opposition presents a significant obstacle to passage of the measure, which has also generated debate within the Democratic caucus regarding its political viability in an election year.

Lauren Hibbert, deputy secretary of state, testified before the Senate Natural Resources and Energy Committee regarding H.718, a bill proposing a task force to improve Vermont's contractor registry system. Hibbert stated that Vermont's current registration requirement for contractors entering into contracts worth $10,000 or more appears to capture only approximately 1,400 registered residential contractors, substantially fewer than regulators believe are operating in the state. The bill seeks to address low registration rates and revenue generation challenges that have limited the state's capacity to enforce contractor standards and provide remedies for homeowners who experience substandard work.

Scott supported H.601, legislation that would repeal the Vermont legislature's veto power over new nuclear construction and amend the state's renewable energy standard to include nuclear generation. The bill was introduced in January 2026 in response to Vermont's 2014 closure of Vermont Yankee, which had provided approximately 35 percent of the state's electricity. Scott's support followed his 2010 vote as a state senator in favor of Vermont Yankee's relicensing.

Governor Phil Scott appointed Kevin Scully, former Burlington Police Chief, to fill a vacant Burlington House seat left by Bob Hooper's resignation in March 2026. Scully was not among the three candidates recommended by the local Democratic Party committee, and Scott did not interview the recommended candidates before making the appointment. The governor's office stated that Scully was selected because the three committee-recommended candidates indicated interest in running for reelection, whereas Scully committed to serving only the remainder of the term.

The Vermont Supreme Court issued a 4-1 decision suspending the law license of Addison County State's Attorney Eva Vekos pending disciplinary proceedings before the Vermont Professional Responsibility Board, following her conviction on a drunken driving charge. The court ruled that the facts surrounding Vekos' DUI conviction constituted a serious crime warranting immediate interim suspension of her license. Despite the suspension, Vekos remains in her elected position as state's attorney but is restricted to administrative duties and cannot perform legal functions or participate in court proceedings.

The Scott administration implemented a policy in December 2025 requiring approximately 8,000 state employees to return to their offices at least three days per week, a requirement that applied to workers who had transitioned to remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Vermont Labor Relations Board ordered the administration to rescind this policy in April 2026, directing the state to rehire former employees who departed due to the in-person work requirements and to compensate affected workers for monetary losses. The Vermont Supreme Court declined to immediately pause the labor board's order on April 9, 2026, instead directing the Scott administration to seek a stay from the labor board itself before further court intervention.

Governor Scott urged Vermont lawmakers to take action on education financing reform during remarks made in Montpelier, stating that such reforms would improve Vermonters' property tax situation. Scott's statement followed the House Education Committee's approval of H.955 in the previous week. The Governor reiterated his position on the need for legislative action on the education finance measures.

S.227, considered by the Vermont House Education Committee in April 2026, would standardize immigration enforcement policies across all 119 school districts in the state by requiring that only school superintendents or their designees could permit federal immigration agents onto school grounds, and only with judicial warrants rather than administrative warrants. The bill would also prohibit schools from collecting or requesting citizenship or immigration status information from students or their families. The legislation, which passed the Vermont Senate unanimously, was modeled on a sanctuary school policy implemented by the Winooski School District in 2025.

The House Education Committee passed H.955 on April 2, 2026, a proposal that would establish study committees in seven regions of Vermont to facilitate voluntary mergers among the state's 119 school districts. Governor Phil Scott stated he cannot support the measure, which represents a significant departure from his administration's proposal for mandatory district consolidation. The bill now faces consideration by the House Ways and Means and Appropriations committees before proceeding to the full chamber.

The Vermont Labor Relations Board ordered Governor Scott's administration to rescind a requirement that state employees return to physical offices three days per week, finding the state had refused to bargain in good faith and interfered with employees' rights. The board's decision also required the state to offer rehiring to former employees who left due to the in-person work mandate and to reimburse affected employees for monetary losses. Scott's administration filed a notice of appeal with the Vermont Supreme Court and characterized the decision as disappointing.

Rep. Chris Taylor, R-Milton, resigned from the Vermont House of Representatives effective March 27, 2026, to focus on his role as Milton town manager. Taylor had served as vice chair of the House Education Committee, where he worked on education consolidation efforts as part of the implementation of Act 73. Governor Phil Scott appointed Milton resident Kumulia Long, a Milton School Board member and 2020 Republican Senate candidate, to fill Taylor's vacant House seat.

The Vermont House passed H.951, a $9.3 billion state budget bill that includes $1.35 million directed to disaster relief grants for flood-damaged towns in the Northeast Kingdom after the Trump administration denied Vermont's federal disaster aid requests. Under the plan initially proposed by Governor Scott's administration, the funds would be distributed to four Caledonia County towns with Sutton receiving $1.1 million, Burke $104,300, Sheffield $81,900, and Newark $53,600, based on damage estimates previously submitted to FEMA. The budget now proceeds to the Senate for consideration, where ongoing debate continues regarding the allocation of state funds for property tax relief in the upcoming fiscal year.

Governor Scott's administration and House lawmakers proposed H.933, a tax bill designed to decouple Vermont's state tax code from several provisions of the federal One Big Beautiful Bill Act in order to address a projected $33 million revenue shortfall in the 2027 budget and over $20 million loss in the current budget. The bill, advanced by Rep. Charlie Kimbell and passed by the House, would separate Vermont's tax system from new federal deductions for overseas income affecting large multinational corporations and would require businesses to continue deducting production facility costs over multiple years rather than immediately. Scott's administration stated it was generally pleased with the House's approach to balancing revenue protection with business-friendly policy.

Governor Scott previously proposed using approximately $105 million to reduce the property tax rate during consideration of the annual yield bill. House lawmakers voted 78-61 to advance the yield bill to a third reading during a Wednesday evening floor session. Representative Patty McCoy introduced an amendment seeking to appropriate $105 million for property tax rate reduction, which failed in the vote.

The Vermont House advanced H.949, legislation that would increase education property tax rates by 7% on average in the next fiscal year while using $52.5 million in surplus General Fund dollars and $22.3 million in unallocated education funds to reduce rates. The bill reserves an additional $52 million to buy down property tax rates in the following year, diverging from Governor Scott's proposal to allocate the full $105 million in surplus funds toward this fiscal year's property tax relief. Scott stated during a press conference that he did not support the bill, asserting that reserving funds for future use would reduce incentives for school districts to contain costs and questioning whether the reserved money would actually be appropriated as intended.

Vermont lawmakers did not advance major emissions reduction legislation in 2026, anticipating Governor Phil Scott would veto such measures. The state faces potential litigation under the Global Warming Solutions Act, passed in 2020, which established legally binding greenhouse gas reduction targets including 26% reductions below 2005 levels by January 1, 2025, and 40% reductions below 1990 levels by 2030. Senate Natural Resources and Energy Committee Chair Anne Watson and House Speaker Jill Krowinski confirmed no broad policy vehicle was pursued that year to help the state meet its emission requirements under the law.

Vermont's House Appropriations Committee approved a state budget bill, H.951, totaling $9.334 billion for fiscal year 2027, which cleared the committee on a unanimous vote and is scheduled for full House consideration. The budget proposal calls for spending nearly identical to the $9.335 billion spending plan Governor Scott proposed to legislators at the beginning of the 2026 legislative session. The bill allocates $105 million to reduce property tax rates and proposes creating six new state government positions, including a mediator at the Vermont Labor Relations Board and an attorney for the Vermont State Ethics Commission.

Vermont's Legislature voted to retain Superior Judge Rachel Malone for a new six-year term on March 26, 2026, approving her by a margin of 139-29 despite a joint House and Senate Judicial Retention Committee recommendation against her retention. The committee's 3-5 vote against Malone was based on concerns that she had taken excessive time to issue court decisions, with over 50 decisions pending beyond the recommended 30-day timeline as of March 2025. Malone subsequently worked with a senior judge, received an ADHD diagnosis and began medication, and reported eliminating all decisions pending beyond 90 days as of the legislative vote.

Scott's administration supported House bill H.944, which proposes a mileage-based fee on electric vehicle drivers in Vermont beginning in 2028. Under the legislation that cleared House committees in March 2026, EV owners would be assessed 1.4 cents per mile based on annual odometer readings during vehicle inspections, with the fee replacing the existing $89 annual EV registration surcharge. The revenue generated, estimated between $350,000 and $1 million in the 2028 fiscal year, would be deposited into the state's Transportation Fund to address declining gasoline tax revenue.

The House Human Services Committee requested that officials in Governor Scott's administration renegotiate a five-year, $21.5 million contract with Pennsylvania-based Abraxas Youth and Family Services before the Legislature authorized funding for the project. The contract, signed in January by the Department for Children and Families, covered operation of West River Haven, a three-bed residential care facility in Brattleboro for youth ages 10-18. The committee's action followed public disclosure of abuse allegations and licensing revocations at other Abraxas facilities, as well as concerns about the contract's cost of approximately $4,000 per bed per day, significantly higher than comparable state facilities.

The House Education Committee shifted its approach to school district consolidation by pivoting away from Rep. Peter Conlon's proposal to merge Vermont's 119 districts into 27 and instead developing a framework based on cooperative education service agencies (CESAs) as organizing units for regional consolidation. The revised proposal would establish a voluntary merger period for school districts to consolidate before a new education funding formula takes effect, aligning with recommendations from the state's school redistricting task force that Gov. Scott had previously characterized as a failure. House lawmakers set a target to advance the proposal out of committee by the end of the following week, with details remaining to be finalized.

Attorney General Charity Clark announced that her office would assume responsibility for handling new homicide, sexual assault, and child abuse cases in Addison County that would typically be prosecuted by State's Attorney Eva Vekos, effective March 18, 2026. Clark's office will also take over death notifications and reviews in the county. The decision followed a meeting in which Clark asked Vekos to resign, which Vekos declined, and came amid ongoing ethics complaints and a state panel's effort to suspend Vekos's law license.

Governor Scott proposed redirecting vehicle purchase tax revenue from Vermont's Education Fund to the Transportation Fund, with the amount going to education decreasing by $10 million annually through the 2030s while proposing a $10 million General Fund transfer to partially offset the reduction. The House Ways and Means Committee advanced H.933, which incorporates elements of Scott's proposal by increasing Transportation Fund allocation by $10 million annually while maintaining a set percentage of purchase tax revenue for the Education Fund and using Meals and Rooms Tax revenue adjustments to prevent creating a structural gap in education funding. Scott's original proposal relied on one-time General Fund transfers or potential property tax increases to address the funding gap, whereas the committee-approved bill adopted a framework deemed more sustainable by legislative fiscal analysts.

Governor Phil Scott vetoed Act 181, a 2024 land-use law that removed regulatory hurdles in certain population centers while designating ecologically sensitive areas for additional protection, characterizing it as a conservation bill that would harm rural communities unable to access housing exemptions. The Vermont Legislature's Democratic supermajority overrode Scott's veto, and the law was scheduled to take effect in summer 2026. Scott's opposition focused on provisions including a new "road rule" expected to affect the majority of land in the state by triggering Act 250 review when private entities undertake certain activities.

Scott signed Vermont's midyear budget increase on March 6, 2026, approving lawmakers' adjustment to state spending that raised the budget by more than $111 million for the remainder of the fiscal year. The budget adjustment came midway through the fiscal year as state economists reported steady revenue that would bring in $80.6 million more than originally projected. Lawmakers included provisions to address potential federal funding shortfalls while deliberating the allocation of excess revenue, with decisions on property tax relief and other priorities deferred to the next fiscal year's budget process.

Governor Scott signed Act 73 in the previous legislative session, legislation that established a framework for consolidating Vermont's 119 school districts and implementing a new education finance formula in response to the 2024 school budget rejections. The law was enacted amid sustained political pressure to reform public education following the historic rejection of one-third of school budgets in 2024. Act 73 laid groundwork for district consolidation and revised funding mechanisms, though implementation details and consensus on reform methods remain under development.

Governor Scott signed Act 73, Vermont's landmark education reform law, which imposed new restrictions on the state's publicly funded tuition system by limiting public dollars to only 18 eligible private schools. The law required private schools to be located in a school district without a public school for certain grades and to have had at least 25 percent of their student body funded by Vermont public school districts during the 2023-24 school year. Two parents from Georgia, Vermont filed a lawsuit in Washington County Superior Court challenging Act 73's restrictions, claiming the law arbitrarily limits their children's access to private school education.

Governor Phil Scott's proposed 2027 budget allocates $27,000 less overall funding to Vermont's Human Rights Commission compared to the 2026 fiscal year while also requiring the agency to absorb staffing cost reductions due to anticipated cuts in federal housing discrimination investigation funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The commission's executive director, Big Hartman, requested that legislators instead provide approximately $65,000 to maintain current staffing levels and an additional $430,000 to fund three new positions addressing growing discrimination complaint caseloads. The House General and Housing Committee designated the commission's funding proposal as a "highest priority" for inclusion in the budget bill being considered by the House Appropriations Committee.

Governor Scott stated he planned to vote against the school budget proposal for the Washington Central Unified Union School District in his hometown of Berlin, citing concerns about significant property tax increases in the five towns served by the district. Scott made this announcement at his weekly press conference on February 25, 2026. The governor's position reflected his objection to the fiscal impact of the proposed budget on local property taxes.

Governor Scott announced on Wednesday that he will establish a pilot "accountability court" model in Rutland County, replicating a court program recently completed in Burlington. The Rutland pilot will funnel cases of defendants facing four or more pending legal cases into a dedicated courtroom with assigned judicial and prosecutorial resources, along with social workers providing connections to housing and recovery services. Currently, 55 defendants in Rutland County with approximately 370 combined cases are identified to participate in the pilot program.

Following the release of the Vermont State Report Card showing that a majority of Vermont students performed below proficiency goals in math and English language arts during the 2024-25 school year, Scott issued a statement characterizing the results as illustrating why education transformation is essential. Scott's statement linked the academic performance findings to broader concerns about property tax and education cost growth, stating that transformation was necessary to close the opportunity gap and deliver more equitable education. The statement drew criticism from education leaders, including the Vermont-National Education Association president, who characterized Scott's response as using the report to target public schools.

Gov. Scott appointed Jack Brigham to a vacant Vermont House seat representing part of St. Albans City and St. Albans Town on February 21, 2026. Brigham, a member of the St. Albans Town Selectboard and the Act 250 District 6 commission, replaced Republican Casey Toof, who resigned the previous month while serving as assistant minority leader. The appointment took effect immediately following the recommendation of the local Republican Party.

Governor Phil Scott requested that Vermont lawmakers allocate $200,000 to expand a pretrial supervision program statewide, a two-year-old initiative designed to reduce criminal activity by defendants awaiting trial through closer monitoring and social services. The program, which has operated in three counties since its 2024 launch, has seen minimal enrollment with only one person currently participating statewide. Scott's request comes as lawmakers evaluate whether to continue funding the pretrial supervision program or instead invest in an alternative pilot court initiative in Burlington that has shown higher utilization rates.

Scott announced he would attend the National Governors Association Winter meeting in Washington, D.C. to meet with other governors and President Trump, conditional on the event remaining bipartisan with invitations extended to all governors regardless of party affiliation. Scott had previously declined to attend when only Republican governors were initially invited to the historically bipartisan conference. Scott's office stated he would participate in meetings with other governors and officials at the White House on Friday, provided Democratic governors were not excluded from the event.

Governor Phil Scott announced a settlement on the Green River Reservoir dam in Hyde Park that allows Morrisville Water & Light to continue operating the hydroelectric facility while withdrawing its previous decommissioning request. Under the agreement, the utility will pursue a new federal license to operate the dam, and the state will conduct a review of water quality requirements that govern dam operations, with results expected by early 2029. The settlement also provides for immediate improvements to water quality and fisheries in the Lamoille and Green rivers while preserving the possibility of future decommissioning if state-recommended changes to water quality standards are not implemented.

Vermont received $93 million in federal funding through the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment program to expand high-speed internet infrastructure in rural areas of the state. Governor Scott stated in a press conference that he had communicated with federal officials regarding the importance of broadband access to the Northeast Kingdom region. The funding, combined with state and private matching funds, constitutes a $162 million investment in Vermont broadband services, with the largest portion allocated to NEKCV, a municipal fiber optic internet provider.

Governor Scott announced a budget proposal allocating $500,000 to expand the accountability court model that concluded its pilot program in Burlington to other counties throughout Vermont. The Burlington pilot, which operated from October 2025 onward, assigned cases involving defendants with five or more pending legal matters to a specialized court where social workers from the Vermont Agency of Human Services collaborated with prosecutors and judges to connect defendants with housing and recovery services. Scott's proposal seeks to replicate the model statewide, though officials noted that implementation may vary by county depending on available social service resources.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency denied Vermont Governor Phil Scott's request for a Major Disaster Declaration on February 7, 2026, following Scott's August 2025 application seeking federal assistance for flooding damage in the Northeast Kingdom towns of Sutton, Burke, Sheffield, and Wheelock that occurred on July 10, 2025. Scott had estimated total damage at $1.85 million and appealed FEMA's initial October denial in November 2025, citing that the impacts exceeded the state's recovery resources. The denial was final, leaving affected towns responsible for infrastructure repair costs that may necessitate tax increases for residents.

Governor Phil Scott directed his administration to seek a federal waiver that would restrict certain "non-nutritious items" from being purchased by recipients of 3SquaresVT, Vermont's largest food assistance program serving approximately 65,000 residents. Scott included the proposed restriction as part of a broader health improvement plan submitted in a federal grant application for the Rural Health Transformation Program, which Vermont received in December with $195 million in funding. The specific items to be restricted have not yet been finalized, and the policy will proceed through a public feedback period before implementation, without requiring legislative approval.

Governor Scott's proposed budget for the next fiscal year included reductions in matching funds for several family service programs due to Vermont's noncompliance with federal data standards for child welfare information systems. The state's primary child welfare IT system, created in the early 1980s, lacks the capacity to meet federal reporting requirements, resulting in Vermont's ineligibility for certain federal grants and an unknown but potentially substantial loss of federal funding. State officials stated that the system's technical limitations make it impossible to determine the exact amount of inaccessible federal funds Vermont has forfeited.

Governor Scott vetoed Act 181 in 2024, legislation that reformed Vermont's Act 250 development-review law, after calling it a conservation bill that insufficiently promoted housing development. Scott's veto was overridden by the Democratic supermajority legislature. In 2026, Scott requested that lawmakers amend Act 181 by making Act 250 exemptions the default in designated areas rather than requiring municipalities to opt in and by repealing the road rule that mandates Act 250 review for private roads longer than 800 feet.

Rep. Peter Conlon introduced a proposal to consolidate Vermont's 119 school districts into 27 supervisory districts, each serving between 2,000 and 4,000 students, while eliminating non-operating districts and replacing supervisory unions with supervisory districts. The proposal would also introduce an updated statutory framework for Vermont's school choice system. Conlon characterized the map as a starting point for legislative discussion rather than a final plan, acknowledging it contained political decisions and fell short of the 4,000 to 8,000 student range suggested by Act 73.

Governor Scott called on Windsor County Sheriff Ryan Palmer to resign following multiple sex crimes charges filed against Palmer, stating that Palmer had lost the trust of Windsor County residents. Scott's statement came the same day the Vermont Criminal Justice Council unanimously voted to temporarily revoke Palmer's law enforcement certification, restricting him to administrative duties only. Palmer has pleaded not guilty to seven charges including lewd and lascivious conduct, solicitation of prostitution, aggravated stalking, and obstructing justice.

Vermont Governor Phil Scott appointed Michael Drescher and Christina Nolan to the Vermont Supreme Court in January 2026. The Vermont Senate confirmed Drescher's appointment on February 3, 2026, with Lieutenant Governor John Rodgers casting a tie-breaking vote after the chamber divided on the nomination, marking the first tie-break on a confirmation vote in over 30 years. Drescher's confirmation came after extensive Senate Judiciary Committee scrutiny regarding his prior role as Vermont's top federal prosecutor under the Trump administration.

Sen. Kesha Ram Hinsdale introduced S.214, a bill that would amend Vermont's pre-kindergarten statute to allow school districts in Essex County to pay tuition for 3- and 4-year-old students to attend pre-K programs in New Hampshire schools. Current state law creates a statutory barrier preventing Essex County residents from accessing out-of-state pre-K programs, though K-12 students in the county routinely attend schools across the Connecticut River. The bill would take effect on July 1, 2026, if enacted.

The Vermont House passed a resolution on Thursday with a vote of 106-25 that expressed support for Governor Phil Scott's statement calling for a "pause" in federal immigration enforcement operations, specifically referencing Operation Metro Surge being conducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection agents in Minneapolis. Scott had made his statement following the killing of two U.S. citizens by federal agents during the enforcement operations. The resolution, which is symbolic and does not enact policy changes, also stated the House's commitment to constitutional rights and standards for law enforcement practices.

The Vermont Senate Judiciary Committee voted unanimously to recommend Christina Nolan for appointment to the Vermont Supreme Court but failed to issue a recommendation for Michael Drescher, Governor Phil Scott's other nominee to the state's highest court. Committee members cited Drescher's representation of the federal government in immigration cases during the Trump administration as a concern regarding public trust in the judiciary. Both nominees, who previously served as U.S. attorneys for Vermont under President Donald Trump, will face a confirmation vote from the full Senate.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services canceled its plan to temporarily deploy Vermont-based employees to Minnesota to assist U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in enforcement operations. The agency notified workers of the cancellation by email on Monday without specifying the reason or whether the deployment would be rescheduled. The decision reversed an earlier plan that had identified at least seven USCIS employees in Vermont for reassignment to support ICE activities in Minneapolis.

Governor Scott issued a statement calling on President Trump to pause federal immigration operations in Minneapolis and de-escalate the situation following the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old U.S. citizen and intensive care nurse, by federal agents on January 25, 2026. Scott stated that "it's not acceptable for American citizens to be killed by federal agents for exercising their God-given and constitutional rights to protest their government" and urged the President to refocus enforcement efforts on "truly criminal illegal immigrants." Scott's statement positioned him among a small number of Republican governors publicly criticizing the Trump administration's immigration crackdown.

Governor Scott voiced support for H. 601 in his January 2026 budget address, a bill introduced by House Minority Leader Rep. Pattie McCoy that would rename Vermont's Renewable Energy Standard as the Clean Energy Standard and include nuclear power as an eligible zero-emission energy source. Under the bill, utilities could meet a reduced clean energy requirement of 75% by 2032 instead of the current 100% renewable energy mandate by 2035, with estimates suggesting annual savings of approximately $4 million statewide. Scott stated his administration's proposal could enable utilities to reach 100% clean energy by 2030 at substantially lower cost while addressing Vermont's high energy burdens.

Scott proposed allocating $105 million in state funds to reduce the property tax increase during his annual budget address to the Vermont Legislature. The proposal was presented as part of Scott's annual budget recommendations delivered to a joint session of the Legislature in Montpelier. The allocation would use existing state resources to moderate the impact of property tax increases on Vermont residents.

During his budget address on January 21, 2026, Governor Scott endorsed S.220, legislation sponsored by Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Baruth that would cap school district per-student spending growth in fiscal years 2028 and 2029 based on 2027 spending levels. Scott stated the measure was part of his effort to reduce property tax burden increases projected at approximately 12 percent, driven in part by anticipated education spending increases. The bill has faced scrutiny from school leaders and school board representatives during testimony in the Senate Finance Committee since its introduction earlier in January.

Governor Scott proposed a $9.4 billion state budget for the 2027 fiscal year, representing approximately 3 percent growth over the current year's budget. The proposal includes fewer new initiatives than previous budgets due to the expiration of federal pandemic relief funding and anticipated reductions in federal support for programs including Medicaid and human services. The spending plan allocates $105 million for property tax relief through a combination of $75 million in surplus revenue and $30 million from previously set-aside funds, while preserving $70 million for potential responses to federal funding cuts.

Governor Scott nominated Christina Nolan and Michael Drescher to the Vermont Supreme Court, requiring Senate confirmation. Nolan appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee on January 13, 2026, where she explained that she inadvertently brought a firearm into a Windham County courthouse in an incident that occurred in August after receiving threats while working as an assistant U.S. attorney. Nolan completed a pre-charge diversion program and gun safety course rather than facing criminal charges for the courthouse weapons violation.

Governor Phil Scott appointed Michael Drescher to the Vermont Supreme Court in January 2026, along with Christina Nolan, both former top federal prosecutors in Vermont. Drescher served as the acting top federal prosecutor in Vermont during the first year of the Trump administration and prosecuted several high-profile immigration cases. The Vermont Senate Judiciary Committee held confirmation hearings for both nominees, with senators questioning Drescher about his prosecutorial decisions and his role in cases involving political speech and immigration enforcement.

Gov. Scott proposed allocating $75 million in surplus revenue through the state's annual Budget Adjustment Act to reduce projected property tax increases averaging nearly 12% across Vermont for the 2025-26 fiscal year. Legislative leaders from the House and Senate Appropriations Committees indicated they would defer the property tax relief proposal to negotiations over the upcoming fiscal year budget rather than include it in the midyear budget adjustment. The committees stated they wanted to evaluate the proposal within the broader context of state revenue needs, education funding pressures, and potential federal funding changes before committing the surplus funds.

Governor Phil Scott authorized the creation of the Community and Housing Infrastructure Program, or CHIP, which officially launched in January 2026 after lawmakers approved it the previous summer. The program allows municipalities and developers to borrow money for infrastructure such as roads, sidewalks, and sewers for housing developments and use the resulting property tax revenue increases to repay the debt. The initiative is designed as a scaled-down version of Vermont's existing tax increment financing program targeted at smaller towns and is projected to generate approximately $2 billion in infrastructure spending over the next decade.

Governor Scott proposed the Chittenden County accountability docket in fall 2024 as a pilot program to address court backlogs by dedicating specialized court time and staff to expedite hearings for defendants with five or more pending criminal cases. Since October 2024, the program resolved approximately 400 of nearly 900 cases under its purview, with weekly judge meetings replacing the standard three-month scheduling delays in regular courtrooms. The pilot program is scheduled to phase out in early February, with state leaders indicating that a modified version may be implemented in other counties such as Rutland County, though they noted that the Chittenden County model may require adjustments for different jurisdictions.

Governor Scott signed Act 73 in 2025, legislation establishing a framework to transform how Vermont public schools are funded and governed. In his State of the State address in January 2026, Scott designated education reform as Vermont's "most critical challenge" and called for continued advancement of the law's implementation. Lawmakers began the 2026 legislative session working to sustain education reform efforts initiated under Act 73, though efforts faced complications after the state's school redistricting task force declined to deliver a consolidated school district map in November 2025.

Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Baruth introduced S.220, legislation that would cap school district spending growth in fiscal years 2028 and 2029 based on each district's prior-year per pupil spending. The bill was referred to the Senate Committee on Finance and is designed to moderate increases in Vermont's education funding while maintaining equity between high-spending and low-spending districts. A Legislative Joint Fiscal Office analysis indicated the measure could save approximately $67 million if implemented in fiscal year 2027.

Gov. Scott delivered his State of the State address on January 7, 2026, calling education reform "our most critical challenge" and urging legislators to advance the next stages of the education reform project initiated through Act 73 of the previous year. Scott threatened to veto key legislation including the annual state budget and the yield bill if lawmakers did not implement the changes to the state's education system outlined in his administration's framework, specifically citing the failure of the school redistricting task force to recommend new district maps in November. The governor's ultimatum drew criticism from Democratic legislative leaders, who expressed concern that the veto threat could undermine efforts to advance the education reform plan.

The Vermont Senate Ethics Panel dismissed two ethics complaints filed against Sen. Scott Beck, R-Caledonia, and Sen. Seth Bongartz, D-Bennington, determining that no probable cause existed for ethical violations under Senate rules. The complaints alleged the senators advocated for private schools with which they were affiliated while serving on a conference committee that negotiated the education reform bill Act 73, which the Legislature passed in June 2025 and Gov. Phil Scott signed into law on July 1. Panel member Sen. Kesha Ram Hinsdale noted in correspondence that Beck's employment at St. Johnsbury Academy was known at the time of his election and had predated his tenure in the Senate.

Governor Scott announced the appointment of Val Taylor, a former select board chair, to represent Rutland-11 in the House of Representatives. Taylor was selected to fill the seat vacated by House Representative Jim Harrison, who stepped down at the beginning of the new legislative session. Rutland-11 encompasses the towns of Pittsfield, Killington, Chittenden, and Mendon.

Governor Phil Scott appointed former U.S. Attorney Christina E. Nolan and First Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael P. Drescher to the Vermont Supreme Court. Nolan, 46, of Burlington, and Drescher, 60, of Hinesburg, both served as federal prosecutors in Vermont. Their appointments required confirmation by the Vermont Senate.

Governor Scott announced appointments of Christina Nolan and Michael Drescher to fill two vacancies on the Vermont Supreme Court. Nolan previously served as U.S. Attorney for Vermont from 2017 to 2021, while Drescher currently serves as the acting U.S. Attorney for Vermont. The appointments require confirmation by the Vermont State Senate.

Gov. Phil Scott appointed John Benson, chair of the Brookfield Selectboard, to fill the vacant Orange County Senate seat left by Republican Larry Hart. Scott also appointed Val Taylor, former chair of the Mendon Selectboard, to fill the Rutland-11 House district seat vacated by Republican Jim Harrison. Both appointees are Republicans selected from candidates submitted by their respective local party organizations.

Governor Phil Scott announced in summer 2025 that Vermont state employees would be required to return to offices at least three days per week beginning December 1, 2025. Contrary to predictions of mass resignations from the state employees' union, data from the Vermont Department of Human Resources showed resignations declined nearly 10 percent from mid-September to mid-December 2025 compared to the same period in 2024, while retirement applications increased slightly from 66 to 76. The Vermont State Employees' Association continued legal challenges to the mandate, with a Vermont Labor Relations Board hearing scheduled for February 2026.

Gov. Scott stated that President Trump should consult Congress before further escalating military operations against Venezuela, commenting on the deployment of the Vermont Air National Guard's 158th Fighter Wing to the Caribbean as part of Operation Southern Spear. Scott said that if the United States were to engage in war with Venezuela, such action should be shared with Congress rather than undertaken unilaterally by the president. His comments came as the Vermont Air National Guard was actively deploying to the region on Wednesday in response to Trump's orders to increase military pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

Scott's administration proposed allocating $75 million in unused state budget funds to reduce Vermont's projected 12% average property tax increase for the 2026-27 fiscal year, which would cut the anticipated spike by more than one-third. The proposal requires legislative approval when lawmakers return to Montpelier in January 2026. Scott characterized the $75 million allocation as "just step one" without specifying additional measures his administration might propose to address further property tax increases.

Vermont state officials awarded nearly $50 million in federal Community Development Block Grants for disaster recovery, with the majority of funding directed toward housing construction on higher ground following the July 2023 floods. The grants were distributed to 25 projects concentrated primarily in Washington and Lamoille counties, including a 31-unit apartment building in Barre, renovation of a Vermont State University building in Johnson, and conversion of an office building into apartments in Montpelier. State officials received over $120 million in applications for the funds, nearly twice the amount available.

Governor Scott announced nearly $49 million in federal Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery funding to support more than two dozen projects across Vermont addressing flood impacts from recent storms. The grants were designated for housing and flood mitigation projects throughout the state following severe flooding in 2023. Scott's announcement was made in conjunction with state Housing and Community Development officials on December 10, 2025.

Vermont Gov. Phil Scott stated on December 10, 2025, that he supported calls for the resignation of Eva Vekos, the state's attorney in Addison County, following reporting on sexual assault survivors' criticisms of her case handling and ethics complaints filed against her. Scott's comments aligned with a statement issued by Vermont Democratic Party chair Lachlan Francis calling Vekos "unfit to serve" and the Vermont Progressive Party's call for her resignation. Vekos responded that she had no intention of resigning, stating she had "done nothing different than any other prosecutor in VT or anywhere."

The Vermont Air National Guard's 158th Fighter Wing received a federal mobilization order and is expected to deploy this month, according to Joseph Brooks, a Vermont National Guard spokesperson, though officials declined to disclose the deployment destination or exact timeline. Governor Phil Scott stated at his weekly press conference that the authorization did not require his approval because the deployment would operate under federal control through the National Guard or Pentagon. Scott did not provide additional details regarding the mobilization.

The Vermont Secretary of State's Office conducted an audit of local voter rolls across the state and identified 100 additional cases in which voters had been assigned to the wrong legislative district, beyond the 50 voters found in error in Pownal following the 2024 election. The audit was required by legislation passed in 2025 and examined all 24 Vermont municipalities where city and town lines do not align with state House or Senate district boundaries. The Secretary of State's Office recommended that additional checks of town-managed voter rolls be conducted each time the state redraws legislative districts following the decennial U.S. census count.

Governor Phil Scott announced the appointment of Mike Hoyt, a Hartford selectboard member, to fill a vacant Vermont House seat representing Barnard, Bridgewater, Pomfret, and part of Hartford. Hoyt replaced Heather Surprenant, a Democrat from Barnard who resigned in September 2025. The appointment became effective immediately upon announcement on December 2, 2025.

Vermont Attorney General Charity Clark joined a multistate lawsuit against the Trump administration challenging an October 31 federal memo that imposed new food assistance restrictions for noncitizens under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The lawsuit, filed alongside officials from 20 states and the District of Columbia, alleges that the mandates incorrectly deny certain groups including refugees and humanitarian entrants access to SNAP benefits, contradict federal law, and created confusion through unclear language and unreasonable implementation deadlines. The case seeks a preliminary injunction from a federal judge in Oregon to allow states to reinstate lost benefits where appropriate, with oral arguments scheduled for December 15.

Governor Scott initiated the Chittenden County Community Accountability Court in October to address court backlogs by directing resources to cases involving defendants with five or more pending charges. The court, presided over by Superior Court Judge Martin Maley and prosecuted by Zach Weight whom Scott appointed, aims to resolve cases while connecting defendants with social services and treatment options. As of November 20, the court had resolved 152 cases across 18 defendants, with 87 additional defendants awaiting case resolution during the pilot program projected to run through February.

Vermont's Tax Department released its annual December 1 letter projection on Monday, estimating a nearly 12% average property tax increase for the 2026-2027 school year, with approximately half of the increase attributable to anticipated school district spending growth and the other half resulting from the absence of one-time state funds used to offset taxes in the previous year. Governor Scott previously signed Act 73 into law during the 2025 legislative session, legislation designed to implement generational changes to Vermont's education funding and governance structure, though the bill's implementation depends on lawmakers approving new consolidated school district maps in the upcoming session. The projected tax increase represents a continuation of rising education property taxes that have become a dominant issue in Vermont politics, following voter rejection of numerous school budgets in 2024 and contributing to Republican electoral gains.

Governor Scott issued a return-to-office mandate requiring almost all state employees to work in-person three days a week, with a December 1, 2025 deadline for implementation. The Vermont State Employees' Association filed a lawsuit seeking an injunction to stop the policy, arguing it would cause irreparable harm to employees requiring relocation or childcare changes. Washington County Superior Court Judge Daniel Richardson denied the injunction, ruling that the state's exemption process provided sufficient relief, with 425 of 3,000 affected employees having requested exemptions.

Scott signed Act 73, Vermont's sweeping education reform law, into law in July 2025. The law enables school districts in Vermont to form Boards of Cooperative Educational Services, or BOCES, to share services including special education, professional development, and human resources. The Mountain Views Supervisory Union, which already operates a regional collaborative under the Vermont Learning Collaborative, will become the first officially recognized BOCES in the state.

Governor Scott issued an executive order requiring state employees to return to in-person work at least three days per week beginning December 1. The Vermont State Employees' Association filed suit in Washington County Superior Court seeking an injunction to block implementation of the mandate pending a decision from the state Labor Relations Board. The court hearing on November 26 examined whether the mandate constituted irreparable harm and whether the governor's exemption policy adequately addressed employee hardships such as relocation and childcare complications.

The Vermont Agency of Transportation announced plans to relocate its Central Garage facility in Berlin to higher ground following flood damage sustained in July 2023, marking the first major state facility to be permanently relocated as a result of that flooding event. The new facility, estimated to cost approximately $25 million, will be constructed on an empty plot of land over one mile away in Berlin and is designed to be less susceptible to flooding than the current site, which has experienced multiple inundation events since 2011. The state is seeking Federal Emergency Management Agency recovery funding to cover at least a portion of the project costs, with the existing garage site to be demolished and converted to open space.

Scott announced a plan requiring many Vermont state employees to return to the office in person at least three days per week, with implementation set for December 1, 2025. The Vermont State Employees' Association filed an unfair labor practice charge with the state Labor Relations Board on November 10, alleging the Scott administration failed to engage in formal bargaining over the plan as required by labor protection laws, and also filed a separate grievance claiming the plan violated the parties' collective bargaining agreement. On November 12, the union filed a lawsuit in Washington County Superior Court seeking to block implementation of the plan until the labor board could adjudicate the complaints.

Governor Scott announced that Vermont formally filed an appeal of President Donald Trump's denial of the state's request for a disaster declaration related to a July storm. The appeal contested Trump's rejection of Vermont's request for federal disaster assistance to help towns in Caledonia and Essex counties address damage from the July 10 storm. Scott's office stated that the appeal focused on the cost and extent of damage from the storm event.

Attorney General Clark issued a formal legal opinion on Executive Order 06-25, which was issued by Governor Scott in September and titled "Promoting Housing Construction and Rehabilitation." Clark determined in her opinion that portions of the executive order were partially illegal. The opinion was released on Thursday and represents a rare formal legal assessment by the Attorney General regarding gubernatorial action.

Lachlan Francis, a political consultant from Westminster and former chair of the Windham County Democratic committee, was elected chair of the Vermont Democratic Party on November 15, 2025, at the party's biennial reorganization meeting in Randolph. Francis received 33 votes to defeat Justin Willeau of Vershire, who received 12 votes, in the only contested race among party leadership positions. Francis succeeds Jim Ramsey, who held the position on an interim basis since February 2025 and chose not to seek another term.

Governor Scott publicly criticized the school redistricting task force on November 14, 2025, stating that the group "failed" to fulfill its obligation under Act 73 by declining to submit the required new school district maps for legislative consideration. Scott noted that the task force, which had voted 8-3 to endorse a voluntary merger proposal instead of redrawing district lines, was required to present between one and three maps by December 1 for the upcoming legislative session. Scott indicated that the Legislature would need to take action on education reform when it reconvenes in January.

Governor Phil Scott requested a major disaster declaration from the federal government in August 2025 to secure Federal Emergency Management Agency funding for Vermont communities affected by July flooding in Caledonia and Essex counties. President Donald Trump rejected the state's request in late October 2025. Scott announced in November 2025 that the state would appeal Trump's rejection, citing revised damage estimates of approximately $4 million, roughly double the original $1.8 million figure submitted with the initial application.

Governor Scott and the Vermont Emergency Board approved a $6.3 million state-funded stopgap plan to cover 15 days of SNAP benefits for eligible Vermonters during the federal government shutdown that began November 1, 2025. The board also allocated $250,000 to the Vermont Foodbank to address increased demand at local food assistance providers during the benefits pause. Following the federal government's reopening, Scott confirmed that full federal SNAP benefits would be distributed to eligible Vermonters on November 14, 2025.

Paul Dame of St. George was reelected as chairman of the Vermont Republican Party at the state GOP's biennial convention on Saturday, defeating state Sen. Russ Ingalls of Essex County by a vote of 50-47 in a secret ballot election held among roughly 100 county committee members. Dame's reelection marked his third consecutive two-year term as party leader. The state party also elected Rep. Zachary Harvey of Castleton as vice chair, succeeding other candidates including Gregory Thayer and William Kolb.

Governor Phil Scott issued a housing executive order designed to accelerate housing development timelines and reduce costs while maintaining environmental protections in designated development areas. The executive order directs regulatory reforms intended to provide certainty and move housing projects more quickly from planning to construction. Secretary Moore and Commissioner Johnson stated the measures are necessary to help Vermont meet its goal of constructing 8,000 housing units per year through 2030.

Vermont's Secretary of State's office launched a task force including representatives from Governor Scott's administration and advocacy groups to increase voter turnout ahead of the 2026 elections. The task force identified four groups facing barriers to voting—people experiencing homelessness, people with disabilities, survivors of domestic and sexual violence, and people who are incarcerated—and will work to address obstacles to their participation. The effort includes coordination among the Agency of Human Services, Disability Rights Vermont, and the Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence to improve voting access for these populations.

Governor Scott announced a hybrid return-to-office mandate requiring state employees to work in-person at least three days per week beginning December 1, 2025. The implementation of this policy for Agency of Human Services staff in Waterbury was delayed due to insufficient office space, with the state seeking to lease additional facilities to accommodate the workforce. The Vermont State Employees' Association, the union representing state workers, expressed concerns about the mandate's impact on employee preferences and operational costs.

Governor Scott announced in late August 2025 that state employees would be required to spend at least three days each week in the office beginning December 1, with the administration stating that increased in-person work would enhance productivity and utilize existing office spaces. The announcement did not include data supporting the productivity claims, and no consultation occurred with state employees before the directive was issued. Scott's administration indicated that additional in-person days would be implemented beyond the initial three-day requirement.

Gov. Phil Scott will appoint replacements for two vacant Vermont Senate seats following the resignations of Republican senators Sam Douglass and Larry Hart. Hart announced his resignation effective November 14, citing personal struggles with substance use policy and health concerns following the loss of his daughter and grandchild to addiction. Scott will select appointees from lists submitted by the Republican parties in each district, with those appointees eligible for election in November 2026.

Governor Scott and Vermont's Emergency Board approved a $6 million allocation to fully fund 3SquaresVT, the state's version of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, through November 15, 2025, in response to a federal shutdown that halted USDA funding for the program. The funding was drawn from a $50 million surplus revenue set aside in May to address impacts from federal cuts, marking the first use of that designated fund. The measure enables approximately 38,000 households to receive SNAP benefits through Electronic Benefit Transfer cards during the funding gap.

Vermont Attorney General Charity Clark announced on October 28, 2025, that Vermont joined a multi-state lawsuit filed in Massachusetts district court against the U.S. Department of Agriculture seeking to compel the federal government to fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program during the federal government shutdown. Governor Phil Scott stated his support for the lawsuit on the same day. The suit, filed by attorneys general and governors from 26 states and the District of Columbia, alleges that the USDA's refusal to use contingency funds for SNAP benefits violates the Administrative Procedure Act and requests an emergency hearing scheduled for Thursday.

Scott appointed Jepson, a leader from the Center for Economic Development and Resource Recovery (CEDRR), to serve as commissioner of the Department of Economic Development. Jepson had previously worked on enhancing the economic well-being of the Rutland region. The appointment was announced in October 2025.

Scott appointed Lyle Jepson, head of the Chamber and Economic Development of the Rutland Region, as commissioner of the Vermont Department of Economic Development, effective November 4, 2025. Nick Grimley, who co-founded the business accelerator LaunchVT and has served as the department's Director of Entrepreneurship and Tech Commercialization since 2017, was appointed deputy commissioner in the same action. The appointments filled leadership positions that had been vacant since Joan Goldstein's departure in April 2025.

Governor Scott released a 14-point short-term action plan in October 2025 aimed at addressing public safety challenges in Burlington, Vermont, which includes initiatives such as increasing law enforcement presence and expanding substance use treatment over a three to four month period. The plan was developed following discussions between state and city officials, with Scott stating the collaborative effort would help residents, students, business owners and visitors feel safe in the state's largest city. The proposals are to be funded within existing resources, though specific cost estimates and implementation details remain under ongoing discussion between state and city leaders.

President Trump denied a request from Governor Phil Scott for a major disaster declaration following July 2025 flooding in Vermont that caused more than $1.8 million in statewide damages. The denial prevents municipalities in affected areas including Burke, Caledonia, and Essex counties from accessing Federal Emergency Management Agency funding that would have reimbursed 75% of costs for debris removal, infrastructure repairs, and related expenses. A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson stated the request was determined not to exceed the state and local governments' recovery capabilities, while other states' disaster requests were approved during the same period.

Scott's administration, led by Secretary of Administration Sarah Clark, appeared before Vermont's Joint Fiscal Committee on October 16, 2025, during the sixteenth day of a federal government shutdown to discuss the state's capacity to maintain federally-backed programs including Medicaid, WIC, LIHEAP, and 3SquaresVT. State fiscal leaders indicated Vermont possessed sufficient funds to sustain these programs in the near term but expressed concern that the federal government might not reimburse the state for costs incurred during the shutdown, potentially creating a $30 million to $50 million funding gap. Clark stated that the uncertainty surrounding federal reimbursement differed significantly from the 2018-2019 shutdown, when state officials had greater confidence in receiving repayment.

Vermont Governor Phil Scott appointed Karen Lueders, a Democrat from Lincoln, to fill the Addison-4 House seat vacated by Mari Cordes, who resigned earlier in 2025. Lueders, a lawyer who has served on the boards of Addison Housing Works, Addison County Home Health and Hospice, and Habitat for Humanity, was selected following the governor's traditional practice of appointing a replacement from the same party as the outgoing representative. Lueders is slated to serve the remainder of Cordes' two-year term representing the district composed of Lincoln, Bristol, Starksboro, and Monkton.

Governor Scott appointed Zach Weight as a special prosecutor for the newly created Chittenden County Community Accountability Court, which focuses on prosecuting individuals with five or more pending legal cases. Weight transitioned from his position as deputy state's attorney in Washington County to this temporary special prosecutor role. The appointment was made in response to a 37 percent increase in criminal cases in Chittenden County from July through September compared to the same period the previous year.

Sen. Sam Douglass, R-Orleans, announced his resignation effective Monday at noon following the public disclosure of bigoted and racist comments he and his wife made in a Young Republican group chat on Telegram. The comments, revealed by Politico on October 14, 2025, included remarks about race, religion, and other groups that prompted calls for resignation from Governor Phil Scott and elected officials across the political spectrum. Douglass released a statement Friday afternoon apologizing for the offense his comments caused and citing safety concerns for his family as the reason for his decision to step down from his first-term state legislative position.

Scott issued an executive order in September 2025 aimed at accelerating housing development by modifying state regulations, including changes to wetland building rules, energy efficiency code requirements, and Act 250 development review timelines. Environmental and democracy groups sent a letter to state administration officials in October 2025 challenging the legal authority of the executive order, arguing it exceeded the governor's powers and violated separation of powers principles established in the Vermont Constitution. Scott stated at a press conference that the administration believed it possessed the authority to issue the order and cited housing as a declared emergency in Vermont.

Governor Phil Scott publicly called on first-year state Senator Sam Douglass to resign following a Politico article that revealed Douglass had exchanged racial slurs and derogatory messages in a national Young Republicans group chat. Douglass did not resign but issued a statement on Wednesday denouncing the comments as "vile and disgusting" and stating they did not represent his views or character. Scott reiterated his position at a press conference, telling the Young Republicans group to "Clean up your act. Be good people."

Vermont Governor Phil Scott called for state Senator Sam Douglass to resign on Tuesday following reporting by Politico that revealed derogatory language and slurs attributed to Douglass in a leaked national Young Republicans group chat. Scott stated in a written statement that the comments were "disgusting and unacceptable" and that those involved should resign from their roles immediately and leave the Republican party. Republican legislative leaders, including Senate Minority Leader Scott Beck and House Minority Leader Pattie McCoy, also released a joint statement calling the remarks "unacceptable and deeply disturbing" and concluding that Douglass should resign from his position as a Vermont senator.

Governor Scott announced the creation of the Community Accountability Court in Chittenden County, a new judicial body designed to address the county's backlog of legal cases by focusing on repeat offenders with multiple pending cases. The court will operate for three to four months with dedicated judicial and prosecutorial resources, with a judge appointed by the judiciary and a prosecutor selected by Scott. The initiative was announced as part of Scott's broader response to public safety concerns in Burlington, particularly related to quality of life crimes and the handling of repeat offenders cycling through the criminal justice system.

Scott stated that President Trump's deployment of National Guard troops to Chicago, Illinois, and Portland, Oregon, without the consent of state officials violated the U.S. Constitution. Scott said he believed the military should not be used against American citizens except in cases of insurrection, and indicated he would reject any similar request from the White House to deploy Vermont's National Guard. Scott also stated he would actively oppose any attempt by Trump to arrest Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, characterizing such an action as fundamentally wrong.

Governor Scott's administration announced a return-to-office policy requiring state government employees living outside Vermont to work in the office three days per week by July 1, 2026, with those capable of complying needing to meet a December 1 deadline. Secretary of Administration Sarah Clark stated the policy applied uniform standards to all employees and was designed to improve collaboration and customer service. State employees living out of state were directed to confirm their compliance status by November 21, with agency leaders instructed to begin hiring replacements for those unwilling to meet the requirements.

Governor Phil Scott appointed Colin Owyang, a former federal prosecutor who has also held executive positions at Vermont Electric Power Company and Vermont Gas System, to serve as a Vermont Superior Court judge pending confirmation by the Vermont Senate. Owyang previously worked as a federal prosecutor in Vermont and Massachusetts, including on the case against Richard Reid, who was convicted of attempting to detonate explosives on an aircraft. If confirmed, Owyang will fill the vacancy created by Judge Samuel Hoar's retirement and will serve a six-year term assigned to Chittenden County.

Sen. Scott Beck and Dave Wolk, a gubernatorial appointee to the school redistricting task force, proposed a map consolidating Vermont's 119 school districts into 14 districts that would align with the state's career and technical education regions. The proposal was prepared with assistance from Agency of Education officials and presented during the task force's fourth meeting on September 29, 2025. Beck characterized the proposal as a preliminary draft intended to initiate discussion among task force members, which must deliver up to three possible redistricting maps to the Legislature by December 1, 2025.

Vermont Attorney General Charity Clark joined a lawsuit filed by 12 states on September 30, 2025, challenging restrictions imposed by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on federal emergency preparedness and homeland security grant funding. The lawsuit names Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and FEMA official David Richardson and contends that the funding restrictions and shortened spending timelines are unconstitutional. The restrictions were applied to states that refused to allocate law enforcement resources for federal immigration enforcement activities, and reduced Vermont's allocated funds spending period from three years to one year.

Gov. Phil Scott announced a hybrid work schedule requiring state employees to return to the office at least three days per week beginning December 1, 2025. Scott created an advisory group of state leaders to develop implementation details for the policy, including unresolved questions about how to apply the requirement to the approximately 552 state employees living out of state as of September 2025. As of that date, state employees resided across 31 different states and one Canadian province, with the Department of Corrections, Department of Children and Families, and Department of Health employing the largest numbers of out-of-state workers.

Gov. Phil Scott signed an executive order on September 17, 2025, allowing developers to comply with either the 2020 or 2024 residential and commercial building energy standards in Vermont. Scott stated the order was necessary to accelerate housing production and make housing more affordable, citing a need to construct at least 40,000 new homes by 2030. The order took effect immediately and did not require legislative approval, though some lawmakers and organizations expressed concern about whether Scott exceeded his authority.

Governor Phil Scott appointed Claire Burns as Caledonia County State's Attorney in September 2025. Burns, who had been serving in an interim capacity, replaced Jessica Zaleski, who stepped down earlier that summer. Burns will complete her predecessor's term and is eligible for election to the position in the following year.

Vermont Governor Phil Scott signed a new memorandum of understanding with U.S. Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Border Patrol on September 16, 2025, authorizing continued use of state prisons for federal immigration detentions. The agreement increases the federal payment to Vermont from $180 per detainee per day to $185 initially, with scheduled increases to $208.22 by 2030 and 3% annual increases thereafter, and removes the expiration date from the previous arrangement. Scott stated that he believes detainees are best served by remaining in Vermont's prisons and courts rather than being held elsewhere.

Governor Phil Scott announced the appointment of Rick Hildebrant as commissioner of the Vermont Department of Health, effective October 13, 2025, replacing Mark Levine who retired in March 2025. Hildebrant, who serves as chief medical information officer and medical director of hospital medicine at Rutland Regional Medical Center, will lead the department during a period of significant public health challenges. Simultaneously, Scott announced that Chris Winters, commissioner of the Department for Children and Families since January 2023, will transition to deputy commissioner of the Department of Labor on September 22, 2025, with Sandi Hoffman, deputy commissioner of the Department of Vermont Health Access, assuming interim leadership of DCF.

Governor Scott announced that the state would not acquire the Green River Dam and associated hydroelectric facility in Hyde Park, citing insufficient state resources and operational complexity. The decision came after the release of a comprehensive study commissioned by lawmakers that assessed the condition of the dam, built in 1947, and estimated initial project and annual maintenance costs. Morrisville Water & Light, which currently owns and operates the facility, had sought a state takeover after new water quality regulations limited the utility's power generation capabilities and profitability.

Governor Scott, alongside Agency of Education Secretary Zoie Saunders, provided an update on developments made by the Agency of Education following the passage of Act 73. Act 73 is an education reform bill passed by the Legislature that aims to revamp the state's education quality, finance, and governance systems, including consolidation of school districts. Scott and Saunders discussed the progress of implementation efforts related to the legislation.

Governor Scott signed legislation in May 2024 authorizing a pilot program to deploy automated speed enforcement cameras at Vermont highway work zones, with the program required to begin a public outreach campaign on April 1, 2025, and commence operations on July 1, 2025. As of September 2025, the program had not yet been implemented because no law enforcement agency had volunteered to review the camera images and issue citations, as required by the legislation. State transportation officials indicated the pilot would proceed on a delayed timeline.

Governor Scott signed new laws during the 2025 legislative session that expanded the Green Mountain Care Board's authority to review executive compensation and organizational structure at health care networks in Vermont. The care board's staff presented recommendations ahead of its September 15 hospital budget decision, focusing on the University of Vermont Health Network's financial operations and compensation practices. Scott released a statement commending the care board's efforts to address health care costs and align executive compensation with state health care goals.

In August 2025, Governor Scott announced his intention to require Vermont state employees to work in person three days per week beginning in December 2025. Administration Secretary Sarah Clark subsequently detailed the proposal to state employees, establishing a significant shift in workplace policy for the state's 8,000-plus person workforce. Scott's administration, led by Chief Recovery Officer Douglas Farnham, established an advisory group to address logistical implementation questions raised by employees, including concerns about commute distances and office space availability.

Governor Scott announced a return-to-office policy requiring Vermont state employees to work in the office a minimum of three days per week beginning December 1, with the decision announced by Secretary of Administration Sarah Clark in an all-staff email on August 28, 2025. Clark stated the hybrid schedule was designed to increase interaction and collaboration among teams and departments while reflecting employee feedback on the value of remote work options. The Vermont State Employees' Association subsequently objected to the policy, with union leadership characterizing the approach as top-down management.

Governor Scott used his weekly press conference to encourage increased participation in Vermont's voluntary Family and Medical Leave Insurance program, which expanded in 2025 to include individuals and private employers with as few as one employee. The program, launched in 2022 through a partnership with The Hartford insurance company, offers plans ranging from six to 26 weeks of paid leave annually at 60% or more of standard wages, with over 10,000 Vermonters currently participating primarily as state employees. Scott stated the voluntary program serves as a method to "test drive" the leave insurance system and did not exclude the possibility of future program evolution.

Vermont's Green Mountain Care Board approved health insurance premium increases for plans sold on Vermont Health Connect that were substantially lower than those initially requested by insurers in May 2025. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Vermont's request for a 23.5% increase in individual market rates was reduced to 9.6%, while its small group market request of 13.5% was reduced to 4.4%. MVP Health Plan's requested increases of 6.2% and 7.5% were approved at 1.3% and 2.5%, respectively, representing the lowest premium increases approved by the board since 2022.

Governor Phil Scott signed Act 72 in June, legislation requiring all Vermont schools to adopt policies by the 2026-27 school year prohibiting students from using cellphones and other personal devices from arrival to dismissal. The law also includes a provision, effective immediately upon Scott's signature, barring schools from using social media platforms to communicate with students or requiring students to have social media accounts for academic and extracurricular activities. Several Vermont school districts have implemented cellphone restrictions ahead of the state law's deadline, with some schools using magnetic pouches to store devices during the school day.

Governor Scott submitted a request to the Federal Emergency Management Agency for a major disaster declaration following July flooding in Caledonia and Essex counties, which caused more than $1.8 million in damages to publicly owned property. The request, which requires approval from President Donald Trump, would allow eligible municipalities to receive 75 percent reimbursement for expenses including road repairs and debris removal. Federal assessors determined that both counties met the thresholds for public entities to receive federal reimbursement for damage caused by the summer storm, the third flooding event to occur on July 10 in three consecutive years.

Governor Phil Scott's administration released sensitive SNAP recipient data, including Social Security numbers, addresses, and income information, to the Trump administration in response to a USDA request. National privacy and legal experts, including the Center for Democracy & Technology and EPIC, determined that the USDA request violated the Privacy Act, the Paperwork Reduction Act, and the E-Government Act, and that at least 20 other states refused compliance on legal grounds. Scott's administration stated compliance was legally necessary, despite Attorney General Charity Clark's readiness to challenge the request's legality.

Governor Scott sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi on August 19, 2025, challenging the federal government's designation of Vermont as a sanctuary jurisdiction. Scott stated that Vermont has no law or policy that impedes federal immigration law enforcement and cited Vermont state law explicitly permitting public agencies to comply with federal immigration statutes 8 U.S.C. §§ 1373 and 1644. The letter was Scott's response to an August 13 letter from the Justice Department identifying Vermont among 35 jurisdictions engaged in sanctuary policies and threatening criminal charges, civil action, and potential federal funding withholding.

Attorney General Pamela Bondi sent a letter to Vermont on August 13, 2025, alleging the state engaged in sanctuary policies that obstructed federal immigration enforcement. Governor Scott's office responded through a spokesperson, stating that Vermont is not a sanctuary state and has no laws or policies that impede federal immigration law enforcement, citing state law compliance with federal codes 8 U.S.C. §§ 1373 and 1644. Scott prepared a written response to Bondi's letter to challenge the federal government's assertion.

Governor Scott declined a request from the Department of Defense to deploy Vermont National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., to assist with the Trump administration's crime reduction initiative in the city. Scott determined that the deployment was not an appropriate use of the guard's resources. This rejection marked the second federal request for Vermont National Guard personnel that Scott had declined in as many months, following his July rejection of a request to assign guard members to perform clerical work for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Governor Scott stated at a weekly press conference on August 7, 2025, that his administration was developing a plan to bring state employees back to offices at least part time within the following months. Following Scott's public comments, Agency of Administration Secretary Sarah Clark issued a memo to all state employees on August 8, 2025, clarifying that return-to-office plans remained in early stages and that any implementation would involve employee input across agencies before taking effect. Clark stated the administration would communicate a complete approach before any changes were enacted.

Governor Phil Scott stated that his administration would support efforts to ensure that individuals detained in Vermont receive fair treatment and due process under the law, according to reporting on ICE transfer operations at Burlington airport. This statement came in response to community activism and discussions initiated by Burlington's aviation director and mayor regarding legal assistance access for people being transported through the airport. Scott's position aligned with broader efforts by local officials to establish safeguards for individuals subject to immigration enforcement actions.

Governor Scott complied with a Trump administration order requiring states to turn over sensitive personal and financial data from individuals who received SNAP food assistance benefits in the past five years, including names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, home addresses, and specific food purchase records. The decision was made without public announcement or consultation with affected Vermonters, and prevented Vermont's Attorney General from joining 21 other states and Washington, D.C., in litigation to block the order. According to reporting, the action affected approximately one in five Vermont households and made their data available to a consolidated federal database.

Governor Scott signed Act 73, a new education reform bill, into law in July 2025 that creates provisions for state aid to school construction projects. The legislation establishes a State Aid for School Construction Advisory Board, scheduled to first meet on or before September 1, 2025, which will work with the Agency of Education to develop eligibility criteria and project prioritization guidelines before the School Construction Aid Special Fund is officially created on July 1, 2026. School districts throughout Vermont, including the Mountain Views Supervisory Union, have begun planning construction projects in anticipation of the state aid becoming available to help fund building renovations and replacements.

Scott's administration complied with a federal request from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to share personal data on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program recipients, including names, birthdates, social security numbers, and addresses, in response to a Trump executive order aimed at addressing waste and fraud in SNAP programs. Scott stated that the federal government was within its legal rights to request the data and that his administration was obligated to follow the law by providing it. The decision drew criticism from Democratic officials including Vermont Attorney General Charity Clark, who noted that twenty other states had challenged the legality of the same request in federal court.

Scott directed Vermont to comply with a federal executive order requiring the state to submit personal data of individuals receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The order, issued in May by the Trump administration, mandated that states provide information on SNAP recipients. Scott's decision to comply with the directive drew criticism from advocacy organizations and state officials.

The Trump administration's Justice Department included Vermont on a revised list of 35 sanctuary jurisdictions in August 2025, following an April executive order directing federal authorities to identify communities perceived as obstructing federal immigration enforcement. Governor Scott had signed legislation in 2017 establishing guidelines for municipalities regarding local law enforcement interactions with federal immigration officials, but stopped short of officially declaring Vermont a sanctuary state. A spokesperson for Scott stated that Vermont maintains full compliance with federal law while protecting constitutional rights and does not impede federal immigration enforcement within the state.

Governor Scott rejected a Trump administration request for twelve Vermont National Guard members to provide clerical support to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement under Title 32 authority. The request sought guard personnel to fill clerical positions for one year at the ICE field office in St. Albans related to border enforcement operations. Scott stated that the positions could be filled by available federal employees and that the assignment did not align with traditional National Guard missions such as counterterrorism or drug interdiction.

Governor Phil Scott announced that Vermont Corrections Commissioner Nick Deml would step down in August 2025 after leading the department since November 2021, with former Burlington Police Chief Jon Murad designated as interim commissioner pending Vermont Senate confirmation. Deml's tenure oversaw the state's six prisons through a period marked by deaths at Southern State Correctional Facility in Springfield in 2022 and 2023, which prompted investigation into medical care provided by health services contractors, as well as ongoing staffing shortages across the correctional system. Under Deml's leadership, the corrections department implemented substance use disorder treatment initiatives including medication for opioid use disorder and peer recovery coaching programs.

The Trump administration announced on July 10 a requirement that Head Start programs verify immigration status as a condition of enrollment, a restriction that affects Vermont's preschool services. Vermont Attorney General Charity Clark joined 19 other states in filing a lawsuit on July 27 challenging the restriction as a violation of federal law and the Administrative Procedure Act. The federal government agreed to pause implementation of the new restrictions until at least September 3 pending resolution of the legal challenge.

President Trump signed the executive order titled "Ending crime and disorder on America's streets" on Thursday, which encourages state and local governments to implement civil commitment procedures for homeless individuals with mental health or substance abuse disorders. The order addresses what it characterizes as conditions including vagrancy and disorderly behavior in public spaces. The executive order delegates enforcement and implementation authority to state and local governments rather than establishing direct federal mandates.

Governor Scott signed Act 73 into law on July 1, 2025, implementing significant changes to Vermont's education system with immediate effects on independent school funding eligibility. The law established two requirements for private schools to receive public tuition funding: they must be located in a school district or supervisory union where at least one district does not operate a public school for some or all grades, and students funded by Vermont public school districts must comprise at least 25% of the school's student body as of the 2023-24 school year. According to advocates, the legislation resulted in more than half of Vermont's independent schools losing eligibility for public funding, though students already enrolled or accepted before July 1 remain eligible to receive public tuition through graduation.

Scott signed S.127 (Act 69), legislation that establishes a financing tool for small and rural communities to use in spurring housing development. The governor held a ceremonial signing of the bill in Fair Haven on July 16, 2025. The event was hosted locally to highlight the measure's provisions related to housing development financing.

Governor Scott signed S.123, the Transportation Bill, in early June 2025, which included language clarifying that municipalities have the authority to maintain legal trails on private land. The bill language was added during the legislative process after an initial standalone bill on the issue stalled in committee, and it received broad support from trails groups and the Vermont League of Cities and Towns. The effective date of the trail maintenance provision was set for April 1, 2026 during the Conference Committee process.

Scott appointed Jason Batchelder as commissioner of the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department, a position Batchelder previously held at the Department of Environmental Conservation before being named to lead that agency. Scott selected Misty Sinsigalli, who previously worked as a disaster recovery lead for water and environmental programs at the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development, to replace Batchelder as commissioner of the Department of Environmental Conservation. Scott also appointed Sara Teachout to the Green Mountain Care Board, a health care regulatory body, after Teachout resigned from her position as a lobbyist for BlueCross BlueShield of Vermont.

Rep. Becca Balint commented on President Donald Trump's federal budget bill, which was signed into law in early July 2025, stating that changes to Medicaid and SNAP benefits would negatively affect rural Vermont. Balint cited a congressional Joint Economic Committee Minority report projecting that 35,242 Vermonters could lose Medicaid coverage under the bill and criticized new proof-of-work requirements for Medicaid eligibility as administratively burdensome. Balint also warned that the reduction in federal health care funding flowing into Vermont would increase insurance premiums across the state.

Governor Scott appointed Dave Wolk, a former state senator and Castleton University president with prior experience as a school principal and superintendent, to serve as his representative on the School Redistricting Task Force established by Act 73. The task force was created to design new school district boundaries consolidating Vermont's 119 school districts into 10 to 25 larger districts, each serving between 4,000 and 8,000 pre-kindergarten through grade 12 students. The 11-member task force, composed of six lawmakers and five former education officials appointed by legislative and gubernatorial leadership, was scheduled to begin meeting on or around August 1, 2025.

Governor Phil Scott signed H.454, legislation affecting independent schools including St. Johnsbury Academy and Lyndon Institute in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom. The commentary argues these institutions serve as economic anchors for rural communities by attracting families and professionals while providing educational access to disadvantaged students. The author contends the legislation has significant implications for regional demographic stability and economic vitality.

Governor Scott signed legislation in May 2025 that extended in-state tuition rates and scholarship eligibility to undocumented immigrant students in Vermont, effective July 1, 2025. The bill was the result of advocacy efforts by Migrant Justice, an immigrant activist organization, whose members testified before state legislators about barriers to college access. The law allows immigrant students to attend Vermont colleges at the same cost and with the same financial aid available to other state residents.

Governor Phil Scott signed legislation into law that requires Vermont schools to adopt policies prohibiting students from using cellphones and other personal devices from arrival to dismissal, with policies to take effect by the 2026-27 school year and exceptions available for students requiring accommodations. The law also includes a provision immediately banning schools from using social media platforms to communicate with students or requiring students to have social media accounts for academic and extracurricular activities, though schools may use administrator-approved platforms. The legislation directs the state's Agency of Education to create a model policy for schools to follow, though individual schools may adopt their own policies provided they are at least as stringent as the state model.

Governor Scott reached a compromise with legislative leaders on H.454, a comprehensive education reform bill that would consolidate school districts, create a new education funding formula, impose class-size minimums, and establish income-sensitive property tax relief, with implementation occurring over multiple years contingent on various conditions. Scott announced the agreement at his weekly press conference on Friday, June 13, 2025, after days of stalled negotiations between House and Senate members. The legislation required approval through majority votes in both chambers, with voting scheduled for the following week when the Legislature reconvened.

Governor Scott announced on Friday that his administration reached an agreement with House and Senate conferees on a plan to overhaul Vermont's education system. Scott stated that additional work would be required even if the plan passed in the following week. The specific details of the education bill were not disclosed in the available portion of the article.

Governor Scott vetoed legislation that would have overhauled the hotel voucher program used to shelter people experiencing homelessness, citing cost concerns. The vetoed bill would have restructured the pandemic-era hotel and motel voucher system. Scott stated his position that the program required termination based on expenditure considerations.

Governor Scott signed S.127, the housing package, into law on June 12, 2025. The bill's primary provision, the Community and Housing Infrastructure Program, establishes a financing mechanism allowing municipalities and developers to borrow funds for infrastructure projects such as roads, sidewalks, and sewers, with repayment supported by increased property tax revenue from resulting residential development. The legislation also strengthens fair housing protections for immigrants.

Governor Scott signed H.266 on Wednesday, legislation that caps the amount Vermont health care providers can charge for outpatient prescription drugs at 120 percent of manufacturers' average sale prices, effective January 2026. Scott signed S.126 on Thursday, which establishes comprehensive health care regulation requirements including a mandate for state officials to develop a statewide health care delivery plan by 2028 and directs the Green Mountain Care Board to implement reference-based pricing tied to Medicare rates. Together, the two bills represent a significant legislative effort to address Vermont's high health care costs, with preliminary estimates suggesting H.266 would result in the lowest outpatient drug prices in the nation.

Governor Scott signed H.167, legislation establishing the Vermonters Feeding Vermonters Grant at the Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets. The law makes permanent a program previously used by Vermont Foodbank to purchase food from local farmers. The legislation became effective as Act 34 of 2025.

Governor Scott vetoed S.125 on June 10, 2025, legislation that would have permitted supervisors in Vermont's judiciary system to unionize under the Vermont State Employees' Association. Scott stated in his veto letter that the judiciary branch advised the change could negatively impact courthouse management and that the court system should focus on improving efficiencies amid a significant case backlog. The bill also contained a provision raising the threshold for employees to petition for union decertification from 30 percent to a majority of workers, which Scott stated would create an unequal standard compared to the 30 percent threshold required to form a union.

Governor Phil Scott signed legislation on May 22 that expands unpaid leave provisions for Vermont workers effective July 1. The law guarantees up to 12 weeks of unpaid parental leave following childbirth, miscarriage, adoption, or foster care placement; up to two weeks of unpaid leave following the death of a family member; and up to 12 weeks of unpaid safe leave for individuals or family members experiencing domestic or sexual violence. The law applies to businesses with 10 or more employees working more than 30 hours per week and expands the definition of family relationships to include domestic partners and nontraditional family structures.

Scott previously vetoed a comprehensive data privacy bill during the last legislative session, citing concerns that it would harm local businesses and expose the state to litigation. The Legislature's attempt to override the veto failed narrowly in the Senate. S.69, known as the Kids Code, which would require social media companies to modify design features for users under 18, passed both chambers with broad support and was delivered to Scott on Friday.

Governor Phil Scott signed legislation in May 2024 that amended a 2023 law targeting crisis pregnancy centers by replacing specific references to those centers with more general language prohibiting false or misleading advertising by any person providing health care services. The amended law removed legislative findings that had specifically characterized certain crisis pregnancy centers as providing misleading medical information. Two weeks after Scott signed the changes, anti-abortion advocates and two Vermont-based crisis pregnancy centers dropped their federal lawsuit against the state that had challenged the original 2023 measure as viewpoint discrimination.

Vermont state legislators sponsored S.69, the Vermont Kids Code or Age-Appropriate Design Code, which prohibits manipulative features such as autoplay and endless scroll for minors and requires companies to implement strong privacy settings by default for child users. The legislation prevents companies from making programming decisions designed to addict or exploit minors and establishes that companies with knowledge of child users have a duty to protect them. The bill faced opposition from technology companies and industry groups including NetChoice and TechNet, which the legislators characterize as funded by major technology companies.

Governor Scott's spokesperson Amanda Wheeler stated that Vermont maintains compliance with federal immigration law while protecting constitutional rights, clarifying that the state does not obstruct federal immigration enforcement following Vermont's inclusion on a Department of Homeland Security list of sanctuary jurisdictions released in May 2025. The list was compiled in response to President Donald Trump's April 28 executive order directing federal authorities to identify jurisdictions allegedly obstructing federal immigration law enforcement. Scott had previously signed 2017 legislation establishing guidelines for municipalities to follow when considering policies on law enforcement interactions with federal immigration officials.

Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Baruth conditioned advancement of H.474, an elections bill that would expand campaign finance disclosure requirements, on House passage of S.131, a Burlington charter change bill to ban guns from bars and other alcohol-serving venues that Baruth sponsored. The House Government Operations Committee did not advance S.131, and H.474 did not reach a Senate floor vote as the 2025 legislative session concluded, with Secretary of State Sarah Copeland Hanzas stating the bill's provisions would have improved municipal election administration statewide.

Governor Scott communicated to the conference committee considering H.454, the education reform bill, that he would not sign either the House or Senate version of the legislation in its current form. In a letter to conferees, Scott specified that any education transformation package must secure Republican support, include no increase in state education spending beyond current levels, and implement changes by 2028 rather than 2029. Scott's stated conditions created pressure on the conference committee to revise the bill's provisions regarding the education funding formula and implementation timeline.

Governor Scott signed H.461, legislation that expands Vermont's job-protected leave statute. The law broadens eligibility for unpaid leave by updating definitions to better include LGBTQ+ families and adds new protected categories including bereavement leave, safe leave for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault, and military leave. The expanded protections apply to workers caring for themselves or loved ones during serious health events, welcoming new children, grieving a death, or addressing safety concerns.

The Vermont House passed S.123, legislation that allows people to renew their driver's licenses at any time prior to expiration rather than within the standard six-month window before expiration. The measure was included in the state's miscellaneous motor vehicle bill and would enable Vermont residents to extend the validity of existing licenses that carry the state's "X" gender marker option. Supporters stated the change would help residents maintain identification reflecting their gender identity amid federal restrictions on gender marker options in U.S. passports.

Governor Phil Scott announced his intention to veto S.131, a proposed law that would ban firearms in bars and restaurants serving alcohol in Burlington. The bill received support from Burlington's mayor, police chief, bar owners, and voters. Scott stated his reasons for the veto included concerns that bar owners could not enforce the restriction, that Burlington would be the only Vermont municipality with such a ban, and that the measure would not address the city's broader violence problem.

The Vermont House advanced S.127, a major housing package establishing the Community and Housing Infrastructure Program to allow municipalities and developers to use tax revenue from new housing projects to fund infrastructure debt. The largely party-line vote followed debate over guardrails for the program, including a "but for" test requiring that developments would not occur without public financing assistance. An amendment to remove the test failed, though the House did approve earlier modifications to ease program access for smaller towns.

Governor Scott signed the General Assembly's $9 billion state budget for fiscal year 2026 into law during the week of May 23, 2025. The budget included a $77 million general fund transfer to the education fund and $13.5 million in affordability investments. Scott had previously proposed an $8.9 billion state budget in January before the legislature passed the final spending measure.

Governor Scott announced on Wednesday that he would veto S.131, a proposed charter change for Burlington that would ban firearms from bars and other establishments serving alcohol. Scott stated his primary concern was that bar owners would be unable to effectively enforce such a ban and questioned the practicality of enforcement mechanisms. The proposal had passed the Vermont Senate with 17 votes, below the threshold needed to override a gubernatorial veto.

Governor Scott signed the yield bill during the week of May 22, 2025. The bill addressed property tax increases, following a 14% average increase the previous year with this year's increase limited to approximately 1%. The legislation incorporated roughly $77.2 million in one-time surplus funds from the General Fund.

Gov. Phil Scott pushed the Vermont Legislature to pass a major education reform bill, H.454, during the 2025 legislative session as part of a broader response to property tax increases. The Senate bill proposed transitioning to a new education funding formula and consolidating school districts, but faced sustained opposition from Vermont superintendents who argued the funding model could slash budgets unsustainably for some districts while raising tax rates in others. Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Baruth postponed a floor vote scheduled for Wednesday after determining at a Tuesday Democratic caucus meeting that a majority of the caucus would not support the current version of the bill.

Governor Scott signed Vermont lawmakers' 2026 state budget proposal into law on May 22, 2025, approving a $9.01 billion spending plan for the fiscal year beginning July 1. The budget included approximately $75 million from the state's general fund allocated to reduce property tax bills for education and $13 million to offset proposed tax credits for low-income families, workers, veterans, retirees, and military pensioners. Scott characterized the budget as making critical investments in affordability, housing, education, and public safety while urging legislators to pass pending education reform legislation.

Governor Scott introduced H.454, an education reform bill developed with the Agency of Education that proposes to overhaul Vermont's education funding and governance model over several years. The bill was discussed at a community forum in Winooski on May 19, 2025, where panelists including state Senator Martine Gulick and Winooski School District Superintendent Wilmer Chavarria raised concerns about its potential impacts on local property taxes and education quality. Attendees and panelists criticized the proposal, with Chavarria stating that modeling conducted by the Winooski School District indicated the bill would not benefit the district's finances or educational outcomes.

The Vermont Legislature advanced legislation in May 2025 that would require all public school districts and independent schools in the state to develop policies prohibiting students from using smartphones and other personal devices during the school day, with implementation required by the 2026-2027 school year. The smartphone ban was added to H.480, a miscellaneous education bill, after a standalone bill on the issue failed to advance earlier in the session. The bill was expected to reach Governor Phil Scott's desk by the end of the legislative session.

The Vermont House and Senate agreed on a $9.01 billion state budget proposal for fiscal year 2026, designated as H.493, which they transmitted to Governor Phil Scott for his consideration. The joint budget reduced proposed base spending by approximately $21 million compared to the Senate's earlier version, including a $19 million reduction in transfers to child care subsidy funding and a lower reimbursement rate increase for infant and toddler care providers. Scott's office indicated the governor found the compromise budget movement in a positive direction, though stated he would conduct a full review of the legislation.

Gov. Phil Scott stated that the Community and Housing Infrastructure Program, which passed the Vermont House Ways and Means Committee, contained too many restrictions added by House lawmakers that would prevent the program from functioning effectively in small communities. The House committee imposed a $40 million annual cap on education property tax increment dedicated to housing project debt and added a requirement to test whether projects would have occurred without the program's financing. Scott said the measure was overly complicated and represented a step backwards for housing infrastructure financing in Vermont.

The Vermont House passed S.51, a bipartisan tax credit package, on Wednesday that includes an exemption for military pensions and survivor benefits for individuals with adjusted gross income under $125,000, along with a partial exemption for those earning less than $175,000. The legislation also establishes a $250 refundable tax credit for low-income veterans earning less than $25,000 and expands the state's child tax credit to include six-year-olds while modifying the earned income tax credit and Social Security tax thresholds. The bill is expected to reduce state tax revenue by more than $13 million annually and received support from nearly all representatives present on the House floor.

The Vermont Senate advanced H.491, the yield bill, which projects an average property tax rate increase of 1.1% for education tax bills in the upcoming fiscal year. The legislation allocates approximately $118 million from the education fund and a $77 million general fund transfer to reduce property tax rates. The bill requires final Senate approval before proceeding to Governor Scott for signature.

Secretary Julie Moore and Commissioner Kerrick Johnson stated that the Vermont Legislature passed the Global Warming Solutions Act and Climate Superfund Act but did not provide sufficient funding for implementation, creating a gap between legal mandates and available resources. They identified that proposed funding mechanisms including a clean heat standard and cap-and-invest framework had been found administratively complex and expensive by independent analyses, leaving the Legislature reluctant to advance either approach. Moore and Johnson noted that bill H.289 had not received meaningful legislative consideration as an alternative approach, while the Climate Superfund Act required $1.2 million in contracted support and two staff positions that were not included in the House-backed budget.

Sen. Scott Beck, R-Caledonia, proposed two amendments to H.493, the state's 2026 budget bill, during Senate floor debate on May 1, 2025. The first amendment would have repealed the clean heat standard and a clause in the Global Warming Solutions Act permitting lawsuits for failure to meet emissions reduction mandates, while the second would have delayed the state's adoption of California electric vehicle standards. Both amendments were ruled not germane to the budget bill by Lt. Gov. John Rodgers, and Beck's subsequent motions to suspend Senate rules and allow votes on the amendments were rejected on mostly party-line roll-call votes.

Governor Scott criticized the Vermont Senate's 2026 budget proposal, H.493, which totaled $9.01 billion and included approximately $50 million more in base spending than his proposed $8.99 billion budget. Scott's concerns centered on Senate-approved positions and expenditures that exceeded his January proposal, including a dozen new state government positions across multiple agencies. Senate leadership indicated they would seek to reduce spending levels in the budget to align more closely with Scott's proposal during joint committee negotiations to avoid a potential veto.

In 2024, Governor Scott vetoed legislation that would have established an overdose prevention center in Burlington, characterizing the measure as a costly experiment. Overdose prevention centers operate in New York City and other locations, providing controlled environments where medical staff monitor individuals using substances and deliver emergency response during overdoses while connecting users to treatment and housing services. The veto prevented Vermont from implementing a policy mechanism that public health advocates identified as a potential resource for addressing opioid-related deaths, which reached 243 in Vermont in 2022.

Scott, the Vermont Attorney General, joined a multi-state lawsuit filed in the U.S. Court of International Trade challenging tariffs implemented by the Trump administration. Vermont became one of 12 states participating in the legal action, which also included Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, and others. The lawsuit additionally addressed education policy matters related to the Trump administration.

The Vermont House of Representatives unanimously approved S.27, legislation designed to eliminate up to $100 million in medical debt for low- and moderate-income Vermonters and remove medical debt from credit scores. The bill also received unanimous support in the Vermont Senate. The legislation was sent to Governor Scott for consideration.

Governor Scott's administration proposed the Community and Housing Infrastructure Program, or CHIP, at the outset of the 2025 legislative session. CHIP is designed as a small-scale version of Vermont's tax increment financing program that would allow municipalities to borrow money for public infrastructure like water and sewer systems to support housing development on individual properties. The housing package containing CHIP passed the Senate and was under consideration in the House as of April 2025.

H.91, a bill to overhaul Vermont's homelessness response system, passed the House in April 2025 and advanced to the Senate. The legislation would dissolve the state's motel voucher program and transfer funding and decision-making authority to five regional anti-poverty nonprofits and a domestic violence organization. The Scott administration, through Department for Children and Families Commissioner Chris Winters, expressed support for shifting service delivery to the local level while raising concerns about costs and suggesting an accelerated implementation timeline.

The Senate Government Operations Committee approved bill S.131, a proposed change to Burlington's local laws that would ban guns from bars and other venues serving alcohol, voting 3-2 in favor on April 18, 2025. The committee narrowed the scope of the original proposal after the Legislature's legal counsel expressed concerns that the language as approved by Burlington voters could violate the Second Amendment. The measure now proceeds to the full Senate for consideration before advancing to the House and subsequently to Governor Scott for final action.

Governor Scott stated in April 2025 that ending Vermont's agreement with federal immigration officials regarding detention of individuals in state facilities might not be the best course of action. Vermont Senate Democrats had requested that Scott terminate the agreement with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Scott's statement indicated concerns about the potential consequences for individuals currently held in state detention facilities under the existing agreement.

The Vermont Senate Judiciary Committee voted unanimously on April 16, 2025, to approve H.98, a combined bill that merges S.95, which establishes expedited guardianship proceedings for children whose parents face immigration enforcement actions, with provisions from H.98 addressing adoption procedures for assisted reproduction. The bill would create a fast-track process in state probate courts allowing parents to designate guardians preemptively or enabling lawyers to initiate guardianship on behalf of detained parents, as an alternative to state Department for Children and Families custody. Governor Scott stated on Wednesday that he was uncertain whether prohibiting federal immigration agencies from using state prisons would benefit people detained in Vermont, citing concerns about whether such a measure would serve those in custody.

Gov. Scott stated on April 16, 2025, that he had not decided whether to end or modify Vermont's memorandum of understanding with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which allows federal immigration authorities to detain individuals in state prisons, when the agreement expires in August. Scott expressed concern that terminating the agreement might result in detainees being transferred to facilities in other states rather than benefiting those held in Vermont. The governor indicated that the decision would be based on determining "what's in the best interests of those we're trying to protect."

Vermont Senate leaders called on Governor Scott to terminate a memorandum of understanding signed in August between the state and U.S. Customs and Border Protection that allows federal immigration enforcement agencies to hold detainees at state-owned prisons. The senators' request followed the arrest of Palestinian activist Mohsen Mahdawi, a legal U.S. resident, by federal agents at a citizenship interview in Colchester, with Mahdawi subsequently held at Northwest State Correctional Facility in St. Albans. Scott's office responded by calling for Mahdawi's release unless evidence demonstrated he posed a threat to national or state security, and stated the governor would meet with legislative leadership to discuss the senators' request.

Governor Scott and the Agency of Education, led by Secretary Zoie Saunders, introduced a proposal to fundamentally change how education is governed in Vermont. The proposal has been reviewed by the Vermont State Legislature, Commission on the Future of Public Education in Vermont, State Board of Education, Vermont Superintendents Association, and school boards across the state. The article calls for students to be included in the formation of this education governance proposal through legislative hearings, statewide input collection, and expanded participation in the Agency of Education's Youth Policy Advisory Council.

Vermont Secretary of State Sarah Copeland Hanzas publicly criticized the SAVE Act, a federal bill that passed the U.S. House in April 2025 with Republican support and four Democratic votes, which would require voters to prove U.S. citizenship using an ID plus additional documentation such as a birth certificate or passport. Copeland Hanzas stated that the legislation could disenfranchise millions of Americans and create particular barriers for married women whose last names differ from their birth names. Vermont Attorney General Charity Clark joined a multistate lawsuit challenging the related citizenship requirement executive order issued by President Trump.

Governor Phil Scott's administration sought to repeal a provision in Vermont statute that was set to take effect in July and would prohibit correctional facilities from housing incapacitated individuals who have not been charged with crimes. The administration's proposal would allow the Department of Corrections to continue temporarily holding intoxicated or withdrawing Vermonters indefinitely, citing a shortage of alternative facilities such as public inebriation program beds across the state. Health care workers and law enforcement officials testified before the House Human Services Committee in support of the repeal, citing concerns about emergency department capacity and staff safety if such individuals were redirected to hospitals instead.

Governor Scott issued an official proclamation declaring April 5-11, 2025 as the Week of the Young Child in Vermont. The proclamation was announced by the Vermont Association for the Education of Young Children to recognize the significance of early childhood education in the state. In conjunction with the proclamation, VTAEYC distributed mini grants to five child care programs across Vermont to support their activities during the designated week.

The Vermont House Ways and Means Committee voted to approve H.454, which proposes shifting the state to a new education funding formula in 2029, two years later than the timeline proposed by Governor Scott. The House bill uses a foundation formula approach that differs from the evidence-based model put forward by Scott and Education Secretary Zoie Saunders, with funding allocated based on student count, teaching costs, and additional support for economically disadvantaged students and English language learners. Republican members of the committee voted against the finance changes, and House Republicans subsequently criticized the entire proposal for its extended timeline and higher costs compared to Scott's plan.

Vermont's Act 180, passed in the prior year, expanded access to restorative justice statewide by codifying pre-charge diversion into law and transferring funding administration from the Department of Corrections to the Attorney General's Office. The Attorney General's Office subsequently indicated it would fund only one pre-charge diversion entity per county beginning in July 2026, designating Burlington's Community Justice Center as the sole funded organization for Chittenden County. This directive created uncertainty for community justice centers in Williston, Essex, and South Burlington, which had provided pre-charge diversion services for multiple years prior to the policy change.

Scott vetoed H.489, the Budget Adjustment Act, which was designed to adjust Vermont's fiscal year 2025 budget and reconcile state finances between budget cycles. This marked Scott's second veto of the Budget Adjustment Act during the fiscal year. The bill had been introduced to address financial adjustments needed in the state budget.

Scott vetoed a mid-year spending bill on April 4, 2025, that included a three-month extension of Vermont's motel voucher program for all sheltered individuals. This marked the second veto of a spending package during the legislative session, following Scott's earlier rejection of a similar bill that sought to extend the program statewide. Scott had previously signed an executive order extending the motel voucher program until June 30 for unhoused families with children and individuals with acute medical needs.

Scott signed an executive order extending motel voucher eligibility for families with children and people with acute medical needs through June 30, narrowing the scope of the emergency housing program after the governor had blocked a legislative attempt to extend eligibility to all participants. The Office of Legislative Counsel issued an opinion stating the executive order created a new eligibility category that conflicted with legislative determinations and constituted an unconstitutional consolidation of power. The order excluded people over 65 and those fleeing domestic violence who had been eligible under the previous legislative framework, with evictions beginning for those no longer covered.

The Vermont Senate passed a midyear spending bill on April 3, 2025, which Governor Scott is expected to veto, continuing a partisan dispute over the state's motel voucher program. Scott had signed an executive order the previous week narrowing eligibility for motel stays to families with children and people with acute medical needs through June 30, while the Senate bill sought to extend the program to all previously eligible individuals. The Legislature's chief lawyer characterized Scott's executive order as unconstitutional, and the Senate rejected a Republican amendment that would have aligned the spending bill with the governor's eligibility restrictions.

Governor Scott issued an executive order on April 1, 2025, extending motel voucher stays through June 30 for families with children and people with acute medical needs in Vermont's emergency housing program. The order followed weeks of legislative disagreement over whether to include a three-month extension in a midyear spending package, with Democrats seeking broader coverage and Scott and fellow Republicans opposing an unrestricted extension. The executive order reinstated the program's 80-day limit and 1,100-room cap for other eligible populations, resulting in approximately 235 households losing their vouchers on that date.

Scott appointed Kaj Samson as commissioner of the Department of Financial Regulation, a position Samson previously held roles within during his 14 years at the agency and from which he departed in 2019 to work as National Life Group's chief auditor. Scott named Jill Briggs Campbell as permanent deputy secretary of the Agency of Education, a position she held on an interim basis after serving as the agency's director of operations. Scott also appointed Neil Kamman as deputy commissioner of the Department of Environmental Conservation, where Kamman had previously led the Water Investment Division and served as senior policy adviser.

Governor Scott issued an executive order on March 28, 2025, extending motel voucher stays for unhoused families with children and medically vulnerable individuals through June 30, 2025. The extension applies to approximately 400 households and defines medically vulnerable individuals as those who are homebound, require lifesaving electrical devices, are in active cancer or severe organ disease treatment, receive home-based nursing services, or are in their third trimester of pregnancy. This action came after Senate Republicans blocked legislation that would have extended the program to all 2,300 people currently receiving motel vouchers, which would have otherwise expired under stricter time limits beginning April 1.

Governor Scott called for swift action on education reform legislation during a Thursday statement, expressing support for the Senate's expedited timeline for implementing consolidated school districts and a new education funding formula while criticizing the House's proposal to extend the implementation timeline to summer 2029. Scott stated he would not support adjourning the legislative session without passage of a bill establishing both a new funding system and governance structure for Vermont's public school system. The governor threatened to keep lawmakers in Montpelier if they do not pass such a plan, according to reporting on his statements.

The Vermont House passed H.493, the 2026 state budget bill, which includes provisions allowing the state's Emergency Board to access a portion of the "rainy day" fund to address potential federal funding losses. The bill also requires Scott's administration to develop a plan in consultation with the Joint Fiscal Committee whenever the state loses at least 1% of its total federal funding in a fiscal year, currently equivalent to over $30 million. The legislation now proceeds to the Senate and would require Scott's approval before taking effect on July 1, 2026.

Scott signed an executive order extending the hotel-motel voucher program for families with children under age 19 and households containing medically vulnerable adults through the end of the fiscal year. The extension prevented these populations from being removed from the program on the originally scheduled date of March 31, 2025. The program provides temporary hotel accommodations to eligible individuals and families.

Governor Scott vetoed S.71, a comprehensive data privacy bill passed by the Vermont legislature in the previous year, citing the inclusion of a private right of action that would allow consumers to sue companies for violating state data laws. The Vermont Senate subsequently passed an amended version of S.71 on Thursday that removed the private right of action provision, aligning the bill with Connecticut's data privacy framework that Scott had indicated as his preference. The amended bill retains consumer protections including the right to opt out of targeted advertising and limitations on personal data collection while eliminating the legal mechanism for class action lawsuits that the governor identified as objectionable.

Governor Phil Scott issued an education transformation proposal that includes school consolidation and expansion of school choice options. The proposal drew criticism from the Vermont Rural School Community Alliance, which expressed concern that the plan would result in school closures, reduce local control, and divert public education funding to private institutions. Scott's plan represented a top-down approach to education finance reform that the Alliance characterized as failing to account for regional differences and Vermont's existing school culture.

Moore, secretary of the Vermont Agency of National Resources, stated that evaluations of the Clean Heat Standard and Cap-and-Invest framework, which were undertaken to meet the 2030 greenhouse gas emission mandates of the Global Warming Solutions Act, determined both approaches were infeasible due to unacceptable costs and disruption levels. Moore argued that the Legislature should reform the GWSA's 2030 requirements rather than leave state agencies vulnerable to litigation, and contended that litigation filed by the Conservation Law Foundation would divert resources from tangible carbon reduction work. Moore characterized the situation as requiring legislators to acknowledge that existing policy approaches had reached a dead end and to pursue alternative routes to Vermont's carbon emission reduction goals.

Rep. Matt Birong, chair of the House Government Operations and Military Affairs Committee, advanced H.474, a comprehensive elections bill that passed unanimously out of committee and would make sweeping changes to Vermont's election laws, including a measure preventing political parties from nominating general election candidates who did not run in that party's primary. House Republican leaders filed amendments seeking to strike the primary-nomination restriction from the bill, citing concerns about the measure's impact on party nomination practices. Birong stated that his committee planned to negotiate revisions with GOP leadership before the bill proceeded to a full chamber vote.

Governor Scott and the Agency of Education announced an education reform plan that would consolidate Vermont's school system into five districts. The plan proposes standardized and consolidated education in a state historically characterized by small schools and local control. The proposal has generated significant public discussion regarding the future structure of Vermont's education system.

Governor Scott's administration rejected a compromise proposal from Democratic legislative leaders regarding funding for Vermont's motel housing program for unhoused people. Secretary of Administration Sarah Clark sent a letter to the House Appropriations Committee countering the Democrats' proposal for a three-month extension of the emergency housing program, instead suggesting a narrower extension limited to families with children and medically vulnerable individuals covering 429 households rather than the current 1,429 households. Scott had previously vetoed the annual budget adjustment bill citing increased state spending and objection to the motel program extension.

Democratic legislative leaders, unable to secure votes to override Governor Phil Scott's veto of a midyear spending bill, submitted a letter to his administration conceding approximately $14.9 million in proposed state spending for affordable housing development, disabled housing pilots, and flood relief grants. In exchange, the legislative leaders requested that Scott extend the motel shelter program for unhoused populations including children, pregnant women, disabled individuals, veterans, and those fleeing domestic violence beyond the April 1st expiration of winter weather rules. Scott's office did not respond to requests for comment on the legislative proposal.

The Vermont Senate Natural Resources Committee voted 4-1 to advance S.65, which included language repealing the clean heat standard statute (30 V.S.A. chapter 94) that had previously authorized the Public Utility Commission to develop a heating and cooling emissions reduction policy. The repeal was added as a short section to a 22-page bill primarily focused on reorienting Efficiency Vermont's energy efficiency goals toward reducing climate pollution rather than lowering electric demand. Sen. Scott Beck, the Senate minority leader, voted in favor of the bill, characterizing the inclusion of the clean heat standard repeal as a compromise between the two chambers.

Governor Scott vetoed a midyear spending bill on March 14, 2025, that would have extended motel shelter eligibility for unhoused Vermonters through June 30 at a cost of $1.8 million. Scott stated in his veto message that the extension would reverse progress made in reforming the program and that increased state spending should be delayed pending anticipated federal funding cuts. The veto affects approximately 600 adults and over 160 children who would lose motel shelter access on April 1 without the extension.

Governor Scott vetoed the Budget Adjustment Act in March 2025 due to provisions that would extend the hotel voucher program. Scott stated that allocating additional general funds for the program was irresponsible given uncertainty surrounding federal funding and potential cuts to critical programs. The veto applied to spending provisions in the budget adjustment that Scott characterized as non-time-sensitive expenses.

The Vermont Senate voted 22-8 on March 13, 2025, to confirm Zoie Saunders as education secretary, reversing its rejection of her appointment from the previous year. Governor Phil Scott had appointed Saunders in an interim capacity following the Senate's initial rejection and again permanently appointed her in November while the Legislature was out of session, actions that prompted two senators to file a lawsuit that was ultimately dismissed as moot. Saunders has served as the public face of Scott's education transformation proposal, which includes school district consolidation and a new education funding formula designed to expand educational opportunities while reducing costs.

Governor Scott announced his intention to veto the Budget Adjustment Act, citing concerns regarding a hotel program extension and overall spending levels in the legislation. Scott stated the veto decision would not be surprising given his fiscal positions. The specific provisions of the hotel program and the spending amounts at issue were referenced as reasons for the planned veto action.

Vermont advocacy organizations for immigrant rights urged state lawmakers to pass S.44 and S.56, two bills intended to address federal policy changes affecting immigrant communities. S.44 would restrict state agencies and local governments from entering into policing agreements with federal immigration enforcement agents. S.56 would establish a committee to study the creation of a new state office to coordinate social and economic services for recently arrived immigrants.

The Vermont Senate Education Committee voted 5-1 to endorse Zoie Saunders for the position of Education Secretary on March 11, 2025, marking the second consideration of her appointment in less than a year. Saunders, who had been rejected by the full Senate in a 19-9 vote the previous year, subsequently served in an interim capacity before being reappointed by Governor Phil Scott in a permanent role in November 2024. During the hearing, Saunders outlined her accomplishments including a statewide listening tour, a literacy initiative, and enhanced data collection efforts while acknowledging agency shortcomings in federal compliance and reporting systems.

Vermont's Department for Children and Families announced that the proposed Green Mountain Youth Campus in Vergennes will be designed to accommodate only youths aged 12 to 18, reverting to the original 14-bed capacity after earlier consideration of expanding to 22 beds to include 18 and 19 year olds. Tyler Allen, the adolescent services director, stated that the decision to abandon the expansion followed stakeholder meetings with Vergennes officials and community members who raised concerns about the facility serving too many age groups and populations. The state will proceed with the original design while implementing structural modifications and expanding vocational program capacity.

Scott's administration introduced a comprehensive education transformation plan addressing three areas: quality, equity, and sustainability. The plan seeks to improve student test scores and educator compensation while ensuring all Vermont students have equal access to academic programs regardless of location. Scott proposed structural changes to the school funding model, which currently allows individual districts to set budgets independently, creating resource disparities between affluent and lower-spending communities.

Gov. Phil Scott appointed former Democratic state Sen. Brian Campion to the State Board of Education, replacing board member Kim Gleason. Campion, who served 14 years in the Vermont House and Senate including as chair of the Senate Education Committee, was selected by Scott based on his demonstrated understanding of Vermont's education system and ability to consider multiple perspectives. Campion's appointment came one week after Scott and Education Secretary Zoie Saunders unveiled a 176-page education transformation proposal that would consolidate Vermont's school districts and restructure education funding.

Vermont Secretary of Education Zoie Saunders addressed concerns and what she characterized as misconceptions regarding Governor Phil Scott's education reform proposal, which would implement substantial changes to how education is delivered throughout the state. Saunders' remarks, delivered in Montpelier, responded to public reaction to the governor's plan that would take effect over multiple years. The specific details of the reform proposal and Saunders' responses were not fully accessible in the provided article text.

Following the death of Caledonia County Sheriff James Hemond in March 2025, Governor Phil Scott's office announced it would solicit a list of names from the Caledonia County Republican Committee to fill the vacant sheriff position. Robert Gerrish, the Caledonia County high bailiff, assumed the duties of sheriff pending the appointment of a new sheriff by Scott. The process followed standard procedure for filling the elected position after Hemond's death at age 47.

Scott called for the repeal of Vermont's Raise the Age law, which was passed in 2018 and allows 18-year-olds charged with misdemeanors and lower-level felonies to be heard in family court rather than criminal court. Scott and his administration stated that the program does not provide sufficient accountability for alleged offenders and that the Department for Children and Families lacks resources to expand the initiative to include 19-year-olds as scheduled for April. Following Scott's position, the House Judiciary Committee voted to delay the expansion of Raise the Age for two years rather than allow it to proceed as written.

Governor Scott's administration, through Housing and Community Development Commissioner Alex Farrell, requested that the Senate Natural Resources Committee consider additional reforms to Act 250 as part of the governor's housing proposal. The proposed changes include extending interim housing exemptions for a longer period and expanding them to additional locations, eliminating a "road rule" designed to limit forest fragmentation through private road construction, and converting Tier 3 protections for critical natural resource areas into a study rather than enforceable regulations. The committee members expressed limited receptiveness to the proposed modifications, citing the 2024 Act 181 legislation as a negotiated compromise between housing and environmental interests.

Governor Scott introduced a 176-page education reform bill to the Vermont Legislature on February 25, 2025, proposing a comprehensive restructuring of the state's education governance and finance systems. The proposal includes consolidating Vermont's 52 supervisory unions into five regional school districts, establishing minimum class sizes, implementing a 3 percent spending cap for school districts in the following year, and significantly restricting which private schools are eligible to receive public funding. The plan also incorporates an optional school choice lottery system for high school students and allocates over $70 million in state revenue to reduce property tax rates during the transition to the new system.

The Vermont Senate granted preliminary approval to H.141, a mid-year budget adjustment bill that would increase state spending by approximately $17 million more than Governor Scott's proposed adjustment. The bill includes $1.8 million to extend emergency shelter protections through the motel voucher program into warmer months, a provision Scott did not include in his original proposal. Both the House and Senate versions of the bill largely align with Scott's spending recommendations while making adjustments to allocate resources for flood recovery, additional positions at the Vermont Human Rights Commission, and housing projects.

Governor Scott signed H.78, legislation that updated Vermont's laws governing Australian ballot voting in municipal elections by allowing the process to be used for "any and all" officer elections rather than requiring all town officers to be elected by Australian ballot or none at all. The law also included provisions clarifying that municipalities conducting partial Australian ballot elections prior to the law's effective date would not face legal challenges for noncompliance with previous statutes. The legislation was developed by the House Committee on Government Operations and Military Affairs in response to Hyde Park's discovery that it had conducted elections in violation of state law since 1994 by electing some but not all town officers by Australian ballot.

Governor Scott included the elimination of Vermont's universal school meals program in his education transformation budget proposal, which he presented in February 2025 as a means to reduce education property tax increases by reverting to a needs-based meal system. Scott characterized the universal program, which provides free breakfast and lunch to all students regardless of household income, as regressive and argued that lower-income families should not subsidize meals for more affluent families. The proposal would require legislative approval to eliminate the program, which the state estimates draws down an additional $16.9 million in federal reimbursements annually.

Governor Scott introduced bill H.289, a climate omnibus proposal that would modify Vermont's Global Warming Solutions Act by removing the legal provision allowing citizens to sue the Agency of Natural Resources if the state fails to meet emissions reduction deadlines. Scott stated the proposal aimed to reduce costs associated with climate policies while maintaining emission reduction goals on an extended timeline. Environmental advocacy groups including the Conservation Law Foundation and VPIRG characterized the bill as a rollback of existing climate policy.

Governor Scott announced the departure of Vermont Economic Development Commissioner Joan Goldstein, who led the department for a decade beginning in 2015. Goldstein is scheduled to leave her position at the end of April and will assume leadership of the Vermont Economic Development Authority, a state organization providing financial assistance to Vermont businesses. During her tenure as commissioner, Goldstein oversaw economic development programs including the Capital Investment Program and BIPOC Business and Career Assistance initiative, and managed departmental response to the Covid-19 pandemic and state flooding events in 2023 and 2024.

Governor Scott's office announced the distribution of nearly $5 million in Community Development Block Grant funds to nine Vermont towns. Fair Haven and West Rutland, both in Rutland County, received portions of the $4,764,010 total allocation for housing-related projects. Fair Haven was awarded $60,000 to fund a study regarding a former mobile home facility.

Scott's administration proposed an education transformation plan that would consolidate Vermont's more than 100 school districts into five districts statewide and establish a foundation formula for education funding. The proposal included a school choice lottery system for newly drawn districts, which Democratic lawmakers and the state's teachers union rejected as potentially damaging to the public school system. Legislative leaders expressed frustration that Scott's team had not yet introduced formal bill language containing all plan details, hampering lawmakers' ability to formally evaluate and respond to the proposal.

Scott appointed Zoie Saunders as Agency of Education Secretary. A lawsuit filed by Senator Tanya Vyhovsky and Dick McCormack challenged Scott's authority to make this appointment. The Vermont Supreme Court dismissed the lawsuit in a February 2025 decision.

Vermont's Corrections Commissioner Nick Deml testified before a joint House hearing that remote court proceedings conducted within prisons constitute a breach in the separation of powers and reduce the efficiency of case resolution. Deml identified two potential solutions: deploying court staff into prisons to conduct remote proceedings or funding additional transportation deputies to bring incarcerated defendants to courthouses. Governor Scott's proposed budget recommends leaving six existing sheriff's deputy positions vacant to save over $600,000, despite the Department of State's Attorneys and Sheriffs requesting six additional deputies to increase in-person court appearances.

Scott appointed Zoie Saunders as interim education secretary in March 2024 after the Vermont Senate rejected her permanent appointment by a vote of 19-9. Scott reappointed Saunders to the interim role in November 2024 while the Legislature was out of session, following the Senate's rejection. The Vermont Supreme Court dismissed a lawsuit challenging the appointment as moot, determining that the November reappointment superseded the earlier interim appointment and was consistent with state law.

Governor Phil Scott appointed Bill Shouldice as Vermont's Department of Taxes Commissioner, replacing Craig Bolio who stepped down after five years in the position. Shouldice, who previously served as secretary of the Agency of Commerce and Community Development and as president and CEO of The Vermont Teddy Bear Company, took office on February 18, 2025. Scott stated that Shouldice's background in both private sector and government leadership would assist the Tax Department as it works on state affordability initiatives.

Scott announced that his omnibus public safety bill would be introduced in the Vermont legislature during the week of February 12, 2025. The governor stated at a news conference that judiciary committees in both the House and Senate had already begun reviewing aspects of the proposed legislation. The bill addressed crime and public safety matters within the state.

Senator Becca White introduced S.44, legislation that would transfer authority over state and local partnerships with federal immigration authorities from the governor to the Vermont Legislature, requiring lawmakers to vote on any collaborations between state agencies and Immigration and Customs Enforcement or Border Patrol. Under current law, the governor, after consulting with the attorney general, holds the authority to enter such partnerships. The Senate Judiciary Committee agreed to consider the bill and take additional testimony, though some lawmakers questioned whether the measure would constitute legislative overreach.

Governor Scott proposed an education plan that would establish an optional school choice lottery system in every regional school district statewide. Under the proposal, each student would be assigned to a public school in their district but could apply through a lottery to attend designated "school choice schools," which could be either magnet public schools or private schools selected by each district. The plan would direct state funding directly to choice schools based on the weighted funding of students who attend them, while subjecting choice schools to certain state educational and financial standards but exempting them from select state academic and operational requirements.

Governor Phil Scott included $9.5 million in his fiscal year 2026 budget proposal for polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) mitigation and remediation in Vermont school buildings. According to state officials, this funding is intended to target six schools with the most significant PCB contamination issues, though the amount is unlikely to fully address remediation costs across the state. The one-time allocation was designed to provide the Legislature time to focus on broader policy decisions regarding education governance and public education financing.

Governor Scott attended the groundbreaking event for Stonecrop Meadows, a mixed-income housing development in Middlebury featuring over 250 new homes, on February 3, 2025. At the event, Scott used the occasion to pitch a new infrastructure financing program for rural communities modeled on Vermont's existing tax increment financing program. Scott stated that basic infrastructure for water, sewer, and storm water services often creates bottlenecks for development projects and urged lawmakers to adopt his proposal.

Governor Phil Scott established an interagency task force called the Decision Support Team on Tuesday to assess the potential effects of President Donald Trump's tariffs on Canadian, Mexican, and Chinese imports on Vermont. The task force, led by Secretary of Commerce and Community Development Lindsay Kurrle and including officials from the Agency of Commerce and Community Development, Department of Labor, Agency of Agriculture, and Public Service Department, is charged with identifying options to mitigate impacts on consumers and ratepayers while identifying potential opportunities. The task force is expected to provide the governor with weekly updates on the tariff policies.

Governor Scott included a proposal to transfer rulemaking authority from the State Board of Education to the Vermont Agency of Education as part of his broader education reform package. Education Secretary Zoie Saunders characterized the transfer as a practical necessity to enable swift implementation of large-scale changes to the education system. State Board of Education members questioned the proposal at a special meeting in February 2025, raising concerns about the Agency of Education's capacity to assume additional responsibilities.

Governor Scott proposed an education transformation plan that includes a new school funding formula with a base amount of $13,200 per student and weighted adjustments for English learners, at-risk pre-kindergarten students, and career and technical education. The proposal assumes full school district consolidation by fiscal year 2028 and would reduce state education spending by approximately $184 million from current levels. Vermont Agency of Education officials presented the detailed funding formula specifications to House and Senate education and finance committees on January 30-31, 2025.

The House Human Services Committee, chaired by Rep. Theresa Wood, moved to waive the 80-night limit on motel stays and 1,100-room cap through the end of June via a mid-year budget adjustment bill, at an estimated cost of $1.9 million. The action was designed to prevent mass evictions scheduled for April 1, 2025, when winter flexibilities in Vermont's motel voucher program were set to expire. The proposal requires approval from the full House, Senate, and Governor Phil Scott before taking effect.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem made an unannounced visit to northern Vermont on January 30, 2025, arriving at Northeast Kingdom International Airport in Coventry approximately 10 days after a U.S. Border Patrol agent was killed during a traffic stop on Interstate 91 in the same town. Noem, whose department oversees the Border Patrol, visited a U.S. Customs and Border Protection facility in Derby and toured the Haskell Free Library and Opera House, which straddles the U.S.-Canada border. The trip was planned in response to the shooting incident and allowed Noem to meet with law enforcement officers and observe border operations in the region.

Scott proposed a $9 billion budget address in January 2025 that included funding for several reform initiatives. The proposal contained limited specifics and details regarding how the allocated funds would be deployed across these initiatives. The budget left lawmakers considerable discretion in determining implementation details during the legislative process.

Governor Scott's administration has repeatedly requested that lawmakers postpone or repeal the expansion of Vermont's Raise the Age law, which would transfer most 19-year-olds charged with crimes from criminal court to family court. Scott cited insufficient state resources to handle the influx to the family court system as the reason for his requests. In his budget address on January 28, 2025, Scott again called for the repeal of the expansion, with the effective date currently scheduled for April 2025.

Scott delivered a $9 billion budget address to the Vermont Legislature in Montpelier. The budget proposal included $77 million allocated to reduce the education property tax increase. Scott presented the address to a joint session of lawmakers on Tuesday afternoon.

Governor Scott unveiled a $9 billion state budget proposal for fiscal year 2026 on January 28, 2025, representing approximately 5% in spending increases over the previous year's $8.6 billion budget. The proposal includes $77 million to offset projected property tax increases and a $13.5 million tax reduction package that would expand eligibility for the Social Security income tax exemption, broaden earned income tax credits, and extend the child tax credit to children up to age 6. Scott stated the budget prioritizes affordability and addressing demographic challenges while constraining new investments due to substantial cost pressures, including rising public employee health insurance expenses.

Scott delivered his 2025 budget address on January 28, 2025, proposing a $9 billion budget across all funds. The budget proposal does not include tax or fee increases and directs investment toward economic growth, affordability, and services for vulnerable populations. Scott announced plans to forward four separate bills addressing housing, public safety, education, and affordability.

Governor Scott appointed Zoie Saunders to serve as interim Secretary of Education in March 2024 after the Vermont Senate voted 19-9 to reject her permanent appointment. Two state senators subsequently filed a lawsuit challenging whether Scott possessed the authority to make an interim appointment following the Senate's rejection. The Vermont Supreme Court heard arguments on the case in January 2025, with the central legal question being whether the governor's appointment power is limited by the Senate's prior rejection during the legislative session.

Governor Scott's administration unveiled a comprehensive education proposal that would consolidate Vermont's existing school districts into five regional districts, each serving approximately 10,000 to 15,000 students except for the Champlain Valley district which would serve approximately 34,000 students. The proposal also includes adoption of a foundation formula that would provide districts with a base amount of money per student, with officials indicating the base amount would exceed levels outlined in an October 2024 report. The administration stated the plan would address property tax increases while providing details to be finalized in a forthcoming omnibus education package.

Governor Scott outlined a proposal during a January 21, 2025 press conference to accelerate housing development in Vermont by modifying the appeals process for housing projects and expanding exemptions under Act 250, the state's development review program. The administration proposed raising the legal standards required for neighbors to challenge proposed housing developments in court, modeled on Washington state law, and expanding current carve-outs to include areas served by water and wastewater infrastructure beyond state-designated downtowns and villages. Scott stated the changes are intended to address Vermont's housing shortage, with the state needing over 41,000 additional homes by the end of the decade while currently building only about one-quarter of that amount.

Scott outlined an omnibus housing bill that included reforms to Act 250 appeals procedures. The proposed legislation aimed to streamline the permitting process for housing projects in Vermont by making appeals of housing project permits more difficult. Scott presented the bill as part of a broader effort to accelerate housing construction and reduce regulatory barriers to development.

Judge Kerry McDonald-Cady of Bennington County Superior Court denied Max Misch's motion to dismiss charges of illegally possessing high-capacity firearm magazines, ruling that possession of 30-round magazines is not conduct protected by the Second Amendment. Misch was charged in 2019 after police found two 30-round magazines in his home following enactment of a 2018 firearms law signed by Governor Phil Scott that established a 15-round limit for handgun magazines and a 10-round limit for rifle magazines. Jury selection in Misch's case is scheduled for April 1, 2025.

Governor Scott signed an agreement on Thursday that commits Vermont to participate in the AHEAD model, a federal health care payment structure offered by the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which would replace the state's existing "all-payer" model when it expires at the end of 2025. The Green Mountain Care Board voted 3-1 with one abstention on Friday to approve Vermont's participation in the agreement, which would implement global budgets for participating hospitals and provide regular payments to primary care providers beginning in January 2027 for a nine-year period. The board's approval includes six conditions that must be met, including receipt of state funding to hire additional staff, federal acceptance of the board's global budget methodology, and maintenance of the board's regulatory independence.

Governor Scott announced a comprehensive education reform package that would reshape Vermont's public education system through changes to school district governance structures, modifications to student-to-staff ratios, and a shift to a foundation-based education funding formula. The proposal, detailed in Scott's inaugural address and scheduled for full presentation to the Legislature on January 22, 2025, aims to address rising education costs, which increased approximately $180 million in the previous year and drove property tax increases averaging 13.8%. Scott stated the plan would reduce projected property tax increases from 5.9% to zero percent.

Scott Beck, the Senate minority leader, was appointed to the Senate Natural Resources and Energy Committee during the 2025 legislative session. Beck previously called for lawmakers to repeal the Affordable Heat Act, legislation related to the clean heat standard that falls under the committee's jurisdiction. The committee's composition shifted from having no Republican members in the previous session to now including Beck and Terry Williams, with Democrats maintaining a slim majority.

Governor Scott appointed Zachary Harvey of Castleton to the Vermont House of Representatives seat vacated by Chris Brown, who resigned citing family health concerns. Harvey took the oath of office on Wednesday at the State House in Montpelier. The appointment filled the House seat representing Castleton.

In June 2023, Governor Scott signed Act 47, legislation designed to encourage housing construction and affordability in Vermont by reforming zoning regulations and parking requirements. Following the law's implementation, Vermont building permits increased 19 percent to an average of 594 permits per quarter, outperforming the national trend of an 8 percent decline over the same period. Vermont experienced a rental cost decline in 2023, the largest among all states, contributing to the state becoming the only state to record deflation that year.

During his fifth inaugural address on January 9, 2025, Gov. Scott identified education funding system reform and housing development as his top legislative priorities for the year. Scott proposed a multi-year education transformation plan that would include a new funding formula, simplified school governance structure, and cost control guardrails for local communities, with detailed proposals to be presented within two weeks alongside his budget recommendations. On housing, Scott called for creative expansion of Vermont's Tax Increment Finance system, extension of Act 250 exemptions to rural communities, and regulatory reforms to streamline the appeals process.

In June 2023, Governor Scott signed Act 47, legislation designed to increase housing construction in Vermont and improve housing affordability. Following the law's implementation, building permits rose from 486 to 582 units in the subsequent quarter on a seasonally adjusted basis and remained elevated. The legislation resulted in measurable increases in new housing unit construction during the period following its enactment.

Governor Scott appointed five full-time members to the new Land Use Review Board, which replaces the Natural Resources Board under Act 181, a land-use reform law passed in 2024. The appointees bring professional experience in municipal and regional planning, environmental law, and civil engineering, with board chair Janet Hurley serving as assistant director of the Bennington County Regional Commission. The board will oversee a multi-year mapping process to implement Act 181's shift toward location-based jurisdiction for Act 250, Vermont's statewide development review law.