CAMBRIDGE – On Friday the Senate Transportation Committee voted out our version of the FY 2026 Transportation Bill. It is my first transportation budget as chair of the committee. The Transportation Bill (T-Bill) is the spending that operates the Agency of Transportation each year. The T-Bill this year included nearly[Read More…]
Legislative Report
Guiding State Policy
MONTPELIER –– I have served on the Governor’s Commission on Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders since 2017. The mission of this commission is to guide state policy, raise public awareness, and support the agencies that work every day to provide services to those affected by these complex conditions. The commission[Read More…]
Only 39 Bills Passed by House
MONTPELIER — To date, there have been 490 bills introduced and referred to committees. My assigned committee, Energy and Digital Infrastructure, has had a total of 29 bills referred to it. Of those, only two have made it out of committee for meeting the crossover deadline. The rest of the[Read More…]
In Support of Our Rural Schools
GLOVER— Last week, there was a Public Education Town Hall held at Hazen Union School, which I unfortunately could not attend. This is why I had to miss it: At that moment, I was at the bargaining table on the House Committee of Education, crafting language in H.454, the new[Read More…]
Much is Happening in the Legislature
MONTPELIER — February and March are flying by and legislative activity is picking up speed as bills begin to come out of committee to the House floor for action. It was great to connect with so many folks in the Lamoille 2 district over town meeting week. Rep. Noyes and[Read More…]
Welch Reacts to Noem Saying, “We Are Going to Eliminate FEMA”
WASHINGTON, D.C. – During President Trump’s March 24 Cabinet meeting, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said, “We are going to eliminate FEMA.” Senator Peter Welch released the following reaction: “The Trump Administration’s grand plan for victims of natural disasters is to abandon them, and it’s a complete non-starter.[Read More…]
What Do I Need to Think About?
CAMBRIDGE — Town meeting week is always a good time to reflect as we take a break before we head into the second half of the legislative session. What did I learn from the first couple months of the session and what now do I need to think about for[Read More…]
Thoughts On Education Reform
MONTPELIER — A considerable amount of attention and work this legislative session has been devoted to Vermont’s PreK-12 public education system and how it is funded. This is important work. Thirty percent of Vermont state spending is devoted to our most precious resource, 83,000 children. Vermonters understand how meaningful these[Read More…]
Session Picks up Steam
MONTPELIER – As the 2025 Vermont legislative biennium picks up steam, the Vermont House of Representatives remains committed to making our state more affordable for the people who call it home. So far, our work has focused on smart investments in the Budget Adjustment Act and meaningful policy discussions in[Read More…]
Many People Provide Testimony
MONTPELIER – The Legislature has been busy. To date, there have been over 300 bills introduced and referred to committees. My assigned committee has 22 bills assigned to it. Most of these bills are energy-related, the others are relating to broadband and consumer protections. Again, there have been many people[Read More…]
People Care How we Reduce Taxes
MONTPELIER – “I don’t care how you do it, Dave. Just lower our property taxes. They are killing us.” I remember this exchange with a voter on Election Day as if it were yesterday. The desperation was palpable. Others had made similar comments and spoke of how they might be[Read More…]
Recent Senate Activity Described
The Vermont General Assembly convened for the sixth week of the 2025 Legislative session, January 11 to 14. For the Senate, the majority of days during the legislative session follow the same schedule: one committee meets in the morning, then Senators move to the floor, then afternoon committees meet. Tuesday[Read More…]
