Tuesday, January 20, 2026 6:30PM
The Vermont Legislature’s afternoon committee work on Tuesday didn’t feature fireworks or floor fights, but it did advance — or further entrench — several policy tracks that will materially affect taxes, housing, healthcare authority, land use, and local control. The theme running through the day was not surprise, but confirmation: many of the state’s biggest pressure points are now structural, not temporary.
Property Taxes: The Number Isn’t Changing — Only the Spin Is
In Ways and Means, fiscal staff reaffirmed that average statewide property tax bills are still projected to rise by roughly 12 percent next year. That figure remains unchanged from earlier warnings, despite hopes that updated revenue forecasts might soften the blow.
The Governor’s proposal to use roughly $105 million in one-time funds to “buy down” property taxes was acknowledged, but committee discussion made clear that this approach does not resolve the underlying problem. Using temporary money lowers bills for one year and raises them again the next unless spending or revenue structures change. Members openly recognized that diverting non-property revenue away from the education fund ultimately increases pressure on property taxpayers in future years.
The education fund stabilization reserve — essentially a rainy-day buffer — was again treated as functionally off-limits due to bond rating concerns. The practical effect is that property taxes remain the balancing lever of last resort, even as legislators acknowledge voter frustration and declining tolerance for repeated increases.
Health Policy: A “Non-Mandate” Bill Moves Forward
The House Human Services Committee voted out a health-related bill that has generated significant public confusion, particularly around vaccines and individual choice. Committee members emphasized repeatedly that the measure does not impose mandates and does not require individuals or parents to take any medical action.
That clarification was central to the discussion, as legislators acknowledged organized email campaigns and constituent concerns driven by messaging that does not match the bill’s text. While the measure is being framed as narrow and procedural, it advances regulatory language that could shape how future health policy is administered, particularly through insurers and oversight bodies.
Despite the lack of direct spending or mandates, the bill may still be routed through additional committees before reaching the floor, reflecting legislative caution around politically sensitive health issues even when immediate impacts are limited.
Homelessness: Expansion First, Details Later
Human Services also previewed the coming weeks’ work on homelessness policy, which is now poised to dominate committee time. Lawmakers confirmed they will soon hear from every department within the Agency of Human Services, signaling a broad, coordinated response rather than a single-program fix.
What emerged clearly is that the state is moving toward expanded shelter models, including facilities designed around substance use and behavioral health needs. Legislators acknowledged growing constituent anger over housing shortages, particularly cases in which longtime residents remain unhoused while newly arrived or transient individuals receive placements.
Committee leadership noted that residency-based restrictions face constitutional limits, meaning Vermont cannot easily prioritize services based on length of time in the state. Intake verification requirements technically exist, but enforcement and consistency remain ongoing concerns.
While the committee stressed that past debates will not be re-litigated, the scope of what is now under discussion suggests long-term commitments rather than temporary measures. Cost controls, exit criteria, and system capacity remain unresolved questions that will shape the debate as legislation advances.
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Energy and Infrastructure: Local Control Still Losing Ground
In Energy and Digital Infrastructure, testimony continued on legislation related to expedited siting of telecommunications infrastructure. Public comment highlighted deep frustration with the existing approval process, particularly among rural residents and small towns.
Criticism focused on procedural imbalance: limited avenues for citizen participation, minimal post-approval enforcement, and the concentration of authority at the state level. Municipalities were described as under-resourced and effectively sidelined, even when infrastructure projects have lasting impacts on land use, aesthetics, and property rights.
The committee reiterated that it does not have authority to intervene in individual siting cases, underscoring a recurring tension in Vermont governance — local consequences flowing from centralized decision-making, with little recourse once approvals are granted.
Agriculture: Small Votes, Real Implications
Later in the afternoon, the House Agriculture Committee advanced budget-related recommendations and continued work on statutory language responding to a recent court decision affecting municipal regulation of farming.
The proposed approach would expand exemptions from local bylaws for agricultural activities that meet state-defined thresholds. While framed as a restoration of prior practice, the changes reinforce state preemption over local land-use authority and rely on bright-line numerical cutoffs that can produce uneven outcomes.
While unlikely to generate widespread public attention, these decisions shape who ultimately controls development and enforcement in rural communities — the state, or towns themselves.
The Takeaway
Nothing that happened Tuesday afternoon was shocking. That may be the point.
Property tax increases remain baked into the system. Homelessness policy is expanding faster than its guardrails. Health legislation is moving cautiously but steadily. Local control continues to erode incrementally, not dramatically. And many of the most consequential decisions are happening in committee rooms, not on the House floor.
For Vermonters watching from outside the Statehouse, the risk isn’t that something came out of nowhere — it’s that very little did.
Dave Soulia | FYIVT
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