Some of the highlights of the 2016 legislative session so far:
- Earned sick days passed the House and Senate and will have a multi-year phase-in.
- Education, specifically Act 46, was modified to give schools more time to consolidate governance and reduce costs.
- Higher Education is getting some attention with a combined bill put together by the Futures caucus, of which I am a co-chair.
- Housing first time home buyer grants have been a success.
- Marijuana legalization continues to be a big topic in the Statehouse. The House will soon hold hearings on the Senate bill.
- Transportation now has a federal bill to work from and is putting together a large bill that may include updates to bicycle laws.
- Criminal reform has a few bills aimed at reducing the human and financial costs of incarceration while keeping our community safe.
- Health insurance is available for more Vermonters than every before. Health Connect technology still has glitches. One proposed solution is to copy Hawaii’s model.
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