Vermont’s next legislative biennium begins this Wednesday, sixth months after a tumultuous end to the previous session, fueled by policy disagreements between Republican Gov. Scott’s administration and the then-Democratic supermajority.
When lawmakers return to the Statehouse, party demographics and leadership will look massively different in both the house and senate. A red wave not seen in decades swept the legislature, culling Democrats’ numbers to just a small majority. Both the Republican and Democratic caucuses have new blood leading them — most notably Sens. Kesha Ram Hinsdale (D-Burlington-Southeast) and Scott Beck (R-Caledonia) ousted their predecessors to become senate majority and minority leaders respectively.
Gov. Phil Scott will give his fifth inaugural address on Thursday, Jan. 9.
Several key positions are still undecided as well, including house speaker, president pro tempore and the third member on the Committee on Committees. Who will claim the speakership this biennium is particularly uncertain, with Rep. Laura Sibilia (I-Dover) posing a legitimate threat to incumbent speaker Jill Krowinski (D-Burlington).
Despite residual animosity between both Democrats and Republicans, both sides have agreed to prioritize education property tax reform, a issue widely accepted to be the reason Democrats lost so many seats in November.
Want to follow along with what’s happening in Montpelier? Below are several important upcoming dates for state government — from Scott’s inauguration to Town Meeting Day — to add to your calendar.
Key Vermont government dates to add to your calendar
-
Jan. 8 – First day of the new legislative session and biennium. The legislature will also elect the speaker of the house, president pro tempore of the senate and the senate secretary.
-
Jan. 9 – Scott’s inauguration day. Scott will be sworn in for the fifth time and deliver his inaugural address. The winners of all statewide general election races except for lieutenant governor — including secretary of state, attorney general, treasurer and auditor of accounts — will also be sworn in. Earlier in the day, the legislature will also vote to choose the next lieutenant governor as per the Vermont Constitution, which requires lawmakers to make this decision if no candidate for the seat receives a majority of the votes in the general election.
-
Jan. 28 – The tentative date for the Scott’s budget address to both legislative chambers.
-
March 4 – Vermont’s official Town Meeting Day. Some cities and towns, however, may choose a different day to hold local elections.
Megan Stewart is a government accountability reporter for the Burlington Free Press. Contact her at mstewartyounger@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Burlington Free Press: Key dates to know for Vermont’s state and local government