2024 Legislative Session
Welcome to my annual summary of the legislative session. The 2024 Legislative Session came to a close in early May after a difficult few months trying to tackle several substantial statewide challenges, including school funding, housing, public safety, and flood recovery, and doing so with less money as the federal COVID relief funding dries up. While there is always more work to do, we did accomplish quite a bit, despite the often gloomy mood at the State House.
I have tried to summarize some of the most important bills and highlights of the session. I have certainly not covered all of the 116 bills we passed this session, nor have I detailed all of the provisions of many complex bills, such as the Big Bill – the FY25 State Budget, now Act 113. You can find links to all of the bills passed by both the House and the Senate on the legislative website, along with testimony, analysis, amendments, and voting information for each bill. Here are some highlights:
- Consumer Protection & Corporate Accountability
- Education Funding & Taxation
- Flood Recovery & Climate Resilience
- Government Accountability
- Health Care Access & Affordability
- Housing, Land Use, and Energy
- Libraries and Literacy
- Public Safety
Header photo: This is a copy of the official 2023-24 Vermont Senate photo, taken by photographer Andy Duback in May 2023.
Consumer Protection & Corporate Accountability
Whether it’s Big Tech, Big Oil, Big Pharma, or Big Ag, Vermonters should be protected from the harm caused or the costs incurred by large, multi-national corporations. We passed a slate of bills to hold big companies accountable.
Education Funding & Taxation
This year there has been a robust discussion about school district budgets, the cost of K-12 education, and the associated tax rates for funding Vermont’s schools. The Legislature and school boards worked hard to reduce the projected average statewide property tax rate increase.
Flood Recovery & Climate Resilience
After the devastation of last year’s floods, the legislature sought to implement measures to better prepare for the next flood or natural disaster from a government operations, environmental planning, and financial perspective.
Government Accountability
As chair of the Senate Government Operations Committee, I prioritize government accountability, transparency, and accessibility—this session we passed several key bills aimed at improving how government functions for everyone.
Health Care Access & Affordability
The cost of health care in Vermont is sky-rocketing and impacting the budgets of state and local governments, school districts, businesses, and families. This session we passed several bills aimed at improving access and reducing the cost of health care.
Housing, Land Use and Energy
We all know that Vermont has an affordable housing crisis, and that the impacts of habitat & forest loss and climate change are severe. Thus this session we worked to balance housing development and land preservation.
Libraries and Literacy
This session we passed two important bills that protect public libraries and improve the way our schools teach reading, enhancing intellectual freedom and literacy in Vermont.
Public Safety
Legislation addressing public safety, broadly defined, was a priority this session, with a number of significant bills addressing a spectrum of public safety, law enforcement, and harm reduction issues.
Ruth for Vermont 