Vermont’s leading small business association—the National Federation of Independent Business/Vermont—today announced the release of the 2011-2012 NFIB Vermont Voting Record.  The voting record tabulates eight House and six Senate roll-call votes.  

NFIB tracks the key legislative issues identified by its members every session and tabulates a score for every lawmaker.  The Voting Record serves as a tool for small business owners and citizens about the decisions their elected officials make on issues critical to our economy.  There is no more effective way to gauge the performance of politicians than examining their voting record.  While most elected officials claim to support small businesses, the NFIB voting record gives citizens a picture of what their elected officials are up to in Montpelier. 

“With two out of every three new jobs created by small business; this has been another difficult legislative biennium for small businesses in Vermont,” said Shawn Shouldice, who serves as NFIB/VT’s state director.  “But these issues are not just critical to small business owners they are important to all Vermont citizens.” 

“In the Senate 9 of 30 and in the House 43 of 150 achieved a score of 60% or higher.  Small business makes up 96.8% of the economy; NFIB/VT works hard to inform lawmakers about the importance of small business to the Vermont economy.  They are the backbone to our economic growth and competitive position.  Based on these scores we have our work cut out for us,” said Shouldice. 

Small businesses in Vermont expressed deep concerns over the health care reform measures particularly the formation of Health Care Insurance Exchange, mandatory work breaks, higher taxes on energy, unionization of childcare workers, and other initiatives that would put negative pressure on the state’s weak economy.  

The issues are described below the voting records.

ISSUE

 

1 

Mandatory Employment 

Breaks  (H.41): Requires 

employers to ensure each employee 

has paid or unpaid breaks from work 

totaling at least 30 minutes during 

six consecutive hours of work. This 

legislation opens the door to additional 

mandates and imposes unnecessary 

consequences on employers. a “no” 

vote supports the nFiB position.

Passed the House 72–61–16. 

2 

Single-Payer Healthcare 

Amendment (H.202): Proposed 

by Reps. Heidi scheuermann (stowe) 

and Oliver Olsen (Jamaica), this 

amendment ensures neither employers or employees would be required 

to contribute to financing the Vermont 

health benefit exchange or Green 

Mountain Care if the employer or 

employee chooses not to participate in 

the program. a “yeS” vote supports 

the nFiB position. Failed the House 

49–88–12.

3 

Energy Act of 2011 (H.56): The 

2011 omnibus energy bill passed 

the senate with a 55-cent-per-month 

charge on all Vermonters’ electric bills 

to fund the development of renewable 

energy projects. This was replaced 

with a proposal from the governor’s 

administration that offered developers 

grants on renewable energy projects. 

The lump-sum grants, which are worth 

up to 50 percent of the total cost of the 

renewable energy projects, are meant 

to entice developers to take the cash 

rather than a tax break over a five-year 

period. However, this proposal only 

shifts the cost of financing the Clean 

energy Development Fund from one 

party onto other parties, rather than 

finding a permanent solution to sustain 

the fund. a “no” vote supports the 

nFiB position. Passed the House 

132–4–13.

4 

Mandating Childcare Unionization  (H.97): Allows all early- 

childhood educators to form a union 

and creates a new model of collaboration with the state. The legislation 

opens the door to a slippery slope 

of increased costs for taxpayers and 

further budget problems for the state 

of Vermont. a “no” vote supports 

the nFiB position. Passed the House 

90–55–4.

5 

Miscellaneous Tax Bill  

(H.436): Raises more than 

$85 million in state revenue, including $24 million in taxes on managed 

care organizations; increased taxes 

on upper-income tax brackets to 

raise $30 million to $40 million; a 

27-cent hike on cigarettes; and a 

1-cent increase in the state property 

tax rate to cover a $23 million deficit 

in education spending. a “no” vote 

supports the nFiB position. Passed 

the House 94–48–7 and the senate 

17–10–3, and was signed by the 

governor.

6 

2012 State Budget  

(H.558): Merges revenue 

from the Catamount Fund into 

the state Health Care Resources 

Fund (sHCRF), which comes 

from the employer Assessment 

originally imposed on businesses 

for the Catamount Health Fund. 

The Legislature failed to gain input 

from the business community 

before passing this legislation. a

“no” vote supports the nFiB 

position. Passed the House 

101–37–10. Passed in the senate 

27–3–0. signed by the governor.

7 

Healthcare Reform 

Implementation (H.559): 

An amendment by Reps. Clark 

(Vergennes) and Higley (Lowell), 

allows for the purchase of health 

insurance plans outside of the 

exchange. a “yeS” vote supports the nFiB position. Failed 

the House 57–80–12.

8 

Renewable Energy Portfolio (S.214): introduces 

some of the most costly provisions of the session by adding an 

additional 77.5 megawatts of total 

capacity on top of the 50 megawatts approved in the “standard 

offer” projects from the previous

biennium. Also allows for existing 

small hydro projects to qualify for 

a standard offer price, but will not 

count toward an overall cap. The 

new standard Offer Program will 

include limited market considerations, resulting in set prices far 

above market value. a “no” vote 

supports the nFiB position.

Passed the House 103–34–12 

and the senate 21–4–5, and was 

signed by the governor.

9 

Single Payer Healthcare 

(H.202): An amendment 

by sens. illuzzi (essex) and Miller 

(Chittenden), allows for the purchase of health insurance plans 

outside of the exchange. a “yeS” 

vote supports the nFiB position. Failed the senate 11–19–0.

10 

Healthcare Reform 

Implementation 

(H.559): An amendment by sens. 

illuzzi (essex) and Miller (Chittenden), allows for the one-year extension of purchasing health insurance 

plans outside of the exchange, until 

Jan. 1, 2015. a “yeS” vote supports the nFiB position. Failed the 

senate 12–15–3.

11 

Childcare Unionization (H.781): Proposed 

by sen. Kittell (Franklin), this 

ammendment calls for the creation of a working group to study 

and report on how to: increase 

state subsidies for child care 

services; increase participation 

of providers in the development 

of state child care regulations; as 

well as an analysis of the number 

of child care providers receiving 

state subsidies. Also allows for 

the creation of a union on July 1, 

2013, without legislative intervention. a “no” vote supports 

the nFiB position. Passed the 

senate 16–13–1. signed by the 

governor.

12 

Employment Based on 

Credit (S.95): Mandates 

that employers doing business 

within the state be required to pay 

their employees on a weekly basis, 

unless the employer communicates through written notice that 

employees will receive payment 

biweekly or semimonthly. a “no” 

vote supports the nFiB position. Passed the senate 20–6–4. 

Passed the House 94–19–36. 

signed by the governor.

 

The NFIB Voting Record is available to the public online at http://www.nfib.com/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=q-DBJA39T-g%3d&tabid=1083.

Source: NFIB.  Montpelier, August 2, 2012— NFIB is the nation’s leading small business association, with offices in Washington, D.C. and all 50 state capitals. Founded in 1943 as a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, NFIB gives small and independent business owners a voice in shaping the public policy issues that affect their business. NFIB’s powerful network of grassroots activists sends their views directly to state and federal lawmakers through our unique member-only ballot, thus playing a critical role in supporting America’s free enterprise system.  NFIB’s mission is to promote and protect the right of our members to own, operate and grow their businesses. More information about NFIB is available online at www.NFIB.com/newsroom.