Vermont legislators rated on their support of key business issues

The Vermont Chamber of Commerce released the 2011-2012 Vermont Chamber Legislative Report Card.  The Legislative Report Card assesses legislators’ support of economic development and business issues important to Vermont Chamber members.  “While we have seen some positive economic indicators in Vermont, our businesses continue to struggle in this economy and they remain interested in legislative changes that will impact their businesses.  The Report Card informs our members and the public on legislators’ support of key business issues like health care, taxes and energy,” explained Betsy Bishop, Vermont Chamber President. “It is our hope that the Report Card generates discussions among legislators and businesses regarding these important economic issues,” added Bishop.  

The biennial assessment looks at roll call votes on amendments and bills that impact Vermont businesses.  This year’s collection of roll call votes includes votes taken on health care, the comprehensive energy bill, taxation and the telecommunications legislation.

In the House, 69 of the 153 Representatives achieved a score above 50% from the Vermont Chamber.  On the Senate side, 11 of 30 Senators scored better than 50%. “Overall, the Vermont Chamber is pleased with the biennial outcome. In both the House and Senate we saw a number of votes cast without regard to partisan positions,” commented Jessica Gingras, Vermont Chamber Lobbyist and Legislative Assistant. “The 2012 session can be characterized as more productive for businesses than the 2011 session resulting in more favorable ratings overall, especially in the House where they were able to pass several bills unanimously,” Gingras added.

The Vermont Chamber Legislative Report Card is issued after the end of each biennium and also includes a list of Vermont Chamber Champions, legislators who worked behind the scenes to support issues important to the Vermont Chamber.  

 SENATE VOTES EXPLAINED: 2011

1) 2011 Telecommunications Bill - S.78: The telecommunications bill allows for an expedited permit

process, specifically for Act 250, in an effort to expand broadband services in Vermont. The Vermont

Chamber supports the goal of expanding broadband to every last mile, with a laser focus on providing

services to those individuals and businesses that are unserved. A “yes” vote supported the Vermont

Chamber position.

Results: Passed, 29-1

2) Relating to Health Care Reform - H.202: This roll call vote was taken on an amendment that would have

allowed an insurance market to exist outside of the new Health Insurance Exchange after 2014. The

Vermont Chamber supported this amendment with the recognition that an outside market would have

allowed for greater choice for businesses. A “yes” vote supported the Vermont Chamber position.

Results: Failed, 11-19

3) Relating to Health Care Reform - H.202: This roll call vote was taken on an amendment that would have

determined the size of businesses mandated to purchase insurance within the Health Insurance Exchange by

defining the “small group market” from businesses with one hundred or fewer employees, to businesses

with fifty or fewer. The Vermont Chamber advocated for the passage of this amendment to implement a new

system with the least amount of disruption, allowing a smoother transition. A “yes” vote supported the

Vermont Chamber position. *

Results: Failed, 10-20

*In March of 2012, the Vermont Chamber was successful in working with the Administration and the

Legislature to redefine“small group market” to businesses with fifty or fewer employees in the 2012 health

care reform bill, H.559.

SENATE VOTES EXPLAINED: 2012

4) Relating to Health Care Reform - H.559: Similar to the amendment offered in 2011, this roll call was taken on

an amendment that would have delayed the mandatory participation date in the Health Insurance Exchange by one

year. Small businesses would have been allowed to voluntarily purchase within the new system in 2014, with the

State mandate beginning in 2015. The Vermont Chamber’s lobbying team advocated for the passage of this

amendment in an effort to ensure that as many options as possible were available for small businesses after the

implementation of the Exchange. A “yes” vote supported the Vermont Chamber position

Results: Failed, 12-15

5) Miscellaneous Tax Changes - H.782: This roll call vote was taken on an amendment that included language to

ban the taxation of cloud computing services, and provide a refund to those individuals and companies who

remitted the tax prior to 2010 (but after 2006). A bulletin issued by the Vermont Tax Department in 2010 redefined

prewritten software as tangible personal property subject to the State’s 6% sales tax. The Vermont Chamber agreed

with the Governor’s position, and advocated for the passage of this amendment with recognition that many

companies were unaware their services, under this clarifying bulletin, were subject the sales tax, and shouldn’t be

in the future. A “yes” vote supported the Vermont Chamber position.

Results: Passed, 15-14

6) Comprehensive Energy Bill - S.214: This roll call vote was taken on the Senate version of the comprehensive

energy bill. The bill was improved over the House version by reducing the size of the standard offer and removing

the mandatory RPS provision. However, the bill increases the amount of renewable power from costly small scale

projects by an additional 77 megawatts, bringing the total requirement to 127 megawatts. The Vermont Chamber

opposed the final version of the Senate bill because it believes that utilities should be allowed to negotiate for best

prices for electricity rather than requiring higher priced power through a mandated standard offer program. We

were pleased that all of our cost containment recommendations were incorporated into the bill. A “no” vote

supported the Vermont Chamber position.

Results: Passed, 21-4

HOUSE VOTES EXPLAINED: 2011

1) 2011 Telecommunications Bill - S.78: The telecommunications bill streamlines and provides an expedited

permit process, specifically for Act 250, in an effort to expand broadband services in Vermont. Using a

mixture of federal stimulus and state monies, the bill focuses on regulating the process by which the State

plans to achieve universal broadband coverage. The Vermont Chamber advocated in support of the bill, and

supports the goal of expanding broadband to every last mile, with a laser focus on providing services to

those individuals and businesses that are unserved. A “yes” vote supported the Vermont Chamber

position.

Results: Passed, 124-1

2) Mandatory Work Breaks - H.41: This roll call vote was taken on a bill that would have mandated work

breaks for all Vermont employees. The Vermont Chamber opposed this bill’s prescriptive language that

would have contradicted existing Federal and State labor law, as well as attempts to implement a one-size

fits all solution to an issue that received no formal complaints at the Department of Labor. Although the bill

exempted employers who, for safety reasons, needed more flexibility, the Vermont Chamber advocated

against the bill, questioning the need for such a mandate. A “no” vote supported the Vermont Chamber

position.

Results: Passed, 72-61

3) Jobs Bill - H.287: This vote was taken on the 2011 jobs bill that included a comprehensive package to

stimulate job growth in Vermont that expanded across all sectors. The bill enhanced existing workforce

development programs, while allocating monies to new programs that would help the agriculture industry,

stimulate the growth of manufacturing jobs, create a statewide internship program, and provide support for

the strengthening of downtown regions. A “yes” vote supported the Vermont Chamber position.

Results: Passed, 122-13

4) Health Care Reform - H.202: This roll call was taken on an amendment that would have exempted selfinsured

companies, and their employees, from contributing into the finance mechanism created to fund the

anticipated single payer system. A “no” vote supported the Vermont Chamber position.

Results: Failed, 49-88

HOUSE VOTES EXPLAINED: 2012

5) Health Care Reform - H.559: This amendment would have allowed the Health Care Insurance Exchange

to be voluntary for small businesses in Vermont rather than mandating participation in 2014. The Vermont

Chamber advocated for the passage of this amendment to provide as much choice as possible for small

businesses. A “yes” vote supported the Vermont Chamber position on this amendment.

Results: Failed, 57-80

6) Labor Bill - H.762: This roll call was taken on the 2012 House labor bill that included Vermont Chamber

sponsored provisions that would have created a volunteer certification process for sole contractors in the

State, a Vermont Chamber priority. The House omnibus labor bill demonstrated a clear collaboration

between the Department of Labor, the House Commerce and Economic Development Committee, and the

Vermont Chamber. Unfortunately the Senate did not pass this provision. A “yes” vote supported the

Vermont Chamber position.

Results: Passed, 131-0

7) Comprehensive Energy Bill - H.468: The House version of the energy bill would have required each of

Vermont’s retail electricity providers to either purchase or produce new renewable energy supplies so that

renewables represented thirty-five percent of each utility's energy portfolio by 2032. The bill also

authorized 150 MW of cumulative standard offer which provides a Public Service Board determined price

for small scale renewables. The Vermont Chamber advocated for stringent cost containment language, a

more reasonable, balanced RPS goal, and a lower standard offer agreement. We were successful in

obtaining a “market-based procurement mechanism” which will set a lower price for the standard offer

segment through a bidding process. A “no” vote supported the Vermont Chamber position.

Results: Passed, 91-46

Source: Vermont Chamber of Commerce, 7.20.2012. The Vermont Chambers Legislative Report Card can be found on the Vermont Chamber website at http://www.vtchamber.com/issues-policy/publications_and_resources.aspx

The Vermont Chamber of Commerce, the largest statewide, private, not-for-profit business organization represents nearly every sector of the state's corporate/hospitality community. Our mission is to create an economic climate conducive to business growth and the preservation of the Vermont quality of life.