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Leonine Public Affairs The tension between Republican Governor Phil Scott and Democrats in the legislature continued this week with Scott’s veto of S.23, a bill that would raise the minimum wage to $12.55 by January 1, 2022. In vetoing the bill the governor criticized it for what he believes will be a negative impact on job growth and employers, particularly in rural areas. The Senate was swift to respond, and on Thursday voted to override the veto by a vote of 24-6.

S.23 now goes to the House where the prospect of an override is more uncertain. Last week the House was unsuccessful in overriding the governor’s veto of H.107, the paid family leave bill. The House vote on minimum wage was 93-54, a strong majority, but seven votes short of the 100 needed to override in the 150-member House. Members of the House leadership team are having conversations with the members of the Democratic Caucus to determine a path to achieve an override. While there are rumors a vote could be held next week in the House, there is no time frame within which a vote must be taken, so House leadership could wait and give themselves time to assemble the votes they need to override.

On a divided 6-3-2 vote the House Natural Resources and Fish and Wildlife Committee approved a sweeping “committee bill” making significant changes to Vermont’s 50 year old landmark land use law, Act 250. Unlike the current system where all applications are first reviewed by one of nine regional District Environmental Commissions the bill provides that major projects will be heard by a revamped Natural Resources Board consisting of three full time members together with two District Commissioners from the relevant regional district. Appeals from the Board will go straight to the Supreme Court. Minor projects will still be handled on an administrative basis by the District Environmental Commissions. In addition, the bill revises the Act 250 criteria to, among other things, address climate adaptation, environmental justice and ecosystem protection by protecting forest blocks and connecting habitat. The bill will now go to the House Judiciary Committee for review.

On Monday the Vermont Department of Agriculture finalized a contract with Vermont technology company Trace to utilize their first-in-the-nation blockchain-based platform for the state’s hemp registry. The state will use Trace’s platform to track and manage the state’s hemp registration, licensing and enforcement systems beginning this year. Vermont has seen rapid growth in the hemp marketplace since the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill legalized hemp in all 50 states. Trace provides a platform for businesses and consumers to verify information about the provenance and current state of hemp products throughout the entire process, from soil to shelf.

Over the past decade, the rise of the so-called “gig economy,” which includes services such as Uber and Lyft, has transformed the American economy and everyday life, making it significantly easier to book a hotel, find a cab ride or get any type of food delivered directly to your door. However, the business practices of many of these companies has come under fire over the past several years, specifically relating to their classification, or misclassification, of employees.

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