Governor encouraged by efforts on Vt. relief bill

The Woodstock Village Green in early February. (Gareth Henderson Photo)

Vermont lawmakers are currently working on a $62 million COVID-19 relief bill, and on Tuesday, Gov. Phil Scott told reporters he was encouraged by the proposal’s progress. The House plans to complete its work on the package and send it to the Senate later this week, according to news reports. 

Highlights from the bill include $10 million in grants for businesses that didn’t qualify for federal COVID relief; $1.3 million for the Reach Up program to provide one-time payments for families in need; $1.4 million for the Vermont Foodbank; and $5 million for the state’s mental health system. The legislation also fast-tracks $10 million in funding for the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board and another $10 million for trail networks and outdoor recreation infrastructure — both elements of the governor's budget proposal. 

At Tuesday’s press briefing, Scott praised lawmakers for their work on the new bill. He noted the package had money for state park infrastructure projects, and he was pleased with the overall proposal.

“I don’t see any showstoppers at this point,” Scott said. “I think it’s great news for Vermont, because these are projects that can hit the ground running, that can put a shovel in the ground almost immediately.”

The $62 million package was approved Monday by the House Appropriations Committee, according to media reports. Funding for the bill comes from one-time state money and about $13 million left over from the federal COVID relief dollars Vermont received in 2020.

States are eager for help from the next federal relief package making its way through Congress. The U.S. House is expected to vote on the Biden administration’s $1.9 trillion relief bill later this week.

— Gareth Henderson