Representative Dobrovich’s Weekly Newsletter

Week of February 4, 2025 - February 7, 2025

Dear Constituents,

As we conclude another week at the State House, I'm pleased to share updates on our legislative activities, focusing on the House Education Committee, House Appropriations Committee, and House Government Operations and Military Affairs Committee.


Weekly Recap

House Education Committee

  1. Education Transformation Funding Details: Follow-up discussions with Zoie Saunders, Secretary, Agency of Education, Jill Briggs Campbell, Interim Deputy Secretary, Agency of Education, and consultants from APA Consulting, Justin Silverstein and Amanda Brown. This session delved into the financial aspects of education transformation, discussing funding models, sources, and the impact on local and state budgets. The focus was on ensuring sustainable funding for educational reforms without increasing the tax burden on Vermonters.
  2. H. 129 - An act relating to the State Aid for School Construction Program: Committee discussion of language with Jon Gray, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel, and Chris Rupe, Associate Fiscal Officer, Joint Fiscal Office. The committee examined the proposed changes to the state aid program for school construction, focusing on how to prioritize and fund projects to ensure equitable facility improvements across Vermont schools. Key points included criteria for funding allocation and the potential long-term financial implications for the state.
  3. Education Finance Testimony: A joint hearing with House Ways and Means was held to discuss considerations and principles of education finance. The hearing featured testimony from the Vermont School Boards Association, Winooski School District, Vermont National Education Association, Vermont Principals' Association, Vermont Superintendents Association, and the Vermont Association of School Business Officials. The discussion revolved around funding equity, the impact of property taxes on education funding, and innovative financing models to support educational excellence across diverse Vermont communities.
  4. Education Transformation Proposal: Governance: Testimony on governance policy and Agency of Education role was provided by Zoie Saunders, Secretary, Agency of Education, and Jill Briggs Campbell, Interim Deputy Secretary, Agency of Education. They discussed the governance structures needed to support the transformation of Vermont's education system, focusing on roles, responsibilities, and how to enhance the decision-making process to better serve students and educators.

This week's hearings and discussions have been instrumental in shaping our approach to educational funding, construction, finance principles, and governance, ensuring we move forward with informed and equitable policies for Vermont's educational landscape.

House Appropriations Committee

The House Committee on Appropriations dedicated the week to reviewing the Fiscal Year 2026 budget proposals from various state departments. On February 3, 2025, the committee discussed H.141, an act relating to fiscal year 2025 budget adjustments, with insights from the Joint Fiscal Office. Subsequent sessions featured presentations from the Agency of Human Services, the Department for Children and Families, the Department of Mental Health, and the Vermont Department of Health, among others. Each department outlined their budgetary needs and strategic priorities for the upcoming fiscal year.

House Government Operations and Military Affairs Committee

This week, the House Committee on Government Operations and Military Affairs addressed several legislative matters. On February 4, 2025, the committee held discussions regarding the Bennington-1 election, featuring input from Secretary of State Sarah Copeland Hanzas and Pownal Town Clerk Julie Weber. The committee also reviewed H.17, an act relating to the adoption of the charter of the Town of Morristown, and H.10, concerning amendments to the charter of the City of Barre. Additionally, the committee introduced H.67, focusing on legislative operations and government accountability, and H.72, pertaining to municipal ordinances governing nuisance properties containing salvage and scrap.


Week in Review

On Thursday February, 6th, there was a floor vote on H.141 the Budget Adjustment Act (BAA), on which I voted No. Some of the reasons I voted this way are:

  1. Policy Alteration: Policy changes, like the 80-day extension for hotel housing, should not be bundled into budget adjustments (just because it's been done before doesn't mean it should continue). They should stand alone with their own legislative scrutiny. Additionally, extending hotel stays for some while cutting off others from shelter goes against supporting those in dire need.
  2. Financial Responsibility: I'm concerned that we're not using our unused funds to pay down our debt. Instead of fiscal responsibility, there seems to be a rush to spend these funds, which I disagree with.
  3. Lack of Compromise: I expected more bipartisan cooperation this year. Republicans offered compromises on parts of the BAA, but these were rejected by the Democrats, showing a lack of willingness to work together for the state's benefit.

On Friday February 7th, there was a floor vote for the House District Bennington-1 Contested Election Special Report. Here's a summary of my vote, and thoughts around it:

I voted 'No' because I believe there must be a fair process in place to ensure Vermont's voters feel all votes have been counted accurately. My decision isn't about preferring one candidate over the other; I respect both candidates equally, and it's not about political party affiliation either. I'd vote the same way regardless of who was involved. Today, my vote is about advocating for a process that maintains the integrity of our democracy and confirms that every voter's vote truly counts. I'm worried that our response and decision today will set a precedent for how similar situations are handled in the future.


Eyes Up: Looking Ahead

Next week, the House Education Committee has a comprehensive agenda:

·State-Level Education Oversight Models: Joint hearing with Senate Education featuring Zeke Perez, Assistant Policy Director at the Education Commission of the States, to explore various models of state-level education oversight.

·Achieving Scale in Public Education: Committee discussion led by Legislative Counsel Beth St. James on strategies to achieve scale in public education, focusing on efficiency and effectiveness.

·H.129 – State Aid for School Construction Program: Committee discussion with Legislative Counsel Jon Gray on H.129, an act relating to the State Aid for School Construction Program, to understand its implications and objectives.

·Pre-Kindergarten Funding Overview: A walk-through of the current Pre-K funding program by Legislative Counsels Beth St. James and Katie McLinn, providing foundational knowledge on existing structures.

·Act 168 Implementation Updates: Updates from the Agency of Education's Interim Deputy Secretary Jill Briggs Campbell and Interim Director of Communications and Legislative Affairs Lindsey Hedges on the implementation of Act 168 of 2024 concerning Boards of Cooperative Education Services.

·Education Transformation Proposal: Governance: Follow-up committee discussion on governance proposals with Secretary of Education Zoie Saunders and Interim Deputy Secretary Jill Briggs Campbell.

·Prekindergarten Education Implementation Report: Joint hearing with the House Committee on Human Services to discuss the Prekindergarten Education Implementation Committee's report, featuring Deputy Commissioner Janet McLaughlin and invited guest Secretary Zoie Saunders.

·Instructional Scale and Governance: Testimony from Vermont School Boards Association Executive Director Sue Ceglowski in response to the Vermont Superintendents' Association's presentation on instructional scale.

·Education Transformation Proposal: District Budgeting: Joint hearing with House Ways and Means, Senate Education, and Senate Finance to discuss district budgeting as part of the Education Transformation Proposal.

These sessions aim to deepen our understanding and guide our legislative actions to enhance Vermont's educational landscape.


Stay Engaged

For more detailed information about all things happening in the legislature, please refer to the official Vermont General Assembly website. Here are some helpful links:

Home | Vermont General Assembly | Vermont Legislature

House Calendar

House Committee List

Senate Calendar

Senate Committee List

Your input is invaluable. Please feel free to reach out with your questions, concerns, or suggestions. Together, we can work towards a better future for our community and state.

Warm regards,

Joshua Dobrovich

jdobrovich@leg.state.vt.us

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