Vt. Gov. Phil Scott Delivers 2020 State of the State Address
Governor
The Governor cited Vermont's growing demographic crisis as the largest threat to sustainable growth. With addressing demographic trends being the Governor's primary focus, he highlighted several proposals to grow the state's labor force, including relocation incentives, education and training investments, streamlined licensing procedures and targeted tax relief.
"This is what a demographic crisis looks like. In too many places, and in the lives of too many Vermonters, I see and feel the emotional and financial toll of policies built for the areas in the state that can afford them when the rest of the state cannot," said
In continuing to make Vermont more affordable and grow the economy in all regions of the state, the Governor proposed investment in affordable housing for working families, Act 250 modernization to spur downtown development while combatting climate change and increased access and incentives for electric vehicles and clean energy storage.
The Governor outlined the opportunity this legislative session to work together to help people, exclaiming, "If we're willing to focus on doing the work, on caring more about the details than we do the talking points; if we can build consensus and trust and avoid national political agendas deliberately designed to divide us; if we focus on the fundamentals: a better, more modern government, a stronger fiscal foundation and policy that's truly equitable, then our businesses and economy will grow, putting more kids in our schools and broadening our tax base, making our communities stronger and more resilient than ever before."
Finally, the Governor recognized Vermonters over the course of his speech, many of whom were in attendance. Their biographies are attached.
A transcript of
Mr. President,
Today, I welcome the opening of the legislative session with the same optimism I had as a freshman senator from
I come before you to report on the state of the state, to reflect on the work we've done and to share a vision and priorities for our future.
As elected officials, it's our duty to distinguish what must be done from what we might like to do, and to work together, pulling in the same direction, to make a difference for those we serve.
We meet at a time in our nation's history when too many elected officials, on both sides, are choosing confrontation and partisan politics over collaboration and progress. Polarization--the "us versus them"--is our nation's greatest threat. It's weakening our country and the very foundation on which it was built.
That's why, in state houses and town halls across America, it's up to us to show that people from different backgrounds, with different points of view, can unite around our core values and our common humanity. It's up to us to prove that listening to, and learning from, each other is far more constructive. And it's up to us to seek consensus where it can be found and compromise where it cannot.
Now, we all know there will be times when we have to agree to disagree--and that's ok. But when it happens, let's assume the best of each other and turn our energy to the areas where a path forward remains.
This, my fellow Vermonters, is how we rise above partisanship, how we reject polarization, how we work toward something bigger than ourselves and how we--all of us in this room--can best lead our nation forward.
I have enormous faith in our ability to achieve meaningful results and my administration is ready to work with each of you in order to do so. Unfortunately, time is not on our side. Because while good things are happening and progress is being made, too many of our counties, communities and families remain at a critical crossroad.
The fact is, where we are as a state, and where we go from here, is in the hands of every Vermonter.
It's in the weathered hands of the dairy farmer and construction worker, and the reassuring hands of the first responder and emergency room nurse. It's in the determined hands of our entrepreneurs, and the persistent hands of our teachers, coaches and mentors. It's in the compassionate hands of family and friends, and the helping hands of our neighbors.
The state of the state, our values and identity, are guided by--but have never been defined by--what happens in this building. It's the people of Vermont, doing all they can to lift each other up, who will shape our future. They define who we are and all we can be.
World-class innovators like Dr.
And
Friends, Cecelia and
These people and thousands more--those we hear about and those we don't--remind us that we are all part of something bigger, and that it's in our pursuit of purpose and in service to others that we find the best of ourselves, our communities, our state and our nation.
So, even as we face major challenges, these Vermonters show that in the hands of our people, doing all they can every day, the state of the state is strong.
Inside this building, our job as public servants is to do all we can to ease their burden and build on their strength by setting clear priorities and turning good ideas into results.
And here's my biggest concern: Today in
And the impact is not the same in every community. We have to acknowledge the real and growing economic disparity from region to region.
Think about this: Of the five towns that have seen the most growth in recent years, four of them are in
And that's not the only area where we see disparity. From county to county, there's a huge gap between median home values, median household income, average wage and so much more.
Because of all of this, across the state, we're feeling the negative impacts in everything from our homes, schools and colleges to our hospitals and nursing homes.
If we don't break this cycle, our institutions, including state and local government, won't be able to afford what they currently do, or what they would like to do in the future, because costs will continue to rise much faster than our tax base can sustain.
My friends, this is what a demographic crisis looks like. In too many places, and in the lives of too many Vermonters, I see and feel the emotional and financial toll of policies built for a few areas in the state that can afford them when the rest of the state cannot. Businesses, families, entire communities doing their absolute best to balance budgets and meet their needs with fewer options, fewer people and higher costs than they had last year, and the year before that, and the year before that.
Sustainable, economic growth has become too hard and too rare in too many areas. It's hurting people. It's regressive. It's creating regional inequity. And it's by far the biggest and most immediate challenge to our state and the ability of government to help shape the future.
We must act now to give the people of
If we're willing to focus on doing the work--on caring more about the details than we do the talking points; if we can build consensus and trust and avoid national political agendas deliberately designed to divide us; if we focus on the fundamentals of a better, more modern government, a stronger fiscal foundation and policy that's truly equitable, then our businesses and economy will grow, putting more kids in our schools and broadening our tax base, making our communities stronger and more resilient than ever before.
That's why I had an open mind when
Now, we've received our share of criticism as well. Folks who said, "You know, I've been living here and dealing with high costs my entire life. Where's my check?" And I get it--they're absolutely right. We urgently need to make Vermont more affordable for everyone across the state.
But this program does help them because bringing more people here helps reduce the tax burden on the rest of us. Here are the facts:
For a one-time investment of
We know this isn't the only answer, but this program is a small step towards growing our way out of the demographic crisis facing our state and the affordability crisis facing our families.
And this isn't all we're doing. At the same time, we're strengthening training, internship and apprenticeship programs for Vermonters. We established a first-in-the-nation approach to make it easier for veterans to transition to civilian careers. And we're helping those in recovery or with other barriers to employment find and keep good jobs.
This year, in partnership with
It's also important to remember that over the last three years, we've taken steps to help Vermonters keep more of what they earn. This includes removing the tax on social security for low- and moderate-income Vermonters, lowering income tax rates across the board, significantly reducing the land gains tax, bringing the estate tax more in line with our neighbors and more.
But this is not enough. Overall tax and fee burden is still growing far too fast, especially property taxes, and you can expect additional targeted tax relief in my budget. Because, ultimately, we need to help people in all parts of the state move up the economic ladder, and the best way to do this is to level the economic playing field and make Vermont more affordable for all families and every business.
We've also expanded our view of education, because building the best education system in the nation is one of the greatest economic development tools we could ask for. Rather than just thinking K-12, we've broadened our focus from cradle to career.
Together, we've increased state funding for child care by about
But here too we must move more quickly. The disparity from school to school, and district to district, is a growing problem. It's unfair to taxpayers, and fundamentally unfair to our kids for their educational opportunities to be determined by where they live.
We need to be honest. Costs are rising, yet opportunities for too many kids are declining in too many parts of the state. And so is student performance in areas like reading and math. Reversing this trend has been the driving force behind each of my education proposals. And this year, my budget will once again increase investment in the cradle-to-career continuum.
We'll also support the work of the
In addition, I propose to you today that we begin creating a universal afterschool network that ensures every child has access to enrichment opportunities outside of current classroom time, and to align the students' day with the length of the workday. A few thoughts on this:
First, it's based on a successful model from
Second, a universal program expands choices for every kid--it doesn't limit them. And it would be voluntary. Those who currently go home to their families, or participate in drama, music, sports, debate, or older kids who choose to work could all continue to do so.
Third, it supports working parents by reducing the logistical and financial burden of afterschool care.
Finally, we're not recreating the wheel, but we are creating more equity. Many schools already have afterschool options through organizations like the
There are a lot of details to consider on an issue like this. And I fully recognize that as we put the many challenges of Act 46 behind us, one size will not fit all. That's why I've asked Education Committee Chairs
We also have a continued need for more housing working Vermonters can afford.
In 2017, you joined me in passing a
And it's not just the housing bond, because alongside additional initiatives, more than 2,000 residential building permits were issued in 2018--the most in over a decade.
But because of the economic imbalance from region to region, I still hear about the difficulty of finding an affordable place to live. That's why my budget will include a package to revitalize existing homes and build more of them, targeted to the places that need it most. This is an area where we've found common ground and I look forward to working with you on these proposals and your ideas as well.
I also appreciate the sense of urgency Speaker Johnson and others have placed on modernizing Act 250, which is necessary to build on this progress. The balanced approach we're working on would enable concentrated development where people want to live and work. And, when paired with my proposed investments in housing and economic development, will support more vibrant, walkable and livable downtowns and villages which, as the Speaker has said, supports economic growth and is a critical piece of our work to combat climate change.
For these reasons, I'm optimistic that important updates to Act 250, to better meet the needs of Vermonters, can be made this session.
We know about half of the emissions that contribute to climate change come from transportation. That's why we've also worked together to make it more affordable to purchase electric vehicles.
This is something I'm really excited about. As you may have heard, I'm a bit of a car guy. In fact, I'm probably the only governor who has a CDL and an inspection license. So, when I see
And I'm pleased to report we're making progress. In addition to the privately funded charging stations being installed across the state, we've invested over
And to help make EVs more affordable for low- and moderate-income Vermonters, we provided
As part of the all-fuels efficiency conversation before the
I hear from Vermonters across the state, like those traveling long distances for work out of necessity, not choice, and others, like our seniors living on fixed incomes, who struggle to fill their gas tanks and heat their homes. I simply cannot support proposals that will make things more expensive for them.
Instead, my budget will propose more incentives and a greater focus on affordable, clean energy as well as expanding our battery and renewable energy storage sectors and the jobs they can create. And I'll propose giving small co-ops and municipal utilities more flexibility in order to innovate.
From clean energy to our 20-year,
We're also strengthening the health and safety of our communities.
We took significant steps over the last year to protect kids: passing legislation to address the vaping epidemic and to ensure drinking water at every school and child care center will be tested for lead. And this work will continue.
Beyond our schools, many of you, alongside the
Now, I know we're all concerned about the
But age and size don't make it immune to the same demographic challenges others around the state are facing. And just like the rest of us, it too needs to adapt. This healthcare provider is simply too critical for us to let fail, especially without an alternative. This would have a devastating impact on our mental health system and the region's economy.
We all have a stake here. Just last year, we invested
I'll also propose a package of criminal justice reforms that we've shared with members of the committees of jurisdiction. We'll look at little things that make a big difference, like waiving license reinstatement fees for suspended drivers and better supporting inmates transitioning to the workforce.
And it will also include some bigger changes, like tough mandatory minimums for human trafficking and a provision to address the loophole that has allowed violent, mentally ill offenders to go free. As we continue to create a more effective criminal justice system, we must remember that justice for victims and accountability for criminals must be top priorities.
I'm grateful for this opportunity to address our biggest challenges, report on some of our progress and outline a few of my proposals. There's always much more happening than can be covered in one speech, or even two. And I look forward to all our discussions in the days and weeks ahead.
Over the next few months, the way we go about our work will not only determine the results we're able to deliver but also the strength of our institutions, the faith Vermonters have in us and the example we set for our kids.
We must acknowledge the trying times we live in. The pressure from political parties and special interest groups to "fall in line" and "stay on message" weighs heavily on some. Honest efforts and thoughtful ideas from good people are too often mischaracterized, misrepresented and belittled. And all of this is intended to divide us and bully us into an "us versus them" mentality.
In this environment, the solutions to serious problems in our state and in our country don't always come fast enough. And to those of us who care more about progress than we do about political power, that can be very frustrating, even discouraging.
So, when those moments come, I think of the people who inspire me to be part of something bigger, of what they've endured with courage and resolve, and how they show that in the face of incredible adversity, we're all capable of great things.
People like my Dad.
I think of what he went through during his two years at Walter Reed, and how hard he worked every day just to live as normal a life as he could, how much he accomplished and how much I admire him.
I think about the soldiers with him in
Recently, I've thought a lot about
As a result, he's changed the way his sport is taught. Through his efforts at places like "Little Fenway" in
Dawn and
They're leading a multi-county effort through their organization, Jenna's Promise. They've created Jenna's House, a community hub for treatment. They've purchased a cafe to employ those in recovery. They're providing financial assistance for housing, transportation and so much more. They've found purpose from loss, helping others to heal.
Friends, the Tatro family is here with us today. And World War II veterans from my Dad's post in our hometown of
Please join me in recognizing and thanking them.
They're here to remind us that when our common cause is bigger than politics, there is no challenge we cannot overcome.
When I think of these people, and others like them, I'm just as motivated--just as eager--to solve problems and help people, as that hopeful freshman senator from
So, today, inspired by those we serve and humbled by the responsibilities they've given us, we begin the work of the 2020 legislative session.
Our challenges are clear: Can we work together? Can we be guided by our shared principles and common values? Can we reclaim the middle, where partisanship can't survive, where we strive for consensus and celebrate compromise?
My fellow Vermonters, the answer to these questions and the solutions we seek, the course we hope to set and the change we need to make, is in our hands.
If our sense of service and duty is strong; if our commitment to our neighbors is unwavering; and if we remember that we are all part of something bigger than ourselves, then the state of the state, our future and our people will be stronger than ever before.
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