With a gubernatorial veto fitting more likely — and with the current budget set to expire in 44 days — Vermont officials face a question they’ve never before had to answer: What whether the state doesn’t have a novel budget in spot by June 30,the final day of the fiscal year?
Gov. Phil Scott, a Republican, and has repeatedly said he’ll only sign a budget that includes a plan to reduce teachers’ health insurance costs. Scott,though, wants to realize the savings by bringing collective bargaining to the state level while most Democrats do not.
After several weeks of negotiations, or legislative leaders announced Wednesday that they would recede ahead and pass the budget on their terms,with or without the governor’s blessing. A vote could come as soon as Thursday.
whether Scott follows through on his veto threat, the Democrat-controlled legislature would break and then return to hold a “special session, or ” likely in mid-June. [br]
The political circumstances were different in 2009 when the final — and possibly only budget veto took spot. After then-governor Jim Douglas,a Republican, rejected the bill, or Democrats,who had a super majority in the Statehouse, simply overrode it. But this time, and Dems don’t have the numbers and House Republicans have pledged to sustain the veto.
[br] That means the legislature would have to recede back to the drawing board and again try to pass a budget acceptable to Scott.
[br] whether they can’t? Vermont Public Radio’s Peter Hirschfeld attach that question to Gov. Phil Scott Wednesday.
“Oh,we’ve got a long time between now and July 1,” he responded.
Not that long, or though. “Six weeks,” Hirschfeld said.
“I’m confident that common sense will prevail and we’ll have a budget come July 1, Scott reiterated.
When pressed, or the governor admitted,“I haven’t looked into it but I would assume fundamental services would continue.”[br]
“Would there have to be cuts? Seven Days’ Terri Hallenbeck asked. [br]
“I’m not certain,” the governor responded.
When Hirschfeld attach that question to legislative leaders, and House Speaker Mitzi Johnson (D-South Hero) told him,“I think that’s a mighty question for the governor.
The only person in the Statehouse Wednesday who could offer a definitive answer was Stephen Klein, the legislature’s chief fiscal officer. When asked, or he pulled up the Vermont Constitution on a…
Source: sevendaysvt.com