Today’s key votes

2023-03-24

Dear friend,

It's 10:57 p.m. and your Vermont House of Representatives remains at work on H.165, which would make universal school meals permanent.

During the pandemic, the federal government provided free school meals to all K–12 students. Last session, the legislature provided funding to continue offering universal school meals in Vermont for the current school year. H.165 would make this program permanent.

Universal school meals offer many benefits, including more predictability for schools in meal planning and purchasing, less stigma surrounding school meals, and increased opportunities for partnerships with local farms. That keeps more food dollars in Vermont’s economy.

Several Vermont schools have applauded how the program has positively impacted health and behavioral outcomes and expanded nutrition and food education. The cost of the bill is estimated at $29 million for the 2023–2024 school year, to be paid from the Education Fund. If this bill becomes law, there will be new strategies in 2023 to access federal dollars in paying for the program. That will be both through increased student participation and a new Medicaid eligibility criterion that automatically qualifies schools to receive more federal funds.

I'm voting Yes on H.165.

Here are some other key votes today:

• H.230 Implementing mechanisms to reduce suicide - YES

• H.66 Paid family and medical leave insurance - YES

• H.126 Community resilience and biodiversity protection - YES

• H.127 Sports wagering - NO

• H.157 The Vermont basic needs budget - YES

The bill I received the most correspondence on today was H. 483: The accountability and oversight of approved independent schools that are eligible to receive public tuition.

I continue to be a "maybe" on this bill. It's reasonable to ask for accountability for $50 million or more per year in public education dollars going to private institutions. This measure is expected to help shore up the sustainability and quality of our public schools.

However, the standards that the bill would require of those institutions are being hotly debated.

Stay tuned -- the bill was on today's Action Calendar, but due to work on an amendment, the next hearing of this bill has delayed until March 29.