We ask a lot of our legislators. They’re part-time, have little staff, often have other jobs, and have to confront hundreds of issues every year. As they head back to work next week,  they’ll be trying to figure out how to tackle all the issues in front of them.

Prioritizing the state’s challenges is hard.  There are immediate issues facing the state, but long-term investments are important too.  When children, the mental health care system, the environment, and workers all need attention, it can be difficult to know where to start.

Public Assets’ two recent reports try to help policymakers and citizens make sense of these competing issues and suggest practical, workable solutions to top the list this biennium.

Unlike last year, nobody seems to be panicking over education funding as legislators prepare to return to Montpelier. But that doesn’t mean we should forget about the Education Fund. In fact, now, when the Legislature’s hair is not on fire, is a perfect time to reform management of the $1.7 billion fund.

Why do we need reforms?

Because the Education Fund, which funds pre-K to 12 public education and accounts for almost 30 percent of all state spending, has become more susceptible to political manipulation.

Public Assets’ new report, State of Working Vermont 2018, reveals how Vermonters and their families were faring economically at the end of 2017—the latest year for which most data are available—and how conditions have changed, for better or worse, in recent years. Read more

There’s snow in Montpelier. The menorah and Christmas tree are up at the Statehouse. And it’s time for a lesser-known Vermont tradition: Public input on the state budget.

If you haven’t heard of this tradition, you’re not alone. Last year, fewer than 500 Vermonters filled out the public survey or submitted online comments.

The governor is required by law to solicit public feedback on the budget before submitting it to the Legislature in January.  Over the years, this has taken the form of regional meetings, webinars, and most recently, an online survey and public comments online or by mail.

It’s worth taking a little time out of your holiday preparations and celebrations now to weigh in on how the state will invest public dollars beginning July 1 next year.

Vermont has a fairer tax system than most states, but we still have work to do. That’s the message from “Who Pays?” released by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP) in October.

The report looks at how well states distribute taxes based on family incomes. In most states lower-income families pay a higher percentage of their income in state and local taxes than those at the top. That’s the definition of a regressive tax system. Vermont’s is one of the least regressive in the country.

Why is this significant?

Because how Vermont collects taxes can improve our lopsided income distribution or make it worse.

Median household income in Vermont, after adjusting for inflation, fell 2.4 percent last year to $57,513, according to new U.S. Census figures released today. It was Vermont’s second decline in two years for this key economic indicator, although the drop in 2016 was negligible. Read more

Vermonters have spoken. A recent poll commissioned by Vermont Public Radio and Vermont PBS showed a majority of Vermonters favor going to a $15 minimum wage and over 80 percent support raising it above the current level.

In all the chaos of the special session and getting a budget in place before July 1, the governor’s 13 vetoes at the end of the regular legislative session didn’t get much attention. Read more

It should be clear by now that Washington is committed to a lopsided economy that keeps concentrating money in the hands of fewer and fewer people. But in some state capitals, including Montpelier, elected officials are beginning to recognize that smarter tax policies are aimed at helping working families. Read more

There’s a case to be made that this year’s budget showdown in Montpelier was lot of high drama with little substance. After all the drama, the budget that was finally approved created one problem that the Legislature will have to address next year and ignored another that should have been addressed long ago.

It was a messy finish to a messy legislative session, but Vermonters can take some comfort that no permanent damage was done to the state education funding system. It’s disappointing that the governor insisted on another year of pretend budgeting—using one-time revenue again to artificially lower property tax rates. Read more