Statement on Gov. Phil Scott’s Jan. 23, 2024 Budget Address

For a speech that started out on a theme of affordability, it was striking how much Gov. Phil Scott’s budget address focused on the idea of public investment to deal with problems Vermonters face. He repeatedly talked about investing, rather than spending. But he also said he would make his investments while holding to a modest increase in the General Fund portion of the budget.

It was a confusing message. The governor acknowledged that smart, public investing is the key to addressing housing, public safety, drug addiction, workforce training, and other initiatives, so why is he proposing to invest so little? Investments often require some extra initial effort, and an ongoing commitment to provide the resources necessary to get the job done. Vermont has the capacity—and the obligation—to act on these problems now, instead of waiting for Washington or economic winds to somehow generate clearly needed new revenue. These are not problems that we can solve by doing more of the same.