March's Legislative Breakfast Packed With Many New Bill Proposals

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Created on Tuesday, 31 March 2026 02:33

Written by Asher Ballantine

St. Johnsbury - Yesterday, state lawmakers met at the St. Johnsbury Athenaeum for their monthly legislative breakfast. There were many talking points on the agenda due to a high volume of bills being pushed to the floor recently.

There was significant discussion regarding Senate bill S.325, a modification to Act 181, and its effects on landowners in the region. Senator Scott Beck noted how the bill could pull private land into the Act 250 process.

“It does do a lot of good things in populated areas of the state for housing, which is about 3% of Vermont. But in the other 97% of the state, it has the potential to throw a very large amount of land that's owned by private landowners into Act 250.”

Senator Russ Ingalls also had much to say about the Senate bill and the funding required for some of the mandates.

“Know and understand that we're not here to disrupt our properties in any way, shape, or form. You know, we don't need bureaucrats from Montpelier calling you on how you're going to live, what you're going to do, or how you are going to plant your garden. And that is the aspect of where it is, because it is just dangerous.

Almost all the district that I represent is in Tier Three, and it scares the hell out of me that you folks are going to be part of Act 250 for anything that you want to do—whether you want to build a house for your kids, add on to the house that you have, put a sugar house up, or if you just want to tap your trees or mow that field. You're going to be under the purview of the state, and they're going to tell you what to do.”

Lieutenant Governor John Rodgers discussed the “30 by 30” goal, which entails Vermont growing 30% of New England’s food by 2030. He spoke extensively about the potential of Vermont’s agricultural industry and emphasized the importance of strengthening small, local farms.

“I am hoping we can do our part for the planet, for nutrition, and for keeping money local by helping to reach that goal. I don't know how many of you follow what's happening in agriculture around the country, but I think we're headed in a dangerous direction.”

There was also much to be said about current redistricting plans. Representative Beth Quimby spoke regarding the new proposal involving the use of “Cooperative Education Service Agencies,” or CESAs.

“[The plan requires] everybody within that CESA and study groups to have merger conversations. So, it is mandatory that the merger conversations happen. It's not mandatory that the merger happen. The study committees may decide in the end that merging does not make sense, or merging a different way—other than a K-12 supervisory district—may make more sense for them.”

She also addressed the flexibility of the new redistricting proposal, noting that the provided map is merely a guideline, not an end-all, be-all.