Montpelier
That will require them to hammer out bicameral agreements on the budget and tax bills, as well as about a dozen other bills referred to conference committees, in time to vote on them in both houses by tonight.
Sen. President Pro Tem Tim Ashe, D/P-Chittenden, told senators Friday afternoon to plan on wrapping up this weekend.
“It looks like we will be able to complete our work for an adjournment tomorrow night,” he said.
The legislative crush will require lawmakers to repeatedly suspend rules to expedite the process. House Republicans could slow down the process with more than a third of the votes in the chamber, but it appeared they were prepared to go along with the plan.
Gov. Phil Scott’s veto threats are hanging over many of the bills — including the major tax and budget bills — but lawmakers said they would deal with that during a session this summer.
House Speaker Mitzi Johnson, D-South Hero, told reporters on Friday that she did not intend to include a veto session in her adjournment motion, meaning the governor will need to call a special session to get lawmakers back to the Statehouse in a few weeks.
“We’re going to put forward a responsible package and we’re going to adjourn,” Johnson said. “And if it’s not good enough, he can call us back.”
The Republican administration and Democratically controlled legislature have spent the last few weeks sparring over who’s to blame for the failure to reach a deal on education spending.
The remaining sticking point is how to fill a $58 million hole in the education fund. The governor wants to use one-time funding to fill the gap, while legislators are proposing a property tax increase.
Scott has repeatedly said he would have no reservations in breaking out his veto pen on more than a dozen bills that have new taxes and fees, including the tax and budget bill. He also said on Thursday that he was happy to call a special session if lawmakers didn’t schedule a veto session.
Johnson said she has been working with House Minority Leader Don Turner, R-Milton, to gather the support to suspend the rules and vote on the money bills today.