Rep. Sibilia: Week 8 of the 2025 Vermont Legislative Session

Dear friends and neighbors,

I’ll be holding office hours at the Dover Free Library tomorrow, Saturday, March 1st. I’m getting over a nasty cold, so I’ll be masked! Thanks for your understanding!

A few important updates: ISO New England is preparing for potential tariffs on Canadian electricity, which could raise costs on electricity, heating oil, and natural gas. This is something I’m keeping an eye on, as energy affordability for Vermonters remains a top concern for me.

The Governor’s proposed education reform bill, H.454, was introduced today, detailing his approach to education transformation. I’ll be hosting two listening and policy discussion sessions over the Town Meeting Week break: Friday, March 7th in person at the Dover Town Office, and Saturday, March 8th online. Additionally, the Speaker’s Office has published a survey to gather input from Vermonters. If education reform matters to you, please weigh in.

Town Meeting Day is next week on Tuesday March 4th. This year, I’ll be making stops in this order: Wardsboro, Jamaica, Stratton, and Dover. These local conversations are more important than ever, especially given the uncertainty at the federal level. My 2025 Town Meeting Report is at the end of this weeks update.

As always, I welcome your feedback. If you have concerns, ideas, or need help navigating state services, reach out anytime. Hope to see many of you in the coming weeks!

2025 Town meeting schedule

Dover Town Meeting takes place at Dover Town Hall on Tuesday, March 4, 2025, starting at 10:00 a.m. Polls will be open until 7:00 p.m. WARNING
Jamaica Town Meeting takes place at Jamaica Town Hall on Tuesday, March 4, 2025, starting at 10:00 a.m. WARNING
Stratton Town Meeting takes place at Stratton Town Hall on Tuesday, March 4, 2025, starting at 10:00 a.m. WARNING The Stratton School District Meeting takes place at Stratton Town Hall on Tuesday, March 4, 2025, starting at 11:00 a.m. WARNING
Wardsboro The residents of the Town of Wardsboro are hereby notified and warned to meet at Wardsboro Town Hall on Tuesday, March 4, 2025, starting at 9:00 a.m. WARNING

Responding to Federal Actions

Approximately 34,000 Vermonters participated in an online Town Hall with our federal delegation this week. Many of you have also reached out to me expressing concern over the illegal and potentially unconstitutional actions being taken by the Trump administration. Constitutionality is decided by the Supreme Court. It is important to understand your role in defending democracy and protecting your rights. One helpful resource is Twenty Lessons for Fighting Tyranny, which offers guidance for times like these.

The right to protest is a fundamental safeguard against the erosion of democracy. The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution guarantees your ability to express dissent, and history has many examples of peaceful resistance being deployed to defend rights and freedom.

If you choose to engage in protest, please do your homework and please protect yourself. Here are key tips from the ACLU for your safety and to protect your rights while exercising your right to protest.

We need to respond to these actions peacefully, consistently, and courageously.

Make Sure You Claim Your Tax Credits
Tax season is underway, and many Vermonters qualify for financial support through the Child Tax Credit and Earned Income Tax Credit. But you must file to receive them. In 2021, nearly 15 percent of eligible Vermonters missed out on the federal Earned Income Tax Credit.

To help spread the word, the Anti-Poverty Tax Credit Coalition has created videos in 17 languages through the Vermont Language Justice Project. As you gather for Town Meeting Day, please help share this information so everyone who qualifies gets the support they deserve.

Visit TaxCreditsVT.org for details on eligibility, filing, and multilingual resources. Let me know if you have questions or want to discuss efforts this session to strengthen these credits!

Proposed tax breaks for military retirees gain steam in Montpelier
Vermont Public | By Peter Hirschfeld

This year, we’re seeing tri-partisan support for a proposal to exempt military pensions from state income taxes, an effort I’ve been advocating for with the Vermont National Guard and Veterans Affairs Caucus. Vermont is one of the few states that still taxes military pensions. While there are concerns about the budget impact from the loss of tax revenue, I believe this is an investment in bringing/keeping working-age families to Vermont and supporting those who’ve served our country in a unique way. I was honored to join members of the Guard, veterans, survivors and other legislators to offer remarks at a press conference calling for passage – this year.

Latest Legislative Reports

Report on Act 77 of 2013, Dual Enrollment Program – Vermont’s Dual Enrollment program saw participation from every SU/SD in the state, with students from 72 public high schools and Home Study programs taking college-level courses. The program had an 85% success rate, with nearly equal participation among non-white students compared to the statewide junior and senior student population. The Early College program reached its highest enrollment ever in FY24, with 410 students participating, representing 5.98% of publicly funded seniors. Economically disadvantaged students engaged in the Fast Forward program at a higher rate (42.33%) than their overall state representation (35.86%). Overall, 26.47% of Vermont’s publicly funded juniors and seniors participated in college-level coursework, though a gender gap remains, with female students enrolling at higher rates than male students.

Bills I’ve sponsored

H.312 An act relating to the appointment of members of the State Board of Education and the Secretary of Education This bill restructures the State Board of Education appointment process, granting the Governor four appointments, the Senate Committee on Committees three, and the House Speaker three. It also prevents the Governor from reappointing a candidate rejected by the Senate and mandates a national search for a new Secretary of Education within 45 days of a vacancy.
H.313 An act relating to ranked-choice voting for presidential primary elections This bill proposes the creation of a temporary Ranked-Choice Voting Study Committee to evaluate the implementation of ranked-choice voting for state and federal elections in Vermont. It also mandates the use of ranked-choice voting in U.S. presidential primary elections for major political parties.
H.314 An act relating to a top-four nonpartisan primary election system This bill proposes implementing nonpartisan primary elections, where all candidates, regardless of party affiliation, compete in a single primary. The top four vote-getters then advance to the general election. This system aims to increase voter choice and reduce partisan influence in the election process.
H.317 An act relating to credit card fees on taxes and gratuities This bill proposes to prohibit credit card fees on the amount of a transaction that is tax or gratuity.
H.332 An act relating to the creation of the Small Business Technical Assistance Exchange his bill proposes to create the Small Business Technical Assistance Exchange, which would provide grants and professional and technical assistance to certain businesses in Vermont.

During the 2025 legislative session from January through May I will continue to meet on the 1st Saturday of the month at the Dover Free Library from 11-noon and at your group’s invitation as schedules allow.

Monitor my votes and the bills I am sponsoring at: https://legislature.vermont.gov/people/single/2026/24023

As always, if you have suggestions, concerns or critiques please be in touch so we can schedule one on one time to discuss. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you need assistance navigating government services at (802) 384-0233 or lsibilia@leg.state.vt.us. Follow my regular posts online at http://www.laurasibiliavt.com