Dear Friends and Neighbors,

A quick update as we head into the weekend.

This Saturday, April 5th, I’ll be holding office hours at the Dover Free Library from 11:00 AM to 11:45 AM. Stop by if you have any questions or ideas you want to discuss. Later in the day, I’ll speak at the Hands Off Protest in Wilmington. This update includes info on the Legislature’s Rural Caucus focus and the latest on education reform and data privacy.

Scheduling Community Conversation & Support Events These events are a chance to come together, understand recent federal changes, and talk about how we can support one another in response. I’ll provide a short overview of what’s changing and what it could mean for Vermont. Then we’ll open the floor for questions, concerns, and ideas for action.

These conversations are rooted in the spirit of mutual aid which is showing up for each other with time, skills, food, or simply by listening. Everyone is welcome.

The first event is scheduled for:
Jamaica Town Hall – April 26th at 2 PM

Additional dates for Dover, Wardsboro and Stratton will be announced next week. If you’d like to get involved in planning, just reach out.
Laura

Update from the Rural Caucus

It’s a privledge on the leadership team for the Rural Caucus, a tripartisan group of over 50 members of the Vermont House and Senate working together to support Vermont’s rural communities and economy. Over the years, we’ve championed initiatives to expand affordable broadband, ensure equitable funding for rural schools, and invest in Vermont’s farm and forest economies. Our work is rooted in civil discourse, local wisdom, and a commitment to working across party lines.

We’ve been focused on the education proposals coming before us this session and the myriad impacts to healthcare. We’ve already heard from the Secretary of Education and the House Education Committee, and this week, we heard from the Senate Education Committee. In the coming weeks, we will hear about ways communities can mitigate potential cuts to healthcare and how communities can re imagine empty municipal buildings drawing on models the Rural Caucus has advocated for previously like the Municipal Energy Resilience Program and the Municipal Technical Assistance Program. Stay tuned for updates. Watch past meetings or sign up for information here: https://www.vtruralcaucus.com/

What is Happening on Education?

Vermont’s education system is facing major changes, and for the first time in my tenure, there’s some real alignment that modernization is needed. Vermonters are engaged. The Speaker of the House’s survey drew 3,000 responses, showing strong engagement from Vermonters. The report on those results is available here.

The Governor is to be credited for putting forward a sweeping vision, and I hope will be patient as the legislature and Vermont’s communities weigh in with their input and adjustments. What stands out to me right now is how much agreement there is that we need to modernize this entire system. We need to focus on getting this right: ensuring schools are better resourced, funding is fairer, and transitions don’t create unnecessary disruption for students and families and do increase transparency for taxpayers. Read more about the Governor’s bill here, the Senate’s proposal – which is effectively a map designed to protect part of the Burr & Burton and Saint Johnsbury Academy feeder town ecosystems and which “eliminates tuitioning in areas where it is not critical to the involved communities” here, and the House’s plan to draw maps this Summer, reduce class sizes and reorient accountability at the state level for oversight here, as well as the latest VTDigger update here.

Many thanks to the parents who are organizing themselves and sharing information about the various proposals and considerations. I’ve heard from some parents who are worried about their kids being forced to switch schools as a result of governance changes or as a result of changes to school choice. I want to reassure parents that there is broad agreement that to the greatest extend possible students should be able to finish school where they started. Change needs to be thoughtful, not rushed. I support allowing superintendents to work with communities, the state and the education field to draw district maps over the summer rather than having legislators do it prior to adjournment, which would only make the process more political and less pragmatic.

As noted in the VTDigger article linked above, the Ways & Means Committee is working on changes to the education formula including further breaking apart the grand list and returning to a foundation formula with weights. As of today, 120 Million dollars is earmarked to buy down property tax rates next year – this could change as the Senate and Governor weigh in.

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Data Privacy

The Vermont House has recently passed H.342, a data privacy bill targeted at safeguarding the personal information of certain public servants. It’s one of several data privacy measures advancing this year – a clear sign that the Legislature recognizes both the urgency and the importance of safeguarding Vermonters’ personal data.

Right now, your personal information about where you go, what you buy, who you talk to, even your health records is being collected, sold, and used without your knowledge or consent. And there are almost no rules in place to stop it.

As a legislator, I believe Vermonters deserve control over their own information. We lock our front doors and I believe our digital lives deserve the same basic protection.

Vermont’s push to protect consumer data is drawing the attention of big data companies, signaling likely lobbying and political spending in the legislative process and the 2026 elections. The Consumer Data Industry Association (CDIA), which represents data brokers and credit reporting agencies, has formed a federal political action committee (PAC) to influence policymakers and push back against state-level privacy laws like Vermont’s.

This strategy echoes those used by groups like Americans for Prosperity, which have targeted Vermont’s climate policies to influence elections and legislation. The PAC’s treasurer, Cabell Hobbs, has ties to Republican lawmakers and PACs, which suggests partisan aims. The data broker industry is already fighting efforts like California’s DELETE Act and opposing similar privacy protections in states including Vermont, Illinois, and Nebraska. Meanwhile, Republican lawmakers in Congress are advancing a federal privacy bill that could preempt stronger state laws.

State of the Guard

The Adjutant and Inspector General and the Vermont National Guard hosted the first State of the Guard on Wednesday, April 2, 2025 at 5:00 p.m. in the House Chamber.  The speech was livestreamed and inspirational.

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Bills Lumber

The public is invited to a free screening of “Bills Lumber,” a 45-minute documentary about the last days of the Bills family’s beloved 86-year-old sawmill in Wardsboro, Vermont. Dutton Gym is next to Leland and Gray High School at 2030 Vermont Route 30 in Townshend. Showtime is 7 pm on Saturday, 5 April 2025. Snow date is Sunday, 6 April.

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Recent Reports to the Legislature

Raise the Age (RTA) Progress Report: The March 31, 2025, Raise the Age (RTA) Progress Report details the efforts to implement the RTA initiative in Vermont, which aims to extend juvenile jurisdiction beyond 18 years of age. The report highlights the challenges in meeting key goals, including establishing secure residential facilities, expanding nonresidential treatment programs, and improving services for children with developmental disabilities and mental health crises. Despite progress, the report notes significant barriers such as workforce shortages, gaps in services for 18-year-olds, and delays in court processes. The Department for Children and Families (DCF) concludes that the RTA expansion to 19-year-olds is not feasible at this time and proposes delaying full implementation until July 2027. The report includes updates on systemic improvements and acknowledges the need for statutory changes to address ongoing issues.

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Bills That Have Passed Into Law and Signed by Governor

• H.2 An act relating to increasing the minimum age for delinquency proceedings
• H.31 An act relating to claim edit standards and prior authorization requirements
• H.35 An act relating to unmerging the individual and small group health insurance markets
• H.78 An act relating to the use of the Australian ballot system in local elections

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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