Dear Friends and Neighbors,
There are two major issues that impact our region coming to a head in the statehouse right now, and a third that is quickly emerging.
The first is Act 181, Vermont’s 2024 land use law. As more Vermonters begin to understand how far-reaching these changes are, concerns are growing.
The second is education. Decisions and points of tension about cost, governance, and the future of our schools are coming into focus.
The third is the use of local option tax surplus funds by the Governor and legislative money committees for items the state budget has historically covered. This has raised concerns, and VLCT issued an alert this week.
On Act 181, I am hearing from more people who are trying to understand what the changes mean for their land and their communities. If you want background, I have written throughout the almost three year process as the bill was developed and passed. The Senate will vote next week on S.325, a proposal that would slow down parts of the implementation to allow more time to get it right.This bill will get a lot of attention in the House where it will land next week after a vote by the full Senate.
Education conversations are accelerating.
One proposal focuses on regional education service areas, or CESAs. These would group districts together to share services like special education, staffing, and administration. The goal is to reduce duplication and make better use of limited dollars.
This proposal does not redraw school district lines. Instead, the draft creates the structure for those regions and asks districts to work together to study whether more regional school models could make sense over time.
I believe these broader conversations are necessary.
Right now, decisions made town by town are adding up to real consequences. In western Windham County, we are seeing the emergence of a public elementary school desert. After recent votes, the remaining public elementary schools on the mountain side are in Wardsboro, Dover, and Wilmington.
When we do not look at the full regional picture, we risk losing access to publicly funded schools in ways that are hard to reverse.
Education Finance
This year’s Yield bill sets the homestead and non homestead rates, including a non homestead rate of $1.698, and adjusts the income sensitivity system. It also sets aside $52 million in the Education Fund to help offset future tax increases, makes a technical correction to the tax formula, and updates the special education census grant to reflect inflation. The latest education fund outlook highlights the choices the committee made.
One of the cost containment proposals is S.220, which focuses on how Vermont defines and manages “excess spending” in our education funding system. The bill lowers the threshold from 118% to 112% of the statewide average, excludes voter-approved bond payments from the calculation, and creates a hold harmless provision for districts that do not increase spending or face costs outside their control
The fiscal impact remains uncertain, but the direction is clear. More districts would be pushed above the threshold, forcing difficult local decisions between reducing budgets or facing higher property taxes. If applied to a recent year, excess spending statewide could have increased from roughly $4.7 million to about $21 million
If this had been effect this year, this bill would have had a significant negative impact in Dover and Wardsboro River Valleys District this year, based on preliminary analysis of district-level data (see below) .
Link to fiscal S.220 note and Link to preliminary analysis of district-level data
Support for Local School Budgets
Voters approved a significant majority of school budgets on Town Meeting Day. Sue Ceglowski from the School Boards Association and Chelsea Myers from the Superintendents Association recently testified before House Education and House Ways and Means to walk through these results and what they may signal for the work ahead.
Read the full school board briefing and testimony here
View unofficial statewide budget vote results
As we continue conversations around Act 73 and education finance reform, these results are a reminder: Vermonters value their local schools
Aligning State Firearms Statute with Federal Firearms Statute
The House has passed H.606, a bill that updates several Vermont statutes related to firearms. The changes are largely technical and focus on how Vermont law operates alongside federal law. H.606 does that by allowing state prosecutors to enforce firearm restrictions directly rather than relying solely on federal enforcement, aligning and clarifying key definitions in state statute, and adding a few limited, state-specific categories where Vermont has chosen to be more explicit.
Under H.606, Vermont would:
- Align certain definitions of “firearm” more closely with federal law, including frames, receivers, and silencers
- Recognize out-of-state convictions when they would trigger a federal prohibition on firearm possession
- Treat theft of a firearm as a felony regardless of value
- Allow state restrictions in certain situations before conviction, such as when a person is facing specific serious charges or is under certain court orders
I voted yes to pass this bill out of the House. For me, this is about clarity, consistency, and making sure the laws we already have can actually be enforced fairly and predictably here in Vermont. Have a different perspective? Let’s discuss! (802) 384-0233
Data Breach Check Tool
Rep. Priestley shared a free tool that helps you check whether your personal information has been exposed in a data breach. The tool was recommended to her by a cyber security researcher. You can search your email here: https://haveibeenpwned.com I tested both my personal and legislative email addresses. You may see sponsored services after your search. Those are optional and not required to use the tool.
From the Founder: “This site provides a service to the public. Data breaches are rampant and many people don’t appreciate the scale or frequency with which they occur. By aggregating the data here I hope that it not only helps victims learn of compromises of their accounts, but also highlights the severity of the risks of online attacks on today’s internet.”
Wetland Mapping
The state has released updated wetland maps for 150 towns across Vermont, part of an ongoing effort to bring mapping up to date under the Flood Safety Act (Act 121). When complete, about 80% of Vermont’s wetland maps will be current, with additional updates expected this year.
These maps are planning tools that show the approximate location of wetlands. Because many areas haven’t been updated in decades, you may see new or expanded mapped areas.
What this means: Maps can inform land use, permitting, and planning, they are not final site determinations.There is an opportunity now to review and provide input.
Ways to participate: Review the maps using the state’s interactive tool, submit comments through the Environmental Notice Bulletin materials, attend a public meeting
Upcoming meetings
- March 18, 1:00 PM — Shelburne Town Hall (in person + virtual) Register in advance for this meeting
- March 23, 5:30 PM — Hartford Town Hall, White River Junction (in person + virtual) Register in advance for this meeting.
Latest Report
The 2025 Vermont Housing and Conservation Board’s Annual Report outlines continued investment in housing and conservation across the state. VHCB supports housing by providing grants and loans to nonprofit developers and community partners to build and preserve affordable homes. In the past year, this included hundreds of permanently affordable rental units and homeownership opportunities, primarily serving low- and moderate-income Vermonters, including households exiting homelessness and working families. Alongside this, VHCB funded conservation easements and land protection projects that helped conserve thousands of acres of farmland, forest, and natural areas.
REMINDER: The Rural Caucus will be hosting an event to listen to the concerns of rural Vermonters on Wednesday, March 25th from 5:30-7:00 pm in Room 10 of the State House and online via Zoom. More information is linked here and available on the resources page of vtruralcaucus.com
As always, please reach out if you need help navigating state services or want to share what you’re seeing locally. I read and value your notes, even if I can’t always respond immediately. I do not have staff and I work year-round, so if you do not hear back in a day or two, please follow up or send a text. If you find my work useful and are able to support it, you can do that here.
Thank you for staying engaged and staying in touch!
Rep. Laura Sibilia
Windham-2 District (Dover, Jamaica, Somerset, Stratton, Wardsboro)
Email: lsibilia@leg.state.vt.us
Phone: (802) 384-0233
Got to see my daughter a few weeks ago over the break. I am thinking of all of our service members and their families and all those impacted by war and aggression. Everyone deserves safety and peace.
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Vermont State Representative Laura Sibilia 