By REP. BUTCH SHAW
The start of the 2024 Legislative Session was gaveled in on Wednesday, January 3, without the usual fanfare of the beginning of a biennium. Speaker Krowinski gave a short “Welcome Back” speech and sent the members back to their respective committees to resume their work where they left off upon our adjournment on June 20, 2023.
The 2024 Legislative Session will present a new challenge that clearly two-thirds of the members of the House of Representatives have yet to witness: an austere budget without the millions of dollars of federal recovery funds that were made available to the State of Vermont during and after the COVID crisis. I am eagerly awaiting the Governor’s proposed FY25 budget to see where the State stands fiscally and how the Legislature will move forward with reduced spending available for special projects!
My most important priority in the upcoming session will be to represent the citizens of Pittsford and Proctor and address their needs and concerns. Beyond that, as I have stressed in the past, is to build a balanced budget that does not grow faster than Vermonters’ ability to pay for it, does not raise taxes, and yet allows the State to make critical investments for the benefit of all. We must continue to grow the State’s economy while making it more affordable to live here and protecting the most vulnerable of our neighbors. No small task in these uncertain times!
Another area of importance and concern form me is the disregard thar certain individuals have for the laws of the State. The Legislature must address the daily attach on the once peaceful and safe lifestyle we enjoyed as Vermonters. I have heard from constituents that the Legislature “must do something” to stem this seeming attack on our way of life. The Legislature must move to make lawbreakers more accountable for their actions, by giving the police, the judiciary, the prosecutors, and the mental-healthcare providers the tools they need to “stem the tide” of criminal activity.
“We need more housing” is a battle cry that I hear everywhere I go and in every conversation I have with employers, social service agencies, housing advocates, and others. I could not agree more! Our region is critically short of all types of suitable accommodations for our varied populations. A critical need is for market-rate workforce housing. The lack of this type of housing is stifling the economy of our region as new workers coming to our communities cannot find a suitable and reasonable place to live. We must continue to build out mixed-use affordable housing to accommodate our most vulnerable neighbors in their quest to find a wonderful place to live with their families. Finally, we need to work towards a solution to house our unhoused population that does not stress our local community’s resources. This is a very tall order that will not go away on its own. The Legislature needs to pass serious Act 250 reform to make it easier for developers and others to create useful housing. We can and must make this happen!
Questions, comments, or conversations! I can be reached by email at bshaw@leg.state.vt.us, by phone at (802) 483-2398, or by mail at PO Box 197, Pittsford, VT 05763. I am always available to have a conversation concerning our Legislative District and your Vermont state government!
Representative Butch Shaw
Rutland-8
Pittsford-Proctor
