Conference committee keeps $2 million cash in capital bill, directs use for public infrastructure

A Senate–House conference committee on Institutions agreed May 7 to keep $2,000,000 in cash in the capital bill for housing-related public infrastructure, rather than leaving the funding as bonded dollars, and to restore cash to fully fund the White River Junction courthouse so the committee’s cash balance remains $8,000,000.

Committee member (Speaker 1) told colleagues the item originally arrived as bonded dollars and the committee wanted to avoid “opening this up on the capital bill,” saying, “When this came to us, it was bonded dollars. It was not cash.” The member said the panel instead moved some cash into the general fund through appropriations to limit capital-bill exposure to outside projects.

Why it matters: committee members said shifting the package to cash prevents the capital bill from becoming a vehicle for non-state-owned projects and preserves borrowing capacity for planned corrections work and other state projects. Speaker 1 said the committee is planning a roughly $100 million corrections project for a women’s facility and is considering replacement of the Woodside facility, both of which could affect future capital spending.

The committee outlined three main steps it plans to take: keep $2,000,000 in cash within the capital bill but include language directing the dollars toward public infrastructure; restore the approximately $1.1 million needed to make the White River Junction courthouse fully cash-funded so the committee’s cash balance remains $8,000,000; and move $625,000 that had shifted from the senate appropriations back to the appropriations side (the item covers Florence and Clark’s fire apparatus, a recovery house and a Montpelier study). Speaker 1 said, “we would also ask that the 625,000 that came over from your senate appropriations” be moved back to appropriations.

Committee members discussed keeping the list of individual projects out of the bill. Committee member (Speaker 2) summarized that approach, saying, “We don't list the projects. We make sure that this money goes to public infrastructure.” The group said they planned to draft language to set parameters so the funds “are for public infrastructure” and not to private developers.

The committee also emphasized prioritizing the cash piece before addressing bonded components. Speaker 1 said the group “really wanted to get the cash thing taken care of first” and urged colleagues that finalizing the cash decisions would help other legislators respond to the package.

No formal roll-call vote was recorded in the transcript. Participants described the measures as what the committee had “agreed” to do and discussed drafting specific statutory or bill language; Speaker 1 said they hoped to have language to present by 4:00 p.m. but that work was still in progress. Members discussed meeting again if needed to finish the language, with one member suggesting a 45-minute follow-up.

Next steps: staff and members said they will draft the restricting language for the cash version of the package and return with it for further committee review; the transcript does not record a final, formal vote or the adopted bill text.