Senate amends economic and workforce bill, strips appropriations and advances S.122 to third reading

The Vermont Senate on a voice vote accepted a substitute amendment to S.122 on March 25 that strikes or makes contingent the bill's spending provisions and ordered the measure read a third time.

Senator Clarkson of Windsor, sponsor of S.122, described the bill as focused "primarily [on] increasing our supports for Vermont's small business sector," saying the measure would invest in existing programs rather than create numerous new ones. The bill as introduced would raise the annual Vermont Downtown and Village Tax Credit from $3 million to $5 million and make targeted investments in small-business technical assistance, legal clinics, outreach to businesses of color, microbusiness development, coaching, the Vermont Arts Council, and an effort to expand trade and film/media opportunities.

The Senate Appropriations Committee offered a substitute amendment that removes appropriations language from sections 1 through 5 and other spending subsections, leaving program language contingent on future budget appropriations. Senator Perchlik of Washington, reporting for Appropriations, said the amendment "strikes…