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Committee considers amendment to include employee‑owned businesses in state inventory
Summary
Lawmakers debated an amendment to bill 327 that would explicitly add employee‑owned businesses and co‑ops to a state inventory; proponents said the change recognizes businesses that retain revenue locally, while some members worried a long stakeholder list could become unwieldy.
The committee also considered a proposed amendment to a separate bill (Draft: S.327) that would explicitly include employee‑owned businesses and co‑operatives in a state inventory of businesses.
Wendy Garrison proposed the language to make sure employee‑owned firms are represented in stakeholder consultations and the inventory. "Employee owned and co‑ops are the kind of business that will stay in Vermont," she told the committee, urging the addition.
Rick, a legislative counsel, said the committee’s earlier appropriations amendment removed certain sections and that some purpose language had been struck; members discussed whether to update the bill's purpose statement immediately or wait until the House considers the amended text. Several senators said the stakeholder addition was acceptable and could be refined later in the House.
The committee agreed to include the stakeholder wording for now and to send the bill along with the amendment to the House for further work.
