Vermont Legislature SmartTranscripts:

[Michael Marcotte (Chair)]: Good morning, This is the Vermont House Committee on Congress and Economic Development. It is Tuesday, 02/24/2026 at 09:05 in the morning. So this first fifty five minutes before we go to the floor, we will spend with our legislative council, Rick Segal, to start working on our budget letter to appropriations. So, Rick, good morning. Morning. So where do we start?

[Rick Siegel (Legislative Counsel)]: I'm so Rick Siegel of the office. I'm outside

[Rick Siegel (Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel)]: of counsel. I am here to put the letter together. I can share what I have on my screen, if you wanna know, is the budget letter from last year. I can start with that. And then I have not looked at any recommendations you made. I know you've had a lot of testimony last couple of weeks, but I'll need you all to kinda fill me in on what you want to do as a final decision point. So I guess I'll share my screen. I have the document Rev Duke sent as well. He's been sharing my entire screen. That way, we could see okay.

[Michael Marcotte (Chair)]: Send it to Jonathan too so he can post it.

[Rick Siegel (Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel)]: Okay. Lock it on here, but this is the letter from last year. It's got just about everything except the date and I think that the stent growth would be fiscal year twenty twenty seven, but nothing else has been touched. You'll see, I think we went in chronological order from the governor's recommended at least budget. And then I think you also added in some things who are not in the government governor's recommended budget.

[Michael Marcotte (Chair)]: So where would Blake start? Think it's good if you just follow the orders that we've had.

[Rick Siegel (Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel)]: Yeah, here's a Rutland, if it's okay if I share this on the Yes, sir. Okay, alright. So you can see I can I have not seen this yet? Just looking at it for the first time. See how this is organized. Last year, you started with the apartment housing and community developments. So 300,000 general fund for two limited service positions to continue additional year. Don't know if you've been asked that this year or not in their budget recommendations.

[Michael Marcotte (Chair)]: I did hear from the agency of commerce, and we heard from all three departments.

[Edye Graning (Vice Chair)]: The ACCD section, there it shows the agency based budget. That's everything ACCD asked for. There's the base budget, which others recommend. That includes the VHIP going into base, the 4,000,000. And then a one time MHER and one time for international trade. They didn't ask for any. Like, limited service position, a couple would go away, and then a couple, I think, if these were approved,

[Michael Marcotte (Chair)]: would be funded through that? Yeah. So I think then under

[Rick Siegel (Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel)]: DHCD,

[Michael Marcotte (Chair)]: the limited service positions are out. We're not dealing with those this year. I think their ask is putting the HIP program into one time into a base funding instead of one time dollar. Rick?

[Rick Siegel (Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel)]: So the money would be the is that 4,000,000 that they're requesting? Do you support that amount? Are

[Michael Marcotte (Chair)]: we supportive of putting DHIP into? I think that's the governor's recommended. Yeah.

[Edye Graning (Vice Chair)]: I'm supportive of that.

[Michael Marcotte (Chair)]: Yeah. By money. And priority? I? I think so. Mhmm.

[Rick Siegel (Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel)]: So the bond bank is next.

[Michael Marcotte (Chair)]: I think the bond bank is here. Okay. I'm aware of it. Anyway, did you see anything?

[Edye Graning (Vice Chair)]: Didn't come to us. Okay.

[Michael Marcotte (Chair)]: And so next piece

[Rick Siegel (Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel)]: was the Vermont Housing Finance Agency rental revolving loan fund.

[Edye Graning (Vice Chair)]: They asked for this year. It's not that. They asked for the ability to sell tax

[Michael Marcotte (Chair)]: credits for the down payment assistance program. Right. That's right.

[Edye Graning (Vice Chair)]: And I didn't put in the spreadsheet how much, because I went back and watched the testimony again, but I didn't really understand.

[Michael Marcotte (Chair)]: Ability to sell. What do you have?

[Edye Graning (Vice Chair)]: I just wrote in ability to sell. It's like 350,000 per year for five years worth of tax credits, but I'm not quite sure how that shows up.

[Michael Marcotte (Chair)]: I'm read something more on it.

[Edye Graning (Vice Chair)]: She testified in I think it was January 28. Yeah.

[Unidentified Member (possibly Herb Olson)]: Just can't find it, but I

[Michael Marcotte (Chair)]: can't see your spreadsheet. I just emailed it to you. Oh, it's emailed.

[Edye Graning (Vice Chair)]: I'm pretty sure it was January 28 was when she testified about it. She came in thoroughly because she was going alone. Nuclear test would cost, let's say, dollars 8,750,000.00 in total. But it was over nine years, I think. She said it's showing up at a miscellaneous Yes. Service

[Michael Marcotte (Chair)]: she, in the suggestion that she wrote out, although not an appropriation, the committee also supports the BHFA request to sell 350,000 of five year state home ownership tax credits for fiscal years 2027 through 2031 support BHFA's down payment assistance program.

[Edye Graning (Vice Chair)]: I can email that too. Got it? Yeah.

[Rick Siegel (Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel)]: Down payment assistance phone?

[Edye Graning (Vice Chair)]: Yeah. I'm I'm emailing you the language being Okay.

[Rick Siegel (Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel)]: What's the amount of money?

[Michael Marcotte (Chair)]: Well, it's $350,000 of a five year stay home ownership just to give a token. This is more for is more for the tax committee than than it is for probes, but I think we we can include it here.

[Rick Siegel (Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel)]: I'll put this in yellow so we know it needs language.

[Michael Marcotte (Chair)]: Yeah. Should be getting that right off. And committee, we support the request from the HSA. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Very much. High priority. Thank you, sir. Yeah. This is the

[Edye Graning (Vice Chair)]: housing that we need the most.

[Michael Marcotte (Chair)]: Think of what I'm saying. It's like, I mean, I'm also thinking very high on that one. So it just shoots right where we need it. Next piece would be.

[Rick Siegel (Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel)]: It's the middle income of homeownership loan program.

[Michael Marcotte (Chair)]: That's that's not we're not that's not of this year. K. So the next one on your spreadsheet. NH by Ag for new.

[Rick Siegel (Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel)]: Are you looking at the looking at the spreadsheet? Yeah.

[Edye Graning (Vice Chair)]: Looking at the AC under ACCD.

[Michael Marcotte (Chair)]: Gotcha. Gotcha. And Oregon incident.

[Edye Graning (Vice Chair)]: These are the though both of those are in the governor's rec Yeah. That's one time.

[Michael Marcotte (Chair)]: That's mobile home. Is that the

[Edye Graning (Vice Chair)]: It's like infill and replacement. So they're repairing and emptying pads, basically. I mean, I think it's a really smart use of money.

[Michael Marcotte (Chair)]: I'll start

[Rick Siegel (Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel)]: Do wanna organize this by agency and department or by the the number in the big budget the big bill?

[Michael Marcotte (Chair)]: I think the way we have it yeah. Because we're right now, we're using numbers. Right?

[Rick Siegel (Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel)]: Right. Which I have not looked at

[Michael Marcotte (Chair)]: the big bill to see where these

[Edye Graning (Vice Chair)]: It's pretty hard to find the one. Yeah.

[Unidentified Member (possibly Herb Olson)]: I'm sorry, but I'm having a little trouble getting my head wrapped around. That's kinda what we're doing. I know we're going through specific items that were in the governor's budget, and then folks came in and they talked about,

[Edye Graning (Vice Chair)]: we line it up, we'll use it up.

[Unidentified Member (possibly Herb Olson)]: Take for example, manufactured home stuff. It's just kind of one discrete kind of thing in terms of an appropriation that doesn't encompass the whole issue.

[Michael Marcotte (Chair)]: Well, that's being taken care of in another committee.

[Unidentified Member (possibly Herb Olson)]: Including appropriations issues?

[Michael Marcotte (Chair)]: They would yeah. They're looking at another program. I see. So this is just the rehab of rehab, some of the

[Unidentified Member (possibly Herb Olson)]: overhauls. Yeah, I understand the program. I think it's a good one. I would definitely support it. I just think that housing in general and manufactured housing in particular, so important. Get it. I get it. What's that?

[Michael Marcotte (Chair)]: When that bill comes out, I suggest you go for it. It's something that House General is working on. I know. It's not it's not I don't know where it is in this budget. That's something for house general and and appropriations to work out how they're Yeah. That's what I there's That's

[Unidentified Member (possibly Herb Olson)]: just why I'm having

[Michael Marcotte (Chair)]: There's discussions with the treasurer on that as well. Using some of the 10% money.

[Unidentified Member (possibly Herb Olson)]: Yeah. I I I get it. Just having trouble. This is a

[Edye Graning (Vice Chair)]: program that started a couple years ago.

[Unidentified Member (possibly Herb Olson)]: I understand.

[Michael Marcotte (Chair)]: They're not all linked together. They are. And Well, they're not. And as far as the budget goes Well maybe they should be. Well, you had you know what mean? You had programs. You have the BHIP program. You have this mobile home program. Then there's gonna be another program to Okay. For manufactured homes. Yeah.

[Edye Graning (Vice Chair)]: Okay. I got Thanks. I'm just wondering if it would be easier

[Michael Marcotte (Chair)]: for us to instead of working on the Word document, rather working on the Excel sheet and going down through and on the way end, just put high priority or low priority or whatever. And then There's going to be some things that's going to recommend that we may we may recommend funding sources for it too when we start talking about workforce. That's not on the Excel sheet?

[Edye Graning (Vice Chair)]: No. Okay. The Excel sheet is just based on who we heard from. Okay. Just wanna add that this 800,000 is a reversion from 2024, and they're using it for this. Interesting. The reversion from the one? From a 2024 that wasn't the least. I didn't write that down. It It lost.

[Michael Marcotte (Chair)]: Okay.

[Rick Siegel (Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel)]: The mobile home improvement,

[Edye Graning (Vice Chair)]: what does the R stand for? Repair fund.

[Rick Siegel (Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel)]: Fund? Then this is still DHCD, right? Yes. Okay.

[Michael Marcotte (Chair)]: Where are we with this one?

[Edye Graning (Vice Chair)]: Next, is it?

[Rick Siegel (Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel)]: It's a 100,000.

[Michael Marcotte (Chair)]: Is that Yeah. Okay. One time doll 1 800,000 one time fund.

[Unidentified Member (possibly Herb Olson)]: I definitely support that. That's high priority.

[Michael Marcotte (Chair)]: Me too. Everybody there Yeah. Support high priority? Okay. Yes.

[Rick Siegel (Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel)]: Is Yes. The sorry. Is the $3.50, the down payment, is that a one time fund or is that based on it? This one?

[Michael Marcotte (Chair)]: Yes. No. That's actually those are tax credits. Oh. Got it. Got it.

[Edye Graning (Vice Chair)]: So it's not general fund. It's Yep. It's a part of purchasing the tax credit.

[Michael Marcotte (Chair)]: Cent to the language today.

[Rick Siegel (Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel)]: Yeah. I don't have my email pulled up.

[Michael Marcotte (Chair)]: It's on online. Good. I think that was it for BHCD. There's a $150,000

[Edye Graning (Vice Chair)]: one time request for international ODED. Now we're getting

[Michael Marcotte (Chair)]: it to BHCD. So I think 200,000 for the professionals of color. We do we support that request? And do we find it as a high priority? I think I think that Yeah. That comes out for now. Additional is not part of that. And we put in there instead is that we we support utilizing the reversion dollars from the Department of Labor. Now if you remember, there were nearly $2,000,000 of reversions on workforce dollars from the Department of Labor. Yeah. Yeah. I know that doesn't make up that doesn't I know the governor's budget has those dollars tagged for something else, but I think that we should be looking at those dollars as something that supports our workforce and supporting the professionals of color certainly supports not just workforce, but the business community as well.

[Unidentified Member (possibly Herb Olson)]: So I I I completely support that item. And I know we're supposed to look at just these discreet things, but I think there are a bunch of not a bunch. There it seemed to me from listening to the testimony that there were a lot of these items that the legislature supported because there was a gap in terms of how state agencies were relying, were addressing a particular situation. I think that what I was hearing, that was one of them, but I think there were some other ones I think it was the advanced program.

[Michael Marcotte (Chair)]: What's that? We're not there. We're gonna try to go through. Okay. We'll we'll get there.

[Unidentified Member (possibly Herb Olson)]: Yeah. I'm just thinking I'm just

[Michael Marcotte (Chair)]: wondering if Vermont. I think those dollars flow through Department of Labor. Okay. And that may be another place where we might suggest where they could get the money from.

[Rick Siegel (Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel)]: A high priority?

[Michael Marcotte (Chair)]: High priority? Yeah. With the brownfields? Before we get there's no dollars for brownfields this year. I echo? It's this closure to here. The crew is doing running for brownfields. We don't have to do it as a high priority if we don't want to as a committee, but I do think that there's significant benefit in brownfield remediation. As a recipient of that in Barrie City, or Barrie City being a recipient of it, I I do believe that having those funds available is extremely important for development and for environmental purposes. There was no dollar amount that we get from the RBCs on that. And Here's what's I would say what we did last year.

[Edye Graning (Vice Chair)]: It is it is unique. Won't be able to talk to them.

[Michael Marcotte (Chair)]: Yeah. I think what we could say is that Let's start with the general heading of the Brownfields Revitalization Fund. And say this committee supports any additional dollars that may be available should go to the Brownfields Revivalization Fund.

[Edye Graning (Vice Chair)]: Are you saying it's in a senate ball, like, potentially, like, outside of it? It's in senate committee. It's in senate committee. Whether they

[Michael Marcotte (Chair)]: they're looking for dollars, but whether or not they get it, we don't know. But I think this state it says that the committee supports Brownfield's revitalization plan, and we can take that out, Rick. What you've highlighted, is that high priority? Yeah.

[Edye Graning (Vice Chair)]: Would that sentence be easier to read?

[Rick Siegel (Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel)]: Yes, I'm looking at it twice. I'm not happy

[Edye Graning (Vice Chair)]: with it. Any available additional dollars.

[Michael Marcotte (Chair)]: Whatever. Whatever. Okay. Highlight this part. And there's a three. And that is BED, the international what's it called? International Business.

[Rick Siegel (Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel)]: Business office? The Montreal office? Yeah. It's the International Business Office.

[Michael Marcotte (Chair)]: So there's a 150,000 to continue that on for the next two years. We're supportive of that.

[Edye Graning (Vice Chair)]: Yep.

[Unidentified Member]: And Curtis, but I continue to be a little bit confused about where exactly our trade program is going with the sister city program. And there are some kind of pathways that are funded outside of the state apparatus or in conjunction with it, funded outside of the state apparatus and some initiatives that are funded using state dollars. And I'm confused about where exactly we're drawing the line.

[Michael Marcotte (Chair)]: So, Montreal office is specific to Canada, and it's one part of a program that the sister state legislation would put into place, because that's also cultural. No matter what, we still need to fund an entity for economic development. So I think it will become part of I I think the office, the international office, is still going to sit in EDD, but be complementary to Sister State. And would the committee be interested in proposing $75,000 to fund an international business office in Southeast Asia or the Pacific Region.

[Unidentified Member (possibly Herb Olson)]: I would be definitely supportive.

[Michael Marcotte (Chair)]: Yes. Yes. I think we've heard well, I think with Vermont becoming tech hub, GlobalFoundries and UBM, that it would be would make a whole lot of sense for us to support an additional office in Southeast Asia.

[Edye Graning (Vice Chair)]: It would be representation, but not in the office. Oops. I mean

[Michael Marcotte (Chair)]: Right. Well, it's it'd be it's the same as Same. In all of Oh, okay. In the object. Yep. Something like that? Yep. I think suggests that the funding also comes from the reversions from the Department of Labor, suggests that the committee look at Yeah. I think that's what we have about. High priority. Good. K. What else do we have that falls into the ACCD? The VGAF? Yeah. The two

[Edye Graning (Vice Chair)]: gap reversion to go to VGAF. That's the $2,000,000 that wasn't spent for VGAF, but they want now to go to VGAP for the

[Michael Marcotte (Chair)]: They did want it to go to VGAP. I didn't think 2 that million I think VGAP wanted million went to VGAP. But what was the remaining amount? Because 2,000,000 went to the creative Oh, that's yes. Right. Maybe

[Edye Graning (Vice Chair)]: that was that.

[Michael Marcotte (Chair)]: That's no way because that is not sheer. Right. The RTCs were were looking for $60,000 for a consultant.

[Edye Graning (Vice Chair)]: Oh, research to yeah. For the economic development. So that was they were talking about a consultant to design economic incentive programs other than that was within the governance process. They were trying to get that money in. Yeah.

[Michael Marcotte (Chair)]: That's something that came out of that seat out of that seat.

[Edye Graning (Vice Chair)]: Came out of the Betsy retreat.

[Michael Marcotte (Chair)]: Mhmm.

[Edye Graning (Vice Chair)]: Was 40 to $60,000 for to design economic development or economic incentive programs that target different businesses than Veggie does. Do

[Rick Siegel (Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel)]: you want

[Michael Marcotte (Chair)]: to include that in the letter?

[Jonathan Cooper (Member)]: Did Pepsi make that request of us at any point, or were we just hearing that kinda secondhand from the RDCs?

[Edye Graning (Vice Chair)]: Pepsi made I think Pepsi made the request to the governor, but the governor did not include it, and they did not take it in further. So I think that was the RBCs picking up the time. So, I mean

[Michael Marcotte (Chair)]: Okay.

[Edye Graning (Vice Chair)]: It's useful work, but I'm not sure that I'm supportive of it if we keep spinning our wheels on veggie, though. It

[Michael Marcotte (Chair)]: could

[Edye Graning (Vice Chair)]: be the thing that gets us an answer to not keep going back to the thing that everyone fights over.

[Michael Marcotte (Chair)]: Well, still think the Veggie program and the TIF program are important tools that we have. But are there other things? I think the question is, what other tool can we develop that can help our business community?

[Edye Graning (Vice Chair)]: Yeah. And I think what we learned in that full day retreat I mean, it was very interesting, and we certainly learned about there's a very narrow band of businesses that Veggie works for. I think there's concern that there is not the internal capability to develop incentive program that would target the right businesses and also be cost effective. And that this consulting company that did the full data treat, that's kind of what they do. And they know what all the different states are doing. My understanding at the time was that it would be probably about $40,000 for them to design alternatives tailored to Vermont, to our scale, to our needs, to our businesses. I think it would be a really worthwhile design. If it was tied to It could be as part of our conversation about veggie, but originally I thought it made sense to do some adapting of veggie, but I think Veggie has a long history. It works for a narrow band of businesses. And so designing new tools, I certainly support that. Jonathan?

[Jonathan Cooper (Member)]: Sorry about that. Yeah. So I'm thinking about that senate bill that sort of includes language around a task force that identifies sort of business services or supports, the business experience in Vermont. I'm wondering if an appropriate vehicle for developing such potential activities as opposed to a consultant. But I'm thinking of our sister state program, for example, which seem to be people, you know, sort of appointed through a legislative process coming up with things and a program that they think really works. Also, taking a look at what's available outside of the state, etcetera, and modeling, basing things on existing models, tweaking it towards a Vermont, sort of centric perspective. Yeah. I sort of you know, and then it's all a matter of, like, well, which consultant did you get? And they tell you what they told they'll ask people that ask them what what to do. So I'm a little I'd prefer to see it through the a task force kind of a thing, but since we don't really know what I mean, maybe we don't know how that's gonna pan out. But that's a perspective I wanted to share.

[Michael Marcotte (Chair)]: I I'm inclined to just not put anything in right now and wait to see what we get from Yeah. From economic development on the senate side where we could that's not in there. It's something you could develop. You know, I think I agree with Jonathan that you can hire a consultant and tell them what you wanna hear. That's what they've developed for you. So Yeah. So why don't you call me to put a hold on that? Everybody I I agree. I need the task force. It's also the

[Edye Graning (Vice Chair)]: right place to develop the requirements.

[Rick Siegel (Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel)]: So nothing for VIDA? No. Pepsi in this case? None. So that's all you had last year for economic development. So if you wanna add new things Just looking see.

[Michael Marcotte (Chair)]: RPC didn't have anything.

[Edye Graning (Vice Chair)]: So the Vermont Outdoor Business Alliance did ask for a $100,000 in one time funds for an outdoor entrepreneur program.

[Michael Marcotte (Chair)]: That That's not that would be out of Parks and Oh, okay. Parks, Parks, Recreation. Recreation. Okay. Okay. What's the next piece then?

[Rick Siegel (Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel)]: Last year, you had some education fund appropriations, Vermont Virtual High School, dual enrollment programs, early college, I don't add.

[Michael Marcotte (Chair)]: We didn't hear anything on that here.

[Edye Graning (Vice Chair)]: We did. So there was one thing that was in the documents, but I'm not so sure how much she talked about it and testimony, which was from Vermont State University, 1,500,000.0 for one time money for the rural micro credential and certificate extension. It was in her document. It was in her slides, but I think she was talking about it now. Yeah. I think it was maybe when something was trying to get through the government's budget, and she's not pushing it further.

[Rick Siegel (Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel)]: ESAC, some appropriations.

[Michael Marcotte (Chair)]: This is putting us in the whole education sphere. We have requests from UVM on utilizing the trust fund, the higher ed trust fund at $15,000,000 to provide for a multipurpose facility. I don't know if that's their privacy, but

[Rick Siegel (Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel)]: I'll try to organize it. Education

[Michael Marcotte (Chair)]: panel. Here it is.

[Unidentified Member (possibly Herb Olson)]: How is the high rate fund funded? General fund? Or No. It's

[Michael Marcotte (Chair)]: Special fund. It's special fund from Estate tax. Estate tax that over and above a certain amount. 5,000,000. Yes. And they received a big input, dollars 5,000,000. From that?

[Edye Graning (Vice Chair)]: The estate taxes? What we quote, yes.

[Michael Marcotte (Chair)]: Not education? No. This a trust fund that's been set up for higher education. It's divided up between state colleges and CCI and UBM.

[Unidentified Member (possibly Herb Olson)]: So we're talking in this item on allocation of those monies, or what are we doing? The

[Michael Marcotte (Chair)]: has been paid by UBM Yeah. To utilize $15,000,000 of funds to basically get UBM for their multipurpose

[Unidentified Member (possibly Herb Olson)]: center. And this authorization is needed to do that?

[Michael Marcotte (Chair)]: Yeah. Because the the trust fund is specific to provide some pushers for hiring. I see. So this would be a digital use. This would be different. Is

[Jonathan Cooper (Member)]: is this the thing that is to be known as the Tarrant Center, or does that?

[Michael Marcotte (Chair)]: Yeah. Yeah.

[Jonathan Cooper (Member)]: Okay. Thank you.

[Edye Graning (Vice Chair)]: I know we we mentioned to them or asked them if they were coordinating with the conference center folks. Does that does that complicate this at all? I think they're coordinating with them, but the It doesn't I mean, I think everybody's I mean, convention center folks are supportive of this. And I think the convention center task force wants to continue exploring. Whether it's whether the Terrance Center ultimately is the Convention Center, or whether there's something else needed.

[Michael Marcotte (Chair)]: I will tell you that the Education Committee is not supportive of using the trust fund to provide with this. I am supportive of this multi use center that could ultimately become the convention center for Vermont. But I don't I am not I don't think that the trust fund is the right fund to use to fund them. I think the trust fund is to help Vermonters in education, in our universities and colleges.

[Unidentified Member (possibly Herb Olson)]: Plus, might be a little premature. In other words, the convention center work is

[Michael Marcotte (Chair)]: still being

[Edye Graning (Vice Chair)]: I can tell you that afterwards. Well It's that incentives have to partially bill.

[Michael Marcotte (Chair)]: Yeah. They've already yeah. UVM has already had some dollars. I think the testimony we received from president Trump when she was here talks about they had $70,000,000 invested already, but they need an additional 70, I think.

[Edye Graning (Vice Chair)]: 50, if that was very impressive.

[Michael Marcotte (Chair)]: Yeah. There have been a couple

[Edye Graning (Vice Chair)]: of donors, from what I understand, who have said they will donate x into state, Olson, with So its money state money will help left groups and private parties.

[Unidentified Member (possibly Herb Olson)]: Because I support the concept of the convention center, I think it's really important, and just trying to have trust point out how these numbers fit into that purpose.

[Michael Marcotte (Chair)]: Or how the trust fund fits into that purpose.

[Edye Graning (Vice Chair)]: I just wonder if we can say we support this, but we don't support the money coming from the higher ed trust fund. That's just

[Michael Marcotte (Chair)]: I like that, I don't like them cannibalizing funds from other places. If it was underutilized, maybe, but I Higher Ed Trust Fund. But I have a feeling it's not underutilized.

[Edye Graning (Vice Chair)]: Because it's a capital project. I wonder if you can get monies from elsewhere. I want you set a precedent that it's

[Michael Marcotte (Chair)]: going to get rated regularly. Exactly.

[Edye Graning (Vice Chair)]: I mean, I do support looking at the trust fund for how big should it get, and in terms of the way it's been operating, to use the interest rate. So I do think a really good analysis of what is the appropriate size of it, and then using over the trust Maybe there's a floor, and then over that could be used for But it should be used for the purpose of the trust fund it's set up for, which is for the leakage. But we do know that

[Michael Marcotte (Chair)]: State College, Vermont University, are looking to continue the Freedom and Humanity scholarship program that they started last year. We started with 1 time dollars or 1.5. This year, they're looking at 2,300,000.0 to not only continue it, but to increase the the increase the

[Edye Graning (Vice Chair)]: level of income

[Michael Marcotte (Chair)]: levels of.

[Edye Graning (Vice Chair)]: So that could come. So I

[Michael Marcotte (Chair)]: think that we could support utilizing 2,300,000.0 of these funds to provide state university, non state funding to continue the Freedom and Immunity Scholarship Program, which would increase the income levels from, I think it's 60,000 to 80,000.

[Edye Graning (Vice Chair)]: I think it is. The dollar that they're requesting is 2.312548. Say it again. 312,548.

[Rick Siegel (Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel)]: It's a different line item. But it's

[Michael Marcotte (Chair)]: still gonna fall within utilizing a higher education shutdown. Mike, would that be a one time time proposal? It might It a one time Yeah. And I think maybe

[Edye Graning (Vice Chair)]: They'd like it to become part of the base trust fund, but that's, again, a bigger conversation about

[Michael Marcotte (Chair)]: That's what I think we that in there that I don't know.

[Rick Siegel (Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel)]: Is this to? This is

[Michael Marcotte (Chair)]: to Well, this is gonna be this is to appropriations, but No.

[Rick Siegel (Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel)]: I mean, it's like who's the application to? Is it to the Vermont State University? Remind me this, what's the name of the scholarship? Freedom and Unity.

[Edye Graning (Vice Chair)]: You might have budget number. It's P1100B, SmallB.

[Rick Siegel (Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel)]: Debating whether or to add those. I took I'm taking them out as I go. No. I can't add them back in. You wanna add language about you wanna make it base funding, or is that something you wanna leave out for now?

[Michael Marcotte (Chair)]: I think that's the discussion that that think the education committee needs to have priority on this committee.

[Edye Graning (Vice Chair)]: Depends on where the money comes from.

[Michael Marcotte (Chair)]: Well, I mean, we're we're saying take it from

[Edye Graning (Vice Chair)]: from the higher ed. Are. We are. Yeah. I would I would support that. It's a high priority.

[Michael Marcotte (Chair)]: High priority? Yeah. Yes. It's a very response. Right. Okay.

[Rick Siegel (Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel)]: This is a ESAC dual enrollment need based stipend.

[Edye Graning (Vice Chair)]: So this year, they're saying oh, I see. Half from general fund, half from Edmont. This is the Edmont. Yep. Okay. With you. Sorry. That's the same amount. That's the same amount for the last three years.

[Michael Marcotte (Chair)]: Okay. I think we can leave that. Leave this in here.

[Rick Siegel (Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel)]: Are they using the same language in the budget?

[Edye Graning (Vice Chair)]: I'm assuming they are, but it's identical from 'twenty five and 'twenty six in the 'twenty seven budget.

[Michael Marcotte (Chair)]: Need to look at budget as far as other pieces these are they still The advancement grants, I think what we can say is if you support the 3% increase to

[Edye Graning (Vice Chair)]: The VSEK advancement grants.

[Michael Marcotte (Chair)]: I think we can look at that. We can give that to you. They're looking to make yeah. They're looking to make that 2.3 to freedom of unity in base funding, but

[Rick Siegel (Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel)]: we're suggesting something else.

[Michael Marcotte (Chair)]: Right. Yeah. We'll get you the exact budget summary that we can put in. I think it's those are all things that will support the family fees to, like, the advantage in grains, things like that, that we should have in there just saying that we support it.

[Rick Siegel (Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel)]: Under the same bullet point or under a sub bullet point?

[Michael Marcotte (Chair)]: Yeah, under a sub like BZAC. And actually, the Freedom and Unity scholarship would be run through the exact anyway. It's Vermont. We heard the request was 600,000.

[Rick Siegel (Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel)]: 600? K. For the same my future BT? Yes. K.

[Unidentified Member (possibly Herb Olson)]: This is a program that we support very much. I think it represents some folks trying to fill a gap in terms of adult education and CTE. So I support it. I'm just worried about their future. I'm trying to articulate in this way that's, I guess, appropriate to this letter, but it would be really nice to see some sort of thoughts from the agency and the administration about how to make this a permanent part of our education structure. It might be beyond the scope of this letter, but that's the type of thing that I'm concerned about.

[Edye Graning (Vice Chair)]: And that conversation did happen. So

[Michael Marcotte (Chair)]: I mean, they continue to work with Department of Labor. I think that still the new job length is still at least another year out. That's been in the making since 2018 or 2019. And Advanced My Future BT from Advanced Vermont is still back at. Yeah. And it's highly used by all the high schools.

[Unidentified Member (possibly Herb Olson)]: Just seems to be a really good model. I mean, it's not just adult, it's I think a CTE type of thing, and maybe we can pick it up when we talk about CTE. I just think it's a useful model and somehow it doesn't seem to be a priority of the administration. I'll stop.

[Michael Marcotte (Chair)]: K. There's

[Rick Siegel (Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel)]: some VESAC language here that we had last year that was not in the budget, so it's kinda got a separate little.

[Michael Marcotte (Chair)]: Scholarship due to immunity. I think they wound up getting 1,500,000. 1.5, okay. This advanced Vermont will have find wanna look look back at Tom's presentation, but I think there was additional he needed additional supports, pardon me, remembering right, for another FTE or another one and a half FTE, go around the state to assist students and schools.

[Edye Graning (Vice Chair)]: Think The 22 FTE to support. School. Yeah. Somebody Can you

[Michael Marcotte (Chair)]: send that to Rick, then he can put that in? The committee is supportive of that? Yep. But we supported with 600 and supported making it a high priority. Mhmm. K.

[Jonathan Cooper (Member)]: I'm not as supportive of it being a high priority. I I've still been trying to find the the lasting value in the website. So it's it's I'm still just not I know how it's important to others in the room. I'm it has been elusive for me to really see the critical nature of it.

[Michael Marcotte (Chair)]: I'm okay with normal. I want to change to normal for me. Yep. This is another place where we could look at the dollars from the OL reversion is the place to get some money from. Yeah. We're gonna stop here. We have to get to the floor. We have two bills on the floor today.

[Unidentified Member (possibly Herb Olson)]: Yes. We do.

[Michael Marcotte (Chair)]: The active support. Abbey and Herb? Yes. Achieved. So we're back. I I want to talk to continue this process. I have to fight it. Fast as we're moving here, we can

[Edye Graning (Vice Chair)]: Push some other things.

[Michael Marcotte (Chair)]: Push some other things out. We need to get this to propose. So with that, Jonathan, we can go off live. We'll be back at one.