Building a Stronger Vermont Together: 2025 Legislative Priorities

2025 Legislative Agenda

Building a Stronger Vermont Together

Trusted by the businesses that make living, working, and thriving in Vermont possible, the Vermont Chamber prioritizes collaboration and upholds the core values that define our state. As the preeminent not-for-profit statewide business organization, we advocate, build community, and provide resources for businesses statewide.

Last year, the Vermont Chamber of Commerce focused on collaborative solutions to address the state’s pressing challenges, and as we move into 2025, this commitment to balanced, data-driven, and pragmatic approaches remains strong. Through continuous engagement with legislators, businesses, and local stakeholders, the Vermont Chamber actively shapes legislative priorities that strengthen Vermont’s economy and improve quality of life for all Vermonters.

Megan Sullivan

she/her

Vice President of Government Affairs

Advocacy Pillars

The Vermont Chamber is committed to working with legislators, businesses, and communities to build a stronger Vermont. Our 2025 Legislative Agenda outlines a roadmap to achieve economic growth, affordability, and a high quality of life for all Vermonters.

Affordability Through Critical Reforms

Rising costs without improved outcomes are a significant concern for Vermont businesses and residents. In 2025, the Vermont Chamber will advocate for critical reforms that address the root causes of these cost drivers, without resorting to increased taxes on businesses and residents. Instead, the Vermont Chamber will focus on identifying and advocating for practical reforms that achieve meaningful cost reductions.

Key Policy Areas

  • Education
  • Healthcare
  • Housing
  • Fiscal Policy

Incremental Progress Toward Aspirational Goals

The Vermont Chamber recognizes the need for measured progress on key long-term goals. By working collaboratively with legislators and stakeholders, the Vermont Chamber seeks to implement practical solutions that sustainably address challenges.

Key Policy Areas

  • Data Privacy
  • Early Childhood Education
  • Environment and Energy

Innovative Solutions for People and Places

Vermont faces a pressing need for more housing and a larger workforce. The Vermont Chamber believes that innovative solutions are needed to address these challenges. This includes strategic investments in housing development and critical infrastructure and efforts to promote Vermont as a desirable destination for workers and families. Creating a branding tool kit to attract new residents with diverse skills and experiences, Vermont can meet its workforce needs and ensure continued economic growth.

Key Policy Areas

  • Workforce
  • Economic Development
  • Community Development

“Rising Stars” Awarded to Amy Spear and Megan Sullivan

“Rising Stars” Awarded to Amy Spear and Megan Sullivan

Amy Spear, VP of Tourism, and Megan Sullivan, VP of Government Affairs were selected for their outstanding contributions to the Vermont economy and their communities. The Rising Star Awards honor 40 of Vermont’s most accomplished young leaders under the age of 40. This year’s recipients were chosen from 130 nominations and joined the ranks of 641 honorees selected in the last 14 years.

Amy has been with the Vermont Chamber since 2019, overseeing tourism division activities, and is a member of the advocacy team specializing in tourism and hospitality issues. Megan joined the Vermont Chamber team in 2021 as the advocacy team lead, directing government affairs work with the mission of advancing the Vermont economy. Amy and Megan are featured in the November issue of VermontBiz.

Vermont Chamber of Commerce Hosts 10th Annual Manufacturing Summit

Vermont Chamber of Commerce Hosts 10th Annual Manufacturing Summit

For a decade, the Vermont Chamber has brought together industry peers to facilitate sourcing and procurement opportunities at the Manufacturing Summit. OEM buyers, suppliers, and partners from across the United States and Canada convened at the event to strengthen supply chains and advance the Vermont economy. The event featured two days of virtual matchmaking, a robust seminar agenda, and an in-person networking reception.

Paradigm shifts brought on by the pandemic impacted global supply chains, causing businesses to modify their sourcing strategies. The Vermont Chamber’s Manufacturing Summit has met this challenge by innovating the event into a hybrid agenda. This year, 335 meetings between 90 suppliers and 24 OEMs, prime contractors, and government agencies took place. Many of the participants were leaders in the aerospace, aviation, defense, naval, marine, semiconductor, and space industries.

The 2023 Manufacturing Summit also marked the 10th anniversary of a collaboration agreement between Aéro Montréal and the Vermont Chamber. The Vermont-Québec Aerospace Trade Corridor links Vermont’s $2 billion aerospace manufacturing and civil aviation industry with the $18 billion Québec aerospace cluster. The corridor also extends to Connecticut and Ontario.

“Since 2013, the Vermont Chamber has built a legacy of strengthening Vermont’s manufacturing industry. Our advocacy work focuses on supportive tax policy and our supply chain matchmaking skills give Vermont businesses a competitive advantage. The Manufacturing Summit is the pinnacle of our year-round efforts to create a niche network of industry peers that enables supply chain opportunities in Vermont, New England, and Canada,” stated Chris Carrigan, Vice President of Business Development for the Vermont Chamber. “It was particularly exciting to produce this year’s event during Manufacturing Month, a time when the industry’s critical contributions to the national, state, and local economy are on full display.”

Several foreign and state dignitaries were present at the networking reception in Burlington, including Acting Consul General and Senior Trade Commissioner Dina Santos, Québec Delegate to New England Marie-Claude Francoeur, President of Aéro Montréal Mélanie Lussier, Treasurer Mike Pieciak, Commissioner Joan Goldstein, members of the Vermont Legislature, and representatives from the offices of Senator Bernie Sanders, Senator Peter Welch, and Congresswoman Becca Balint.

Vermont Chamber Brings Together Chris Graff and Garrett Graff for First Joint Appearance, a Discussion on Politics and the Media

Vermont Chamber Brings Together Chris Graff and Garrett Graff for First Joint Appearance, a Discussion on Politics and the Media

On September 28, 2023, the Vermont Chamber of Commerce hosted an exclusive event featuring Chris Graff and Garrett Graff at the Flynn Space in Burlington Vermont. The father-son duo took the stage at “An Evening With the Graffs” to discuss the intricate relationship between the media and politics.

Garrett Graff and Chris Graff in conversation with Megan Sullivan, VP of Government Affairs.

Both Chris and Garrett Graff are esteemed journalists, authors, and political commentators with deep Vermont roots. The event focused on the ramifications of a rapidly changing media landscape nationally, and right here at home in Vermont. In particular, the Graffs focused on how social media and the 24-hour news cycles have influenced public opinion and impacted civic engagement as well as examined the rise of opinion-driven journalism and the proliferation of misinformation.

Chris Graff, a veteran Vermont reporter, served as the long-time Vermont AP bureau chief and host of “Vermont This Week.” In his decades with the AP, he covered the critical stories as the state transformed itself from a rural, Republican outpost into the state of Howard Dean, Jim Jeffords, Patrick Leahy, and Bernie Sanders.

Chris Graff stated, “We are incredibly lucky here in Vermont. Something special about our politicians that has remained true is their accessibility. We’ve seen our politicians succeed in presidential campaigns because we have something that the rest of America wants. When we ask our politicians a question we expect to get an answer, and we do.”

Garrett Graff is a Pulitzer Prize finalist, distinguished magazine journalist, internationally bestselling historian, and regular TV commentator and producer. He is recognized as one of the nation’s most prolific and wide-ranging journalists and historians. He offered a robust perspective on how political and geopolitical trends will shape the next decade. Specifically, how the current media landscape underscores that younger generations are the first in U.S. history to be less prosperous than their parents.

“The press is the only industry mentioned by name in the Constitution,” said Garrett Graff. “With a political landscape changing faster than we as a society can process it, and a void of national journalism rising to the occasion, younger generations are entering the workforce amid an excess of misinformation. Modern journalism too often covers the state of an issue rather than the stakes, and this is central to its failings.”

“The Vermont Chamber is proud to have brought these two incredible Vermonters together on stage for the first time,” said Vermont Chamber President Betsy Bishop. “Together, Chris and Garret have a combined 50 years of perspective on the rapidly changing media landscape, and how this has impacted political discourse and policymaking. We hope to see their shared expertise on display again very soon. ”

Chris Graff displays a photo of Garrett Graff conducting his “first interview” with Governor Madeleine Kunin as a young aspiring reporter.

Vermont Chamber Helps Secure $9.9 Million Investment for New Aviation and Aerospace Manufacturing Workforce Training Center

Vermont Chamber Helps Secure $9.9 Million Investment for New Aviation and Aerospace Manufacturing Workforce Training Center

The Vermont Chamber played an integral role in writing a congressional earmark application to U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy on behalf of the Burlington Technical Center for a new school that will further propel Vermont’s aerospace manufacturing and civil aviation industry. Combined with the Vermont Chamber’s legislative win in making permanent the 6% aviation sales tax exemption, the new school will elevate Vermont’s $2 billion aerospace and aviation industry.

The funding, announced by the current Vermont Congressional Delegation, will be administered by the United States Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology and aims to serve up to 150 Vermont high school students and adults each year. Senator Bernie Sanders, Senator Peter Welch, and Representative Becca Balint stated, “Training young people in new and emerging technologies and reskilling workers in the field are equally essential to fostering a strong workforce in Vermont. The Vermonters trained here will play an important role in securing Vermont’s sustainable future through the growth of electric aviation. This investment is thanks to the dedication of Senator Leahy and his staff, the Burlington School District, and our forward-thinking, community-based aviation and aerospace industries in Vermont.”

Vermont Chamber Staff Earn 2023 Rising Star Awards

Vermont Chamber Staff Earn 2023 Rising Star Awards

Two members of the Vermont Chamber team have been announced as recipients of a Rising Star award. Amy Spear, VP of Tourism, and Megan Sullivan, VP of Government Affairs earned the honor which selects outstanding young leaders for contributions to the Vermont economy and their community.

Amy Spear, VP of Tourism (Left), Megan Sullivan, VP of Government Affairs (Right)

Amy and Megan will join the full 2023 class of awardees at an event hosted by VermontBiz on November 2nd and will also be featured in the November issue of VermontBiz. The Rising Stars honor 40 of Vermont’s most accomplished young leaders under the age of 40. Amy has been with the Vermont Chamber since 2019, overseeing tourism division activities, and is a member of the advocacy team specializing in tourism and hospitality issues. Megan joined the Vermont Chamber team in 2021 as the advocacy team lead, directing government affairs work with the mission of advancing the Vermont economy. This year’s class also included professionals from several member businesses:

  • Alex Adams – Green Mountain Power
  • Ike Bendavid – WCAX Channel 3 News
  • Ravi Bidichandani – PC Construction
  • Ryan Black-Deegan – Davis & Hodgdon CPAs
  • Melissa Bounty – Central Vermont Economic Development Corporation
  • Jennifer duToit Barrett – The Vermont Community Foundation
  • Phillip Foy – Encore Renewable Energy
  • Anna Grearson – Union Mutual
  • Olivia Lyons – Chamber & Economic Development of the Rutland Region
  • Maddy Murray-Clasen – Green Mountain Power
  • Megan Roush – Vermont Housing Finance Agency

Resiliency Must be Central to Housing Development Policy

Resiliency Must be Central to Housing Development Policy

With Act 250 modernization on the table this upcoming legislative session, the Vermont Chamber is advocating for smart growth housing development in Vermont to have an emphasis on climate resiliency. Specifically, on the need to include resiliency efforts in downtown and village center development. Smart growth also needs to expand beyond existing high-density locations to include areas that are safe from floodplains and other high-risk land.

With major flooding events occurring more frequently in high-density areas, legislators must examine if smart growth means filling in the empty space in these areas, even if they are prone to flooding. Downtown and village center housing projects are often aimed at low and moderate-income Vermonters, those least likely to be able to rebound from a catastrophic loss. When the legislature examines housing and changes to Act 250 it will be paramount to reconsider what smart growth for housing in a resilient Vermont should look like.

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Businesses Need Immediate Financial Assistance, and Time, to Recover

Businesses Need Immediate Financial Assistance, and Time, to Recover

The House Commerce and Economic Development Committee and the Senate Economic Development Committee held a joint hearing on flood recovery and relief. In testimony, the Vermont Chamber urged legislators to consider that this climate disaster comes on the heels of years of economic disaster for businesses. Our team is encouraging legislators to consider a grant push now and additional funding when they return to the State House in January. We are also advocating for time. Time to recover from all the chaos in the last several years. Policymakers will need to be committed to business recovery for the long haul. Looking ahead to January, they must remember these hearings and hold the anxiety of these businesses in their deliberations. 

Over the last 12 months, businesses have dealt with an economic disaster with quickly rising interest rates and inflation on top of workforce and housing shortages. While inflation is now down to 3% from a high of 9%, the lack of workers in Vermont shows zero signs of change. Additionally, there are new taxes and regulations effective this year that must be incorporated into business plans and the lingering financial and mental impacts of the pandemic. Many businesses are being forced to decide if they have enough mental and financial fortitude to continue to operate. Meanwhile, Vermont cannot afford to lose them. They are the pulse of our economy.  

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SBA Offers Disaster Assistance to Businesses & Residents of Vermont Affected by Storms & Flooding

SBA Offers Disaster Assistance to Businesses & Residents of Vermont Affected by Storms & Flooding

The Small Business Association (SBA) is offering disaster assistance to businesses & residents of Vermont following the announcement of a Presidential disaster declaration due to damages from severe storms and flooding that began on July 7. Visit disasterloanassistance.sba.gov/ela/s/ or call 1-800-659-2955 to learn more.

Low-interest loans are available to Vermonters for:

  • Physical Damage to Business: Loan of up to $2 million to qualified businesses or most private nonprofit organizations
  • Economic (non-physical) Damage Assistance: Eligible small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, and most private nonprofit organizations could receive additional support for non-physical damage.

SBA Business Recovery Centers are opening for Customer Service Representatives to assist business owners and residents in filling out a disaster loan application, accept documents for existing applications, and provide updates on an application’s status. Centers will operate as indicated below until further notice:

Business Recovery Center – Washington County

Vermont Chamber of Commerce

751 Granger Road

Berlin, VT 05641

Opening: Tuesday, July 18, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Hours: Monday to Saturday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Closed: Sunday

 

Business Recovery Center – Windsor County

Engel & Völkers Okemo Building

126 Main Street

Ludlow, VT 05149

Opening: Wednesday. July 19, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Hours: Monday to Sunday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

 

Additional resources are available on our flood recovery resources page. 

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Severe Weather – Business Recovery

Severe Weather – Business Recovery

The Vermont Chamber is here to support businesses statewide with recovery efforts and our experienced and trusted team is on hand to listen, and assist. As we begin to understand the full extent of the damage caused by severe weather, there are initial steps we encourage businesses to take.

State emergency management officials and recovery resources are accessible at vermont211.org and by calling 2-1-1. In the event of an emergency, Vermonters should call 9-1-1. Vermonters should sign up to receive emergency alerts and observe road closures and power outages.

Governor Scott’s request for an emergency declaration for all 14 counties has been accepted by President Biden to allow for federal disaster relief resources to be deployed. State Emergency Management officials will be working with FEMA and the U.S. Small Business Administration on a disaster declaration which will allow for federal assistance in repairing damage from this storm. The Vermont Chamber is committed to connecting businesses with resources to aid in recovery and will send information as it becomes available.

What businesses can do right now:

  • Document the damage to your business and inventory via photos and videos when it is safe to do so.
  • Make a list of damaged or lost items and, if possible, include the date of purchase, value, and receipts.
  • Contact your insurance company to file a claim or understand what losses may be covered.

The Vermont Chamber is steadfast in our commitment to helping the Vermont business community recover from these catastrophic events. Please tell us what you’ll need to recover so we can connect you with resources and communicate needs with state and federal agencies: info@vtchamber.com

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