Vermont State Legislature

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Vermont State Legislature

Seal of Vermont.png
General information
Type:   State legislature
Term limits:   None
Session start:   January 3, 2024
Website:   Official Legislature Page
Leadership
Senate President:   David Zuckerman (D)
House Speaker:  Jill Krowinski (D)
Majority Leader:   Senate: Alison Clarkson (D)
House: Emily Long (D)
Minority Leader:   Senate: Randy Brock (R)
House: Patricia McCoy (R)
Structure
Members:  30 (Senate), 150 (House)
Length of term:   2 years (Senate), 2 years (House)
Authority:   Section 7 of the Legislative Department of the Vermont Constitution
Salary:   $811.68/week during session + per diem
Elections
Last election:  November 8, 2022
Next election:  November 5, 2024
Redistricting:  Vermont Legislature has control

The Vermont General Assembly is the state legislature of Vermont. The legislature is formally known as the "General Assembly," but the title "legislature" is commonly used by both the body itself and by those outside of it.[1] The legislature is a bicameral assembly, consisting of the 150-member Vermont House of Representatives and the 30-member Vermont State Senate.

Members of the House and Senate are elected by popular district vote to two-year terms. Following the 2020 census, the Vermont State Legislature underwent redistricting. The House added five additional districts. Of the 109 districts, 66 are represented by one member, while the remaining 43 are represented by two members.[2] The Senate added three additional districts. Of the 16 districts, seven of the districts are represented by one member, while nine are represented by two or three members.[3]

Following the 2010 census, the Vermont State Legislature underwent redistricting. The House had 58 districts represented by one member each, while 46 districts were represented by two members each. The Senate consisted of 30 senators elected by 13 districts. Ten districts were represented by multiple members, while three were represented by one member each.[4]

The Vermont General Assembly meets at the State House in Montpelier.

Vermont has a divided government where neither party holds a trifecta. The Republican Party controls the office of governor, while the Democratic Party controls both chambers of the state legislature.

See also: Vermont House of Representatives, Vermont State Senate, Vermont Governor

Elections

2024

See also: Vermont State Senate elections, 2024 and Vermont House of Representatives elections, 2024

Elections for the Vermont State Senate will take place in 2024. The general election is on November 5, 2024. A primary is August 13, 2024. The filing deadline is May 30, 2024.

Elections for the Vermont House of Representatives will take place in 2024. The general election is on November 5, 2024. A primary is August 13, 2024. The filing deadline is May 30, 2024.

2022

See also: Vermont State Senate elections, 2022 and Vermont House of Representatives elections, 2022

Elections for the Vermont State Senate took place in 2022. The general election was on November 8, 2022. A primary was scheduled for August 9, 2022. The filing deadline was May 26, 2022.

Elections for the Vermont House of Representatives took place in 2022. The general election was on November 8, 2022. A primary was scheduled for August 9, 2022. The filing deadline was May 26, 2022.

2020

See also: Vermont State Senate elections, 2020 and Vermont House of Representatives elections, 2020

Elections for the office of Vermont State Senate took place in 2020. The general election was held on November 3, 2020. A primary was scheduled for August 11, 2020. The filing deadline was May 28, 2020.

Elections for the office of Vermont House of Representatives took place in 2020. The general election was held on November 3, 2020. A primary was scheduled for August 11, 2020. The filing deadline was May 28, 2020.

2018

See also: Vermont State Senate elections, 2018 and Vermont House of Representatives elections, 2018

Elections for the Vermont State Senate took place in 2018. An open primary election took place on August 14, 2018.[5] The general election was held on November 6, 2018. The candidate filing deadline was May 31, 2018.[6]

Elections for the Vermont House of Representatives took place in 2018. An open primary election took place on August 14, 2018.[7] The general election was held on November 6, 2018. The candidate filing deadline was May 31, 2018.[8]

2016

See also: Vermont State Senate elections, 2016 and Vermont House of Representatives elections, 2016

Elections for the Vermont State Senate took place in 2016. The primary election took place on August 9, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was May 26, 2016.

Elections for the Vermont House of Representatives took place in 2016. The primary election took place on August 9, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was May 26, 2016.

2014

See also: Vermont State Senate elections, 2014 and Vermont House of Representatives elections, 2014

Elections for the Vermont State Senate took place in 2014. A primary election took place on August 26, 2014. The general election was held on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was June 12, 2014.

Elections for the Vermont House of Representatives took place in 2014. A primary election took place on August 26, 2014. The general election was held on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was June 12, 2014.

2012

See also: Vermont State Senate elections, 2012 and Vermont House of Representatives elections, 2012

Elections for the office of Vermont State Senate took place in 2012. The primary election was held on August 28, 2012, and the general election was held on November 6, 2012. The candidate filing deadline was June 14, 2012.

Elections for the office of Vermont House of Representatives took place in 2012. The primary election was held on August 28, 2012, and the general election was held on November 6, 2012. The candidate filing deadline was June 14, 2012.

2010

See also: Vermont State Senate elections, 2010 and Vermont House of Representatives elections, 2010

Elections for the office of Vermont State Senate took place in 2010. The primary election was held on August 24, 2010, and the general election was held on November 2, 2010. The candidate filing deadline was July 19, 2010.

Elections for the office of Vermont House of Representatives took place in 2010. The primary election was held on August 24, 2010, and the general election was held on November 2, 2010. The candidate filing deadline was July 19, 2010.

Sessions

The Vermont State Legislature meets for biennial sessions starting in odd-numbered years on the first Wednesday after the first Monday in January, in keeping with Section 7 of the Legislative Department of the Vermont Constitution. The opening date for even-numbered years is established by the sitting legislature during the year prior.

2024

See also: 2024 Vermont legislative session and Dates of 2024 state legislative sessions

In 2024, the legislature was scheduled to convene on January 3, 2024, and adjourn on May 9, 2024.

2023

See also: 2023 Vermont legislative session and Dates of 2023 state legislative sessions

In 2023, the legislature was scheduled to convene on January 4, 2023, and adjourn on May 12, 2023.


Elections

Legislative elections are held in November of every even-numbered year. Representatives and senators serve two-year terms. One must be a resident of the state for the two years (and of the legislative district for the one year) immediately preceding the election in order to qualify for either chamber.

Leadership

The House is headed by the speaker of the House, while the Senate is headed by the state's lieutenant governor as the Senate president. The Senate president only casts a vote in the case of a tie. More often, the Senate is presided over by the president pro tempore, or temporary president.

Functions

The legislature is empowered to make law, subject to the governor's power to veto a bill. However, the veto may be overridden by the legislature if there is a two-thirds majority in favor of overriding in each chamber.

The legislature has the sole power to propose amendments to the Vermont Constitution. An amendment must originate in the Senate, where it must receive a two-thirds vote. After passing the Senate, it must also receive a majority vote in the House. Any amendment that passes both houses must be re-passed by majority votes after a newly elected legislature is seated—again, first in the Senate, then in the House. The proposed amendment must then be passed by a majority of the state's voters as a referendum. Only every other Senate session may initiate the amendment process. Thus, Senates elected in off-year (i.e., non-presidential) elections may initiate amendments, but not Senates elected during presidential elections. (See the Vermont Constitution, Chapter 2, Section 72.)

The role of minor parties

The General Assembly is notable for being the only state legislature in the United States with a significant minor-party presence. As of February 2021, seven members of the House and two members of the Senate belonged to the Vermont Progressive Party. Several other parties have won legislative seats, including the Green Party and the Liberty Union Party (based largely on the philosophy of Eugene V. Debs). Some members of the minor parties caucus with members of the Vermont Democratic Party.

Role in state budget

See also: Vermont state budget and finances
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The state operates on an annual budget cycle. The sequence of key events in the budget process is as follows:[17]

  1. Budget instructions are sent to state agencies in August or September of the year preceding the start of the new fiscal year.
  2. Agencies submit their budget requests to the governor in October.
  3. Agency hearings are held in October and November.
  4. The governor submits his or her proposed budget to the state legislature in January.
  5. The legislature typically passes a budget in May. A simple majority is required to pass a budget. The fiscal year begins July 1.

In Vermont, the governor cannot exercise veto authority over the budget.[17]

The governor is not legally required to submit—and the legislature is not legally required to pass—a balanced budget.[17]

Senate

The Vermont Senate is the upper house of the Vermont General Assembly. The Senate consists of 30 members. Senate districting divides the 30 members into three single-member districts, six two-member districts, three three-member districts and one six-member district.

As of the 2020 Census, Vermont state senators represented an average of 21,450 residents. After the 2010 Census, each member represented 21,011 residents.

There is no limit to the number of terms that a senator may serve.

Like other upper houses of state legislatures and the federal U.S. Senate, the Vermont Senate performs special functions such as confirming or rejecting gubernatorial appointments to executive departments, the state cabinet, commissions, boards, and electing members to the Vermont Supreme Court.

Senators are elected from a total of 13 Senate districts. The districts more or less correspond to the boundaries of the state's 14 counties (with adjustments to ensure equality of representation). Two small counties, Essex and Orleans, are combined into one district. Each district elects between one and six senators depending on its population.

Additionally, Vermont is one of 14 states in which members of the upper legislative house serve two-year terms rather than four-year terms.

Partisan composition

Party As of January 2024
     Democratic Party 22
     Republican Party 7
     Vermont Progressive Party 1
     Independent 0
     Vacancies 0
Total 30

Click here for a list of members of this chamber.

Democrats won control of the Vermont State Senate in 1996. In 2022, they won a 23-7 majority.

The table below shows the partisan history of the Vermont Senate following every general election from 1992 to 2022. All data from 2006 or earlier comes from Michael Dubin's Party Affiliations in the State Legislatures (McFarland Press, 2007). Data after 2006 was compiled by Ballotpedia staff.

Vermont State Senate election results: 1992-2022

Year '92 '94 '96 '98 '00 '02 '04 '06 '08 '10 '12 '14 '16 '18 '20 '22
Democrats 14 12 17 17 16 19 21 23 23 22 21 20 21 22 21 23
Republicans 16 18 13 13 14 11 9 7 7 8 7 9 7 6 7 7
Other 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 2 2 2 0

House of Representatives

The Vermont House of Representatives is the lower house of the Vermont General Assembly, comprising 150 members. Vermont legislative districting divides representing districts into 58 single-member districts and 46 two-member constituencies.

As of the 2020 Census, Vermont state representatives represented an average of 4,290 residents. After the 2010 Census, each member represented 4,202 residents.

Representatives are elected to two-year terms and are not subject to term limits.

Partisan composition

Party As of January 2024
     Democratic Party 106
     Republican Party 37
     Vermont Progressive Party 3
     Libertarian Party 1
     Independent 3
     Vacancies
Total 150

Click here for a list of members of this chamber.

Democrats won control of the Vermont House of Representatives in 2004. In 2022, they won a 109-38-3 majority.

The table below shows the partisan history of the Vermont House following every general election from 1992 to 2022. All data from 2006 or earlier comes from Michael Dubin's Party Affiliations in the State Legislatures (McFarland Press, 2007). Data after 2006 was compiled by Ballotpedia staff.

Vermont House of Representatives election results: 1992-2022

Year '92 '94 '96 '98 '00 '02 '04 '06 '08 '10 '12 '14 '16 '18 '20 '22
Democrats 87 86 88 77 62 70 83 93 95 94 98 85 83 95 92 109
Republicans 57 61 58 66 83 73 60 49 48 48 43 53 53 43 46 38
Other 6 3 4 7 5 7 7 8 7 8 9 12 14 12 12 3

District maps

State Senate


State House

Veto overrides

Veto Override Graphic-Democratic Party.png

See also: Veto overrides in state legislatures

State legislatures can override governors' vetoes. Depending on the state, this can be done during the regular legislative session, in a special session following the adjournment of the regular session, or during the next legislative session. The rules for legislative overrides of gubernatorial vetoes in Vermont are listed below.

How many legislators are required to vote for an override? Two-thirds of members present in both chambers.

Two-thirds of members present in both chambers must vote to override a veto. If all members are in attendance, this is 100 of the 150 members in the Vermont House of Representatives and 20 of the 30 members in the Vermont State Senate. Vermont is one of 36 states that requires a two-thirds vote from both of its legislative chambers to override a veto.

How can vetoes be overridden after the legislature has adjourned?

In 1995, the Legislature began setting a date to consider veto overrides in its annual adjournment resolution. This allows the legislature to hold sessions where it can override vetoes that occurred following adjournment.[18]

Authority: Legislative Department, Section 11 of the Vermont Constitution.

"Every bill which shall have passed the Senate and House of Representatives shall, before it becomes a law, be presented to the Governor; if the Governor approve, the Governor shall sign it; if not, the Governor shall return it, with objections in writing, to the House in which it shall have originated; which shall proceed to reconsider it. If, upon such reconsideration, two-thirds of the members present of that House shall pass the bill, it shall, together with the objections, be sent to the other House, by which it shall likewise be reconsidered, and if approved by two-thirds of the members present of that House, it shall become a law."

Redistricting

See also: Redistricting in Vermont

Because Vermont has only one congressional district, congressional redistricting is not necessary. The state legislature draws state legislative district lines with the assistance of an advisory commission. This advisory commission consists of the following members:[19]

  1. The governor appoints one member each from the state's political parties. To qualify for consideration in this context, a political party must have had "at least three state legislators for six of the previous 10 years."
  2. The chairs of the aforementioned political parties each appoint an additional member.
  3. The chief justice of the Vermont Supreme Court appoints the commission's chair.

Commissioners cannot be legislators, nor can they be employed by the legislature. The commission may make recommendations to the legislature, but these recommendations are non-binding.[19]

State law requires that state legislative districts be contiguous and compact and that they "adhere to county and other political subdivision boundaries, except where necessary to comply with other legal requirements." In addition, state statutes specify that districts should account for "patterns of geography, social interaction, trade, political ties, and common interests."[19]

2020

See also: Redistricting in Vermont after the 2020 census

Vermont Gov. Phil Scott (R) signed H722 on April 6, 2022, enacting new legislative districts for the state House and Senate.[20] The Vermont House of Representatives voted 129-13 to advance the state legislative redistricting bill on March 16.[21] On March 25, the Vermont State Senate unanimously approved H722, sending it to Scott.[22] These maps took effect for Vermont's 2022 legislative elections.


2010

See also: Redistricting in Vermont after the 2010 census

Vermont received its 2010 census data on February 10, 2011. The state grew by 2.8 percent. The most populous cities showed mixed growth results: Burlington grew by 9.1 percent, Essex grew by 5.2 percent, South Burlington grew by 13.2 percent, Colchester grew by 0.5 percent, and Rutland decreased by 4.6 percent.[23]

The 2011 redistricting process was notable for a push to eliminate nearly all of the state's multi-member districts. Though a preliminary plan that achieved this end was passed by the board, its final plan from August 11, 2011, only reduced the number of two-member districts from 42 to 29.

The legislature took up redistricting in January 2012. Despite disagreements over deviation from ideal district size (18.2 percent for the Senate and 24 percent for the House), the Senate passed and the House concurred with a final plan, H. 789. The plan added a new seat in Burlington and paired incumbents Dennis Devereux (R) and Eldred French (D). Governor Peter Shumlin (D) signed the maps into law on May 1, 2012.[24]

Legislators

Salaries

See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries
State legislative salaries, 2023
SalaryPer diem
$811.68/week during session$134/night for lodging and $69/day for meals

Pension

Vermont does not provide pensions for legislators.[25]

When sworn in

See also: When state legislators assume office after a general election

Vermont legislators assume office the first Wednesday after the first Monday in January.[26]

Standing committees

See also: Public policy in Vermont

The Vermont State Legislature has 13 joint standing committees:

History

Partisan balance 1992-2013

Who Runs the States Project
See also: Who Runs the States and Who Runs the States, Vermont
Partisan breakdown of the Vermont legislature from 1992 to 2013

Vermont Senate: From 1992 to 2013, Democrats held a majority in the Senate for 18 years while Republicans held a majority for four years. The Vermont State Senate was one of 16 state senates that were Democratic for more than 80 percent of the years between 1992 and 2013. Vermont was under Democratic trifectas for the final three years of the study.

Across the country, there were 541 Democratic and 517 Republican state senates from 1992 to 2013.

Vermont House: From 1992 to 2013, Democrats held a majority in the House of Representatives for 17 years while Republicans held a majority for five years. Vermont was under Democratic trifectas for the final three years of the study.

Across the country, there were 577 Democratic and 483 Republican State Houses of Representatives from 1992 to 2013.

Over the course of the 22-year study, state governments became increasingly more partisan. At the outset of the study period (1992), 18 of the 49 states with partisan legislatures had single-party trifectas and 31 states had divided governments. In 2013, only 13 states had divided governments, while single-party trifectas held sway in 36 states—the most in the 22 years studied.

The chart below shows the partisan composition of the Office of the Governor of Vermont, the Vermont State Senate and the Vermont House of Representatives from 1992 to 2013.

Partisan composition of Vermont state government(1992-2013).PNG

SQLI and partisanship

To read the full report on the State Quality of Life Index (SQLI) in PDF form, click here.

The chart below depicts the partisanship of the Vermont state government and the state's State Quality of Life Index (SQLI) ranking for the years studied. For the SQLI, the states were ranked from 1 to 50, with 1 being the best and 50 the worst. During the course of the study, Vermont had Democratic trifectas from 1997 to 2000 and from 2011 to 2013. Its lowest ranking, finishing 33rd, occurred in 2008 during a divided government. Its highest ranking, finishing 15th, also occurred during a divided government from 2003 to 2004.

Chart displaying the partisanship of the Vermont government from 1992 to 2013 and the State Quality of Life Index (SQLI)

Constitutional amendments

In every state but Delaware, voter approval is required to enact a constitutional amendment. In each state, the legislature has a process for referring constitutional amendments before voters. In 18 states, initiated constitutional amendments can be put on the ballot through a signature petition drive. There are also many other types of statewide measures.

The methods in which the Vermont Constitution can be amended:

See also: Amendments of the Vermont Constitution and Laws governing ballot measures in Vermont

Section 72 of the Vermont Constitution lays out the procedure governing changes to the Vermont Constitution. Vermont does not feature the power of initiative for either initiated state statutes or initiated constitutional amendments.

Legislature

See also: Legislatively referred constitutional amendment

A two-thirds (66.67%) vote is required in the Vermont State Senate and a simple majority vote is required in the Vermont House of Representatives in the first legislative session. A simple majority vote is required in both chambers in the second legislative session to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot. That amounts to a minimum of 20 votes in the Vermont State Senate and 76 votes in the Vermont House of Representatives in the first session and 16 votes in the state senate and 76 votes in the state house in the second session, assuming no vacancies. Amendments do not require the governor's signature to be referred to the ballot.

Convention

See also: Convention-referred constitutional amendment

The Vermont Constitution, like that of several other states, does not provide for constitutional conventions. Perhaps as a result, Vermont's current constitution is one of the oldest in the country, having been adopted in 1793. The Massachusetts Constitution is the only older constitution.

Although there are no provisions in the state's constitution governing the calling of a constitutional convention, in 1969, the Vermont State Legislature referred an advisory measure to the ballot which asked "Shall a Vermont Constitutional Convention be convened at the state house in Montpelier on October 6, 1969 to consider the following topics which shall receive a majority of the votes cast upon it in this election, and no others?" The question was rejected by the voters.



2025 measures:

See also: 2025 ballot measures

Certified:

The following measures have been certified for the ballot.

No measures to list


Potential:

The following measures have made it through one chamber—or one session for two session states—and may appear on the ballot in 2025.

No measures to list

2024 measures:

Below is a list of measures that were referred to the 2024 ballot by the legislature or that have made it approximately halfway through the process in the legislature for referral to the ballot in 2024.

See also: 2024 ballot measures

Certified:

The following measures have been certified for the ballot.

No measures to list


Potential:

The following measures have made it through one chamber—or one session for two session states—and may appear on the ballot in 2024.

No measures to list

See also

Elections Vermont State Government State Legislatures State Politics
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External links

Footnotes

  1. Vermont State Legislature, "Home page," accessed February 4, 2021
  2. Vermont Secretary of State, "HOUSE REDISTRICTING 2022," accessed November 13, 2023
  3. Vermont Secretary of State, "SENATE REDISTRICTING 2022," accessed November 13, 2023
  4. Vermont Secretary of State, "Senate Redistricting for 2012," archived March 24, 2016
  5. National Conference of State Legislatures, "State Primary Election Systems," accessed May 29, 2017
  6. Vermont Secretary of State, "Candidates," accessed September 14, 2017
  7. National Conference of State Legislatures, "State Primary Election Systems," accessed May 29, 2017
  8. Vermont Secretary of State, "Candidates," accessed September 14, 2017
  9. Burlington Free Press, "Vermont Legislature to shut down for a week due to coronavirus concerns," March 13, 2020
  10. VT Digger, "Senate returns to Montpelier to approve remote voting measure," April 8, 2020
  11. Manchester-Journal, "Vermont economy to be legislative focus," accessed January 7, 2016
  12. WAMC, "Vermont Legislature Begins Second Half Of Biennium," accessed January 7, 2016
  13. Wilson Ring, The Washington Times, "Budget likely to top 2015 Vermont Legislature," January 4, 2015
  14. Vermont Chamber of Commerce, "Legislative Priorities 2014," accessed January 11, 2014
  15. National Conference of State Legislatures, "2011 Legislative Sessions Calendar," December 19, 2011
  16. National Conference of State Legislatures, "2010 Legislative Sessions Calendar," December 8, 2010
  17. 17.0 17.1 17.2 National Association of State Budget Officers, "Budget Processes in the States, Spring 2015," accessed February 9, 2023
  18. Vermont Secretary of State, "Pocket Veto," accessed July 3, 2017
  19. 19.0 19.1 19.2 All About Redistricting, "Vermont," accessed April 22, 2015
  20. VTDigger, "Scott signs new legislative maps into law, solidifying Vermont’s political playing field for next decade," April 6, 2022
  21. VTDigger, "House advances redistricting bill by a wide margin," March 16, 2022
  22. VTDigger, "Senate unanimously approves new district maps with little debate," March 25, 2022
  23. U.S. Census Bureau, "U.S. Census Bureau Delivers Vermont's 2010 Census Population Totals, Including First Look at Race and Hispanic Origin Data for Legislative Redistricting," February 10, 2011
  24. VT DIGGER, "Final Apportionment Board plan increases number of single-seat districts," August 12, 2011
  25. USA Today, "State-by-state: Benefits available to state legislators," September 23, 2011
  26. Vermont Constitution, "Chapter II, Section 46," accessed February 8, 2023