Analysis: Phil Scott spends political capital on vetos

Aki Soga | Burlington Free Press

Show Caption Hide Caption Every minute of Gov. Phil Scott's bill signing Vermont Governor Phil Scott signed three bills on the steps of the Statehouse in Montpelier on Wednesday, April 11, 2018, that limit some aspects of gun possession and empowers authorities to remove guns from people who may be dangerous.

Gov. Phil Scott unleashed a string of vetoes Tuesday afternoon, taking down several bills that stood as pillars of the progressive legislative agenda.

The governor banked political capital among the left earlier this year by signing new gun regulations into law. Now, he appears to be on a spending spree of that political capital by striking down legislation aimed at checking off items on the Democratic and Progressive to-do list.

Scott vetoed four bills, including S.40 which would have raised the minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2024, and S.196 which would have created a paid family leave program funded through a payroll tax.

(For a complete list and a deeper look at Scott’s vetoes, see “Gov. Scott vetoes four bills, including $15 minimum wage” by April McCullum )

Scott called raising the minimum wage “bad economic policy” that was “likely to harm those it intends to help, weaken small business … and deepen the economic inequality that exists between Chittenden County and other counties in the state.”

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Sam Munger, senior director of external affairs for SiX, a national progressive advocacy group, countered, “Gov. Scott says he wants to make the state more affordable, but by killing these important pieces of legislation, he just made the lives of working Vermonters harder.”

On family leave, Scott says he prefers a voluntary program “that avoids the economic disadvantages of higher payroll taxes on already overburdened working Vermonters.”

To that, House Speaker Mitzi Johnson, D-South Hero, responded, “It’s unfortunate that the Governor does not support a policy that will grow our economy and attract young families.”

Scott’s decision to reject bills supported by a heavy legislative majority shows a governor who sees more to gain by holding the line on spending and taxes than in expanding the social safety net.

Another way to look at the vetoes: The Republican governor is acting like a Republican.

Aki Soga is engagement editor for The Burlington Free Press. Email him at asoga@freepressmedia.com or chat with him on Twitter: @asoga