Vermont lawmakers pushes back voting for an override.
Vermont lawmakers pushed back on Gov. Phil Scott’s veto on the biggest climate bill of the year, voting for an override. The Affordable Heat Act seeks to wean Vermonters off heating with fossil fuels by making it more expensive. Gov. Phil Scott vetoed the measure last week over concerns surrounding to what degree a future Legislature would be able to sign off on the plan. The Vermont House overrode Gov. Phil Scott’s veto Thursday morning on a vote of 107-42. The Senate voted to override it on Tuesday on a count of 20-10. Now, the clean heat standard moves forward. Opponents worry about the cost on rural Vermonters but backers of the bill say it will help low-income Vermonters in the long run. The regulatory Public Utility Commission will spend the next two years designing the marketplace. Lawmakers will have to sign off on the proposed plan in 2025.