It’s that time of the year when legislative committees start to shut down for the session.
On Friday, the conference committee that will hash out House and Senate differences over the budget bill was formed, a sign that the 2021 legislative session is in its final stage.
With policy bills and money measures mostly wrapped up, leadership’s attention for much of the week was on how the Legislature will meet in 2022.
The Joint Legislative Management Committee stressed Friday morning that the timeframe to make a decision is limited.
Rep. Alice Emmons, D-Springfield, said recommendations on what 2022 will look like should likely be made by mid-August to give everyone enough time to prepare for next year.
Sen. Joe Benning, R-Caledonia, said it is imperative to get language into this year’s capital bill that authorizes the joint management panel to meet throughout the summer and craft a proposal by fall.
The decisions being contemplated are of the brick-and-mortar variety, involving the physical setup of the Statehouse or possible auxiliary locations if in-person legislating occurs.
Much of the discussion this week about the 2022 session began after the release of a study by Freeman French Freeman, an architectural firm based in Burlington. The study presented choices for how lawmakers could meet in Montpelier next year.
The first option considered allowing only lawmakers and staff in the Statehouse. It would ban members of the public, the press and lobbyists from the building.
But that idea met considerable resistance. Both House Speaker Jill Krowinski, D-Burlington, and Senate President Pro Tempore Becca Balint, D-Windham, have said it’s a nonstarter.
However, leadership is now under the gun to decide what to do next year while also having to contend with Republican Gov. Phil Scott’s apparent willingness to veto the budget over concerns about the allocation of federal coronavirus relief money.
Then there’s the specter of a potential October legislative session. Before adjournment, Krowinski and Balint must also decide whether they want to keep the Legislature available to return this fall if Congress passes additional funding packages this summer.
The end of every session is when key decisions are made, but the final weeks of 2021 seem particularly poised for fireworks.
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