Senate Committee on Economic Development, Housing and General Affairs

 

AGENDA

 

Room 27 and Zoom

February 24, 2026 - February 27, 2026

Last Updated 2/27/2026 11:20 AM

 

Unless otherwise noted, all meetings are livestreamed at

https://legislature.vermont.gov/committee/streaming/senate-economic-development-housing-and-general-affairs.

Tuesday, February 24, 2026

9:30 AM                   Senate Floor

 

10:10 AM                   S. 328 - An act relating to housing and common interest communities

Section by section walk through and committee discussion

Cameron Wood, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

Ellen Czajkowski, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

Chris Donnelly, Director of Community Relations, Champlain Housing Trust

Chris Rice, Lobbyist, MMR

Megan Sullivan, Vice President of Government Affairs, Vermont Chamber of Commerce

 

11:30 AM                   J.R.S. 42 - Joint resolution condemning the Russian Federation’s military and political actions in Ukraine and especially their impact on Ukrainian children.

Walk through

Sen. Tanya Vyhovsky, Sponsor

Michael Chernick, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

 

12:00 PM                   Adjourn

 

Wednesday, February 25, 2026

8:30 AM                   S. 327 - An act relating to economic development

Section by section walk through and committee discussion

Rik Sehgal, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

Megan Sullivan, Vice President of Government Affairs, Vermont Chamber of Commerce

Drake Turner, Deputy Director, Office of Workforce Strategy and Development

Emma Paradis, Common Good Vermont Co-Director, United Way of Northwest Vermont

Matt Cota, Lobbyist, Vermont Automotive Distributors Association

 

9:45 AM                   Limited Access Highway

Review of S.287

 

10:00 AM                   Break

 

10:15 AM                   S. 327 - An act relating to economic development

Section 10

Jessica Hartleben, Executive Director, Vermont Economic Progress Council

 

10:30 AM                   S. 327 - An act relating to economic development

Nick Bennette, Executive Director of the Vermont Mountain Bike Association, Vermont Trails and Greenways Council

 

11:00 AM                   S. 327 - An act relating to economic development

Section 5

Taiwan partnership

Nick Grimley, Deputy Commissioner, Agency of Commerce and Community Development

Jacqueline Odanga-Kegode, Director, Eastern Trade Council

 

11:10 AM                   S. 328 - An act relating to housing and common interest communities

Sections 10 and 11

Bob Clark, Fisher Brothers Farm

Matt Lawless, Town Manager, Shelburne

Charlie Baker, Executive Director, Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission

 

11:50 AM                   J.R.S. 42 - Joint resolution condemning the Russian Federation’s military and political actions in Ukraine and especially their impact on Ukrainian children.

Vote

Sen. Tanya Vyhovsky, Sponsor

Michael Chernick, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

 

12:00 PM                   Adjourn

 

1:00 PM                   Senate Floor

 

Thursday, February 26, 2026

8:30 AM                   S. 198 - An act relating to the regulation and taxation of tobacco products and tobacco substitutes

Sections 8 and 18

Rebecca Sameroff, Deputy Commissioner, Department of Taxes

Jill Sudhoff-Guerin, Founder, Maidstone Public Relations

 

9:00 AM                   S. 230 - An act relating to flexible working arrangements

Committee discussion and H.385 language review

Sophie Zdatny, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

Colin Robinson, Political Director, Vermont National Education Association

Todd Daloz, Director of Policy and Legislative Affairs, Attorney General's Office

Charlie Gliserman, Director of Policy, Vermont Network Against Domestic & Sexual Violence

 

9:50 AM                   Break

 

10:00 AM                   S. 198 - An act relating to the regulation and taxation of tobacco products and tobacco substitutes

Licensure

Wendy Knight, Commissioner, Department of Liquor and Lottery

LT Brandon King, Executive Officer, Compliance and Enforcement

Rosemary Kennedy, Assistant Attorney General, Office of the Attorney General

 

10:40 AM                   S. 198 - An act relating to the regulation and taxation of tobacco products and tobacco substitutes

Jeff Willett, Director, Project to End Smoking, Progressive Policy Institute - Zoom

Mike Kelley, Core-Mark

Maggie Lenz, Lobbyist, Vermont Retail & Grocers Association

Rosemary Kennedy, Assistant Attorney General, Office of the Attorney General

 

11:30 AM                   S. 327 - An act relating to economic development

Table summary

Patrick Titterton, Senior Fiscal Analyst, Joint Fiscal Office

 

11:50 AM                   S. 230 - An act relating to flexible working arrangements

Vote

Sophie Zdatny, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

 

12:00 PM                   Adjourn

 

1:00 PM                   Senate Floor

 

Friday, February 27, 2026

8:30 AM                   S. 328 - An act relating to housing and common interest communities

Committee Discussion

Christina  Jenson, Attorney, Primmer Piper Eggleston & Cramer PC - Zoom

Josephine Boardman, Citizen - Zoom

Cameron Wood, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

 

9:20 AM                   S. 328 - An act relating to housing and common interest communities

Fiscal Note

Ted Barnett, Fiscal Analyst, Joint Fiscal Office

Chad Simmons, Director, Housing and Homeless Alliance of Vermont

 

9:40 AM                   S. 328 - An act relating to housing and common interest communities

Section 9

Kirsten Murphy, Executive Director, Vermont Developmental Disabilities Council, Chair, Act 69 State Housing and Residential Services Planning Committee - Invited

Pollaidh Major, Director of Policy and Special Projects, Vermont Housing & Conservation Board - TBD

Marla McQuiston, Parent Advocate, Developmental Disabilities Housing Initiative

Katie Tormey, Developmental Disabilities Housing Initiative

 

10:15 AM                   S. 278 - An act relating to cannabis

Damian Fagon, Policy Director, Parabola Center for Law and Policy

Ross Gordon, Policy Chair, Origins Council

Tucker Anderson, Legislative Counsel, Office of Legislative Counsel

Julie Hubbard, Board Member, Cannabis Control Board

Gabriel Gilman, General Counsel, Cannabis Control Board

Geoffrey Pizzutillo, Executive Director and CoFounder, Vermont Growers Association

Dave Silberman, Director, Vermont Cannabis Action Fund

 

11:25 AM                   Adjourn

 

11:30 AM                   Senate Floor

 

ATTENTION WITNESSES

 

Please email handouts to the committee assistant at least 24 hours before your scheduled meeting time. With few exceptions, any documents you send to a committee assistant are open to the public and may be posted to the committee’s web page.

 

Should you require accessibility services, please click here and note that requests should be made 48 hours in advance of testimony.

 

 

 

If you have any questions or comments, please contact

 Ciara Mead at Ciara.Mead@vtleg.gov