Roll Call! House Mandates Employees Buy Family Leave Insurance Via New Payroll Tax, 88-58 (2017)

Roll Call Graphic 
PASSED
in the State House of Representatives
on May 3, 2017, by a vote of
88-58
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Purpose: To create a new, mandated, state-run insurance program (similar to unemployment insurance), funded by a payroll tax on employees, that would allow employees to take up to six weeks of paid leave to care for a new child or sick family member.    
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Analysis: H.196 levies a new payroll tax on Vermont employees to create a new “family leave” program that would be administered similarly to unemployment insurance. The language in the bill sets the payroll tax at 0.141% of one’s first $150,ooo of income, but acknowledges that if revenue necessary to fund demand the program is not met by that rate, the rate will rise to meet demand.
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The benefits of the program would include up to six-weeks of paid leave from work up to 80% of full salary or $1000 per week, whichever is less. These benefits would become available after one year of employment and contributing to the program.
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Those voting NO on H.196 argued the bill would create another administrative burden on small businesses, take money out of the pockets of Vermont employees when affordability is already an issue, and that the tax rate set is probably going to balloon as large numbers of employees start taking advantage of a program that they are being forced to pay into. A majority of Vermont businesses already offer some form of paid leave, either formal or informal, and those that don’t, for the most part, genuinely can’t afford to do so.
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Those voting YES on H.196 think that the added administrative costs to businesses is not significant, and the benefits to employees who have new children or sick family members outweigh the costs levied on all employees.
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As Recorded in the House Journal, Tuesday, May 3, 2017: “Shall the bill pass? was decided in the affirmative. Yeas, . Nays, 28.” (Read the Journal, p. 1868-1870)
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Related: Roll Call! House Rejects Voluntary Family Leave Insurance Program (57-88)
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How They Voted

(Click on your Rep’s name to send an email)

David Ainsworth (R-Royalton) – NO
Janet Ancel (D-Calis) – YES
Bob Bancroft (R-Westford) – NO
John Bartholomew (D-Hartland) – YES
Fred Baser (R-Bristol) – YES
Lynn Batchelor (R-Derby Line) – NO
Scott Beck (R-St. Johnsbury) – YES
Paul Belaski (D-Windsor) – YES
Stephen Beyor (R-Highgate Springs) – NO
Clement Bissonnette (D-Winooski) – YES
Thomas Bock (D-Chester) – YES
William Botzow (D-Bennington) – YES
Patrick Brennan (R-Colchster) – NO
Timothy Briglin (D-Thetford) – YES
Cynthia Browning (D-Arlington) – ABSENT
Jessica Brumsted (D-Shelburne) – YES
Susan Buckholz (D-White River Jct) – YES
Thomas Burditt (R-West Rutland) – NO
Mollie Burke (P/D-Brattleboro) – YES
William Canfield (R/D-Fair Haven) – NO
Stephen Carr (D-Brandon) – YES
Robin Chestnut-Tangerman (P-Middletown Springs) – YES
Annemarie Christiansen (D-Perkinsville) – YES
Kevin Christie (D-White River Jct.) – YES
Brian Cina (P-Burlington) – YES
Celene Colburn – (P-Burlington) – YES
James Condon (D-Colchester) – NO
Peter Conlon (D-Cornwall) – YES
Daniel Connor (D-Fairfield) – YES
Charles Conquest (D-Wells River) – YES
Sarah Copeland-Hanzas (D-Bradford) – YES
Timothy Corcoran (D-Bennington) – NO
Lawrence Cupoli (R-Rutland) – NO
Maureen Dakin (D-Colchester) – NO
David Deen (D-Putney) – YES
Dennis Devereux (R-Belmont) – NO
Eileen “Lynn” Dickinson (R-St. Albans) – NO
Anne Donahue (R-Northfield) – NO
Johannah Donovan (D-Burlington) – YES
Betsy Dunn (D-Essex Jct.) – YES
Alice Emmons (D/W-Springfield) – YES
Peter Fagan (R-Rutland) – NO
Martha Feltus (R-Lyndonville) – NO
Rachael Fields (D-Bennington) – YES
Robert Forguites (D-Springfield) – YES
Robert Frenier (R-Chelsea) – NO
Douglas Gage (R-Rutland) – NO
Marianna Gamache (R-Swanton) – NO
John Gannon (D-Wilmington) – YES
Marcia Gardner (D-Richmond) – YES
Dylan Giambatista (D-Essex Jct.) – YES
Diana Gonzalez (P/D-Winooski) – YES
Maxine Grad (D-Moretown) – YES
Rodney Graham (R-Williamstown) – NO
Adam Greshin (I-Warren) – NO
Sandy Haas (P/D-Rochester) – YES
Jim Harrison (R-Chittenden) – NO
Helen Head (D-So. Burlington) – YES
Michael Hebert (R-Vernon) – YES
Robert Helm (R/D-Fair Haven) – NO
Mark Higley (R-Lowell) – NO
Matt Hill (D-Johnson) – YES
Jay Hooper (D-Brookfield) – YES
Mary Hooper (D-Montpelier) – YES
Lori Houghton (D-Essex Jct.) – YES
Mary Howard (D-Rutland) – YES
Ronald Hubert (R-Milton) – NO
Kimberly Jessup (D-Middlesex) – YES
Ben Jickling (I-E. Randolph) – NO
Mitzi Johnson (D-S. Hero) – PRESIDING
Ben Joseph (D-N. Hero) – YES
Bernard Juskiewicz (R-Camdridge) – NO
Brian Keefe (R-Manchester) – NO
Kathleen Keenan (D-St. Albans) – YES
Charlie Kimbell (D-Woodsock) – YES

Warren Kitzmiller (D-Montpelier) – YES
Jill Krowinski (D-Burlington) – YES
Rob LaClair (R-Barre Town) – NO
Martin LaLonde (D-South Burlington) – YES
Diane Lanpher (D-Vergennes) – ABSENT
Richard Lawrence (R-Lyndon) – NO
Paul Lefebvre (R-Island Pond) – NO
Patti Lewis (R-Berlin) – NO
William Lippert (D-Hinesburg) – YES
Emily Long (D-Newfane) – YES
Gabrielle Lucke (D-White River Jct.) – YES
Terence Macaig (D-Williston) – ABSENT
Michael Marcotte (R/D-Newport) – NO
Marcia Martel (R-Waterford) – NO
James Masland (D-Thetford) – YES
Curtis McCormack (D/W-Burlington) – YES
Patricia McCoy (R-Poultney) – NO
James McCullough (D-Williston) – YES
Francis McFaun (R/D-Barre) – NO
Alice Miller (D-Shaftsbury) – YES
Kiah Morris (D-Bennington) – YES
Mary Morrissey (R-Bennington) – NO
Michael Mrowicki (D-Putney) – YES
Barbara Murphy (I-Fairfax) – NO
Linda Myers (R-Essex) – NO
Gary Nolan (R-Morrisville) – NO
Terry Norris (I-Shoreham) – NO
Daniel Noyes (D-Wolcott) – YES
Jean O’Sullivan (D-Burlington) – YES
Carol Ode (D-Burlington) – YES
Oliver Olsen (I-Jamaica) – NO
Corey Parent (R-St. Albans) – NO
Carolyn Partridge (D-Windham) – YES
Albert “Chuck” Pearce (R/D-Richford) – NO
Paul Poirier (I-Barre) – YES
David Potter (D-Clarendon) – YES
Ann Pugh (D-S. Burlington) – YES
Constance Quimby (R-Concord) – NO
Barbara Rachelson (D-Burlington) – YES
Carl Rosenquist (R-Georgia) – NO
Brian Savage (R-Swanton) – NO
Robin Scheu (D-Middlebury) – YES
Heidi Scheuermann (R-Stowe) – NO
David Sharpe (D-Bristol) – YES
Charles Shaw (R/D-Pitsford) – NO
Amy Sheldon (D-Middlebury) – YES
Laura Sibilia (I-West Dover) – NO
Brian Smith (R/D-Derby) – YES
Harvey Smith (R-New Haven) – NO
Trevor Squirrill (D-Underhill) – YES
Thomas Stevens (D-Waterbury) – YES
Vicki Strong (R-Albany) – NO
Valerie Stuart (D-Brattleboro) – YES
Linda Sullivan (D-Dorset) – YES
Mary Sullivan (D-Burlington) – YES
Curt Taylor (D-Colchester) – NO
Thomas Terenzini (R/D-Rutland) – NO
George Till (D-Jericho) – YES
Tristan Toleno (D-Brattleboro) – YES
Catherine Toll (D-Danville) – YES
Maida Townsend (D-S. Burlington) – YES
Matthew Trieber (D-Bellows Falls) – YES
Chip Troiano (D-Hardwick) – YES
Donald Turner (R-Milton) – NO
Warren Van Wyck (R-Ferrisburgh) – NO
Gary Viens (R-Newport) – NO
Tommy Walz (D-Barre City) – YES
Kathryn Webb (D-Shelburne) – YES
Cindy Weed (P/D-Enosburg Falls) – YES
Janssen Willhoit (R-St. Johnsbury) – YES
Theresa Wood (D-Waterbury) – YES
Kurt Wright (R-Burlington) – NO
David Yacovone (D-Morrisville) – YES
Michael Yantachka (D-Charlotte) – YES
Samuel Young (D-Glover) – YES

{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }

Stuart Lindberg May 4, 2017 at 3:22 pm

“Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron’s cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience. They may be more likely to go to Heaven yet at the same time likelier to make a Hell of earth. This very kindness stings with intolerable insult. To be “cured” against one’s will and cured of states which we may not regard as disease is to be put on a level of those who have not yet reached the age of reason or those who never will; to be classed with infants, imbeciles, and domestic animals.”

― C.S. Lewis.

Reply

Michael kell May 4, 2017 at 4:37 pm

These small tax levies will continue to eat away at my income. I make a great salary if I lived in PA or VA! I love Vermont and this along with apprised Carbon Tax is going to force me to move out of state. If I stay I can take advantage of smoking weed and not feel the pain of being screwed!!!!

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