Roll Call! House Opposes Exempting $30,000 of Military Pensions from Income Tax (55-79), 2021

S.53 - AN ACT RELATING TO EXEMPTING FEMININE HYGIENE PRODUCTS FROM THE VERMONT SALES AND USE TAX*, SIBILIA AMENDMENT

FAILED
in the State House of Representatives
on April 15, 2021, by a vote of
55-79

Purpose: The underlying bill would exempt the first $10,000 of military pensions from the state income tax. The Sibilia Amendment attempted to increase the exempt amount to $30,000.

Analysis: Only three states currently tax fully military pensions, and Vermont is one of them. Nine states don’t tax military pensions at all. The $10,000 exemption level would provide retirees with approximately $100 annual tax benefit. The $30,000 level would provide the most fully vested retired enlisted soldiers (22 years/Master Sergeant) with an approximate annual tax benefit of $395. Officers could receive up to approximately $1000 annual benefit.

Those voting YES supported the higher ($30,000) exemption for military pensions to show respect for those who have served and to bring Vermont tax policy more in line with other states.

Those voting NO, opposed the higher ($30,000) exemption for military pensions citing other priorities for the revenue which would otherwise not be collected, and a desire to maintain “progressive” tax policy. 

As Recorded in the House Journal, Thursday, April 15, 2021: “Shall the report of the Committee on Ways and Means be amended as offered by Rep. Sibilia of Dover and others?, was decided in the negative. Yeas, 55. Nays, 79." (Read the Journal, p.642 - 645).

Watch the floor debate on Youtube.

These roll call reports are designed to help citizens understand how their elected representatives vote on key issues. The bills may or may not eventually become law. Click on the link to the bill page at the top of this post for an up to date status on the bill.

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

Sally Achey (R - Middletown Springs) – YES
Janet Ancel (D – Calais) – NO
Peter Anthony (D – Barre) – NO
Norman Arrison (D - Weathersfield) – NO
Sarita Austin (D – Colchester) – YES
John Bartholomew (D – Hartland) – NO
Lynn Batchelor (R – Derby) – YES
Scott Beck (R – St. Johnsbury) – NO
Matthew Birong (D – Vergennes) – YES
Alyssa Black (D - Essex) – NO
Tiffany Bluemle (D - Burlington) – NO
Thomas Bock (D – Chester) – ABSENT
Seth Bongartz (D - Manchester) – NO
Michelle Bos-Lun (D - Westminster) – NO
Erin Brady (D - Williston) – NO
Patrick Brennan (R – Colchester) – YES
Timothy Briglin (D – Thetford) – NO
Jana Brown (D – Richmond) – NO
Nelson Brownell (D – Pownal) – NO
Jessica Brumsted (D – Shelburne) – YES
Thomas Burditt (R – West Rutland) – YES
Mollie Burke (P/D – Brattleboro) – NO
Elizabeth Burrows (P/D - West Windsor) – NO
Scott Campbell (D – St. Johnsbury) – NO
Bill Canfield (R – Fair Haven) – YES
Seth Chase (D – Colchester) –  ABSENT
Kevin “Coach” Christie (D – Hartford) – YES
Brian Cina (P/D – Burlington) – YES
Sara Coffey (D – Guilford) – NO
Selene Colburn (P/D – Burlington) – NO
Hal Colston (D – Winooski) – NO
Peter Conlon (D – Cornwall) – NO
Sarah Copeland-Hanzas (D – Bradford) – NO
Timothy Corcoran (D – Bennington) – YES
Mari Cordes (D/P – Lincoln) – NO
Lawrence Cupoli (R – Rutland) – ABSENT
Lynn Dickinson (R – St. Albans) – YES
Karen Dolan (D - Essex) –  NO
Kari Dolan (D – Waitsfield) – NO
Kate Donnally (D - Hyde Park) – YES
Anne Donahue (R – Northfield) – NO
David Durfee (D – Shaftsbury) – NO
Caleb Elder (D – Starksboro) – NO
Alice Emmons (D – Springfield) – NO
Peter Fagan (R – Rutland) – YES
Martha Feltus (R – Lyndon) – NO
John Gannon (D – Wilmington) – NO 
Leslie Goldman (D - Bellows Falls) – NO
Kenneth Goslant (R – Northfield) – YES
Maxine Grad (D – Moretown) – ABSENT
Rodney Graham (R – Williamstown) – YES
James Gregoire (R – Fairfield) –  YES
Lisa Hango (R – Birkshire) – YES
James Harrison (R – Chittenden) –YES 
Robert Helm (R – Fair Haven) – ABSTAIN
Mark Higley (R – Lowell) – YES
Robert Hooper (D – Burlington) – NO
Mary Hooper (D – Montpelier) – NO
Philip Hooper (D – Randolph) – YES
Lori Houghton (D – Essex) – NO
Mary Howard (D – Rutland) – ABSENT
Kathleen James (D – Manchester) – NO
Stephanie Jerome (D – Brandon) – NO
Kimberly Jessup (D – Middlesex) – NO
John Killacky (D – S. Burlington) – NO
Charles Kimbell (D – Woodstock) – NO
Warren Kitzmiller (D – Montpelier) – ABSENT
Emilie Kornheiser (D – Brattleboro) – NO
Jill Krowinski (D – Burlington) – PRESIDING
Robert LaClair (R – Barre) – YES
Martin LaLonde (D – S. Burlington) – NO
Diane Lanpher (D – Vergennes) – ABSTAIN
Paul Lefebvre (R – Newark) – NO
Samantha Lefebvre (R - Orange) – YES
Felisha Leffler (R – Esburgh) – YES

William Lippert (D – Hinesburg) – NO
Emily Long (D – Newfane) – NO
Michael Marcotte (R – Coventry) – YES
Marcia Martel (R – Waterford) – YES
Paul Martin (R - Franklin) – ABSENT
James Masland (D – Thetford) – NO
Christopher Mattos (R – Milton) – YES
Michael McCarthy (D – St. Albans) – NO

Curtis McCormack (D – Burlington) – NO
Patricia McCoy (R – Poultney) – ABSTAIN
James McCullough (D – Williston) – NO
Francis McFaun (R – Barre) – YES
Leland Morgan (R – Milton) – YES
Michael Morgan (R - Milton) – YES
Kristi Morris (D – Springfield) – NO
Mary Morrissey (R – Bennington) – YES
Michael Mrowicki (D – Putney) – NO
Emma Mulvaney-Stanak (D - Burlington) - NO
Barbara Murphy (I – Fairfax) – YES
Logan Nicoll (D – Ludlow) – NO
Michael Nigro (D - Bennington) –NO
Robert Norris (R - Sheldon) - YES
Terry Norris (I – Shoreham) – ABSENT
William Notte (D – Rutland) – NO
Daniel Noyes (D – Wolcott) – YES
John O’Brien (D – Tunbridge) – NO
Carol Ode (D – Burlington) – NO
“Woody” Page (R – Newport) – YES
Kelly Pajala (I – Londonderry) – YES
John Palasik (R – Milton) – YES
Joseph Parsons (R – Newbury) – YES
Carolyn Partridge (D – Windham) – NO
Avram Patt (D – Worcester) – NO
Henry Pearl (D - Danville) –ABSENT
Arthur Peterson (R - Clarendon) – YES
Ann Pugh (D – S. Burlington) – NO
Barbara Rachelson (D/P – Burlington) – NO
Marybeth Redmond (D – Essex) – NO
Lucy Rogers (D – Waterville) – NO
Carl Rosenquist (R – Georgia) – ABSTAIN
Larry Satcowitz (D - Randolph) – NO
Brian Savage (R – Swanton) – ABSENT
Robin Scheu (D – Middlebury) – NO
Heidi Scheuermann (R – Stowe) – YES
Patrick Seymour (R – Sutton) – ABSENT
Charles “Butch” Shaw (R – Pittsford) – YES
Amy Sheldon (D – Middlebury) – NO
Laura Sibilia (I – Dover) – YES
Katherine Sims (D - Craftsbury) – YES
Taylor Small (P/D - Winooski) – YES
Brian Smith (R – Derby) – YES
Harvey Smith (R – New Haven) – YES
Trevor Squirrell (D – Underhill) – NO
Gabrielle Stebbins (D - Burlington) - YES
Thomas Stevens (D – Waterbury) – NO
Vicki Strong (R – Albany) – YES
Linda Joy Sullivan (D – Dorset) – NO
Heather Suprenant (D - Barnard) – YES
Curt Taylor (D – Colchester) – YES
Thomas Terenzini (R – Rutland) – YES
George Till (D – Jericho) – NO
Tristan Toleno (D – Brattleboro) – NO
Casey Toof (R – St. Albans) – YES
Maida Townsend (D – South) – NO
Joseph “Chip” Troiano (D – Stannard) – YES
Tanya Vyhovsky (P/D - Essex) – YES
Tommy Walz (D – Barre) – NO

Kathryn Webb (D – Shelburne) – NO
Kirk White (P/D - Bethel) – NO
Rebecca White (D – Hartford) – NO
Dane Whitman (D - Bennington) – NO
Terri Lynn Williams (R - Granby) – YES
Theresa Wood (D – Waterbury) – NO
David Yacovone (D – Morristown) – NO
Michael Yantachka (D – Charlotte) – NO


 

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