2024 Vermont legislative session
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| 2024 Vermont legislative session |
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| General information |
| Scheduled session start: Jan. 3, 2024 Scheduled session end: May 10, 2024 |
| Leadership |
| Senate President David Zuckerman (D) House Speaker |
| Elections |
| Next Election: November 5, 2024 Last Election: November 8, 2022 |
| Previous legislative sessions |
| 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 |
| Other 2024 legislative sessions |
In 2024, the Vermont State Legislature was scheduled to convene on January 9, 2024, and adjourn on May 10, 2024.
The legislators serving in this session took office following the 2022 elections. Democrats won a 22-7 majority in the Senate with one member of the Vermont Progressive Party and a 106-38 majority in the House with three members of the Vermont Progressive Party and three independents. The Republican Party controlled the governorship, creating a divided government. At the start of the 2024 session, Vermont was one of nine state legislatures where Democrats had a veto-proof supermajority in both chambers.
Leadership in 2024
Vermont State Senate
- Senate president: David Zuckerman (D)
- Majority leader: Alison Clarkson (D)
- Minority leader: Randy Brock (R)
Vermont House of Representatives
- Speaker of the House: Jill Krowinski (D)
- Majority leader: Emily Long (D)
- Minority leader: Patricia McCoy (R)
Partisan control in 2024
- See also: State government trifectas
Vermont was one of 10 divided governments at the start of the 2024 legislative sessions. A state government trifecta occurs when one political party holds the governor's office, a majority in the state Senate, and a majority in the state House. For more information about state government trifectas, click here.
Vermont was also one of nine state legislatures where Democrats had a veto-proof supermajority in both chambers. Veto overrides occur when a legislature votes to reverse a veto issued by an executive such as a governor or the president. If one party has a majority in a state legislature that is large enough to override a gubernatorial veto without any votes from members of the minority party, it is called a veto-proof majority or, sometimes, a supermajority. To read more about veto-proof supermajorities in state legislatures, click here.
The following tables show the partisan breakdown of the Vermont State Legislature in the 2024 legislative session.
Vermont State Senate
| Party | As of January 2024 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 22 | |
| Republican Party | 7 | |
| Vermont Progressive Party | 1 | |
| Total | 30 | |
Vermont House of Representatives
| Party | As of January 2024 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 106 | |
| Republican Party | 37 | |
| Vermont Progressive Party | 3 | |
| Libertarian Party | 1 | |
| Independent | 3 | |
| Total | 150 | |
Standing legislative committees
A standing committee of a state legislature is a committee that exists on a more-or-less permanent basis, from legislative session to session, that considers and refines legislative bills that fall under the committee's subject matter.
At the beginning of the 2024 legislative session, there were 51 standing committees in Vermont's state government, including 18 joint legislative committees, 15 state Senate committees, and 18 state House committees.
Joint legislative committees
- Canvassing Committee
- Government Accountability Committee
- Health Reform Oversight Committee
- Information Technology Oversight Committee
- Joint Carbon Emissions Reduction Committee
- Joint Energy Committee
- Joint Fiscal Committee
- Joint Legislative Child Protection Oversight Committee
- Joint Public Pension Oversight Committee
- Joint Rules Committee
- Joint Transportation Oversight Committee
- Judicial Retention Committee
- Judicial Rules Committee
- Justice Oversight Committee
- Legislative Committee on Administrative Rules
- Legislative Council Committee
- Legislative Management Committee
- Small Business Solutions Task Force
Senate committees
- Agriculture Committee
- Economic Development, Housing and General Affairs Committee
- Ethics Committee
- Finance Committee
- Health and Welfare Committee
- Institutions Committee
- Natural Resources and Energy Committee
- Senate Appropriations Committee
- Senate Committee on Reapportionment
- Senate Education Committee
- Senate Government Operations Committee
- Senate Judiciary Committee
- Senate Rules Committee
- Senate Transportation Committee
- Sexual Harassment Panel
House committees
- Agriculture and Forestry Committee
- Commerce and Economic Development Committee
- Corrections and Institutions Committee
- Energy and Technology Committee
- General, Housing and Military Affairs Committee
- Health Care Committee
- House Appropriations Committee
- House Discrimination Prevention Panel
- House Education Committee
- House Ethics Panel
- House Government Operations Committee
- House Judiciary Committee
- House Rules Committee
- House Sexual Harassment Prevention Panel
- House Transportation Committee
- Human Services Committee
- Natural Resources, Fish, and Wildlife Committee
- Ways and Means Committee
Legislation
Enacted legislation
The list below shows up to 25 pieces of legislation in the 2024 legislative session that most recently passed both chambers of the legislature, were signed by the governor, or were approved by the legislature in a veto override. If no bills are displayed below, no legislation met these criteria in 2024. This information is provided by BillTrack50.
Election administration legislation
State election laws are changing. Keeping track of the latest developments in all 50 states can seem like an impossible job. Here's the solution: Ballotpedia's Election Administration Legislation Tracker.
Ballotpedia's Election Administration Tracker sets the industry standard for ease of use, flexibility, and raw power. Ballotpedia's election experts provide daily updates on bills and other relevant political developments, translate complex bill text into easy-to-understand summaries written in everyday language, and, because it's from Ballotpedia, our Tracker is guaranteed to be neutral, unbiased, and nonpartisan.
The table below lists 2024 election-related legislation in Vermont. The following information is included for each bill:
- Bill number
- Official name or caption
- Most recent action date
- Legislative status
- Topics dealt with by the bill
Bills are organized by bill number. The table displays up to 100 results by default. To view additional results, use the arrows in the upper-right corner of the table. For more information about a particular bill, simply click the bill number. This will open a separate page with additional information.
Legislatively referred constitutional amendments
In every state but Delaware, voter approval is required to enact a constitutional amendment. In each state, the legislature has a process for referring constitutional amendments before voters. In 18 states, initiated constitutional amendments can be put on the ballot through a signature petition drive. There are also many other types of statewide measures.
The methods by which the Vermont Constitution can be amended:
Section 72 of the Vermont Constitution lays out the procedure governing changes to the Vermont Constitution. Vermont does not feature the power of initiative for either initiated state statutes or initiated constitutional amendments.
Legislature
A two-thirds (66.67%) vote is required in the Vermont State Senate and a simple majority vote is required in the Vermont House of Representatives in the first legislative session. A simple majority vote is required in both chambers in the second legislative session to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot. That amounts to a minimum of 20 votes in the Vermont State Senate and 76 votes in the Vermont House of Representatives in the first session and 16 votes in the state senate and 76 votes in the state house in the second session, assuming no vacancies. Amendments do not require the governor's signature to be referred to the ballot.
Convention
The Vermont Constitution, like that of several other states, does not provide for constitutional conventions. Perhaps as a result, Vermont's current constitution is one of the oldest in the country, having been adopted in 1793. The Massachusetts Constitution is the only older constitution.
Although there are no provisions in the state's constitution governing the calling of a constitutional convention, in 1969, the Vermont State Legislature referred an advisory measure to the ballot which asked "Shall a Vermont Constitutional Convention be convened at the state house in Montpelier on October 6, 1969 to consider the following topics which shall receive a majority of the votes cast upon it in this election, and no others?" The question was rejected by the voters.
Historical partisan control
The table below depicts the historical trifecta status of Vermont.
Vermont Party Control: 1992-2024
Ten years of Democratic trifectas • No Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.
| Year | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Governor | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | R | R | R | R |
| Senate | D | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D |
| House | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | R | R | R | R | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D | D |
Historical Senate control
Between 1992 and 2022, partisan control of the Vermont State Senate shifted in favor of the Democratic Party. As a result of the 1992 elections, Republicans held a 16-14 majority. Democrats flipped the chamber in 1996 and, by 2022, expanded their majority to 23-7. The table below shows the partisan history of the Vermont State Senate following every general election from 1992 to 2022. All data from 2006 or earlier comes from Michael Dubin's Party Affiliations in the State Legislatures (McFarland Press, 2007). Data after 2006 was compiled by Ballotpedia staff.
Vermont State Senate election results: 1992-2022
| Year | '92 | '94 | '96 | '98 | '00 | '02 | '04 | '06 | '08 | '10 | '12 | '14 | '16 | '18 | '20 | '22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democrats | 14 | 12 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 19 | 21 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 21 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 21 | 23 |
| Republicans | 16 | 18 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 11 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 7 |
| Other | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
The most significant shift in the partisan balance of the state Senate occurred as a result of the 1996 elections. Democrats gained five seats in that election and took control of the chamber. The Democratic majority steadily expanded until, in 2006, Democrats had a 23-7 majority. Between 2010 and 2022, there were minor movements in partisan balance.
Historical House control
Between 1992 and 2022, Democrats controlled the state House following 13 out of 15 elections. The table below shows the partisan history of the Vermont House of Representatives following every general election from 1992 to 2022. All data from 2006 or earlier comes from Michael Dubin's Party Affiliations in the State Legislatures (McFarland Press, 2007). Data after 2006 was compiled by Ballotpedia staff.
Vermont House of Representatives election results: 1992-2022
| Year | '92 | '94 | '96 | '98 | '00 | '02 | '04 | '06 | '08 | '10 | '12 | '14 | '16 | '18 | '20 | '22 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democrats | 87 | 86 | 88 | 77 | 62 | 70 | 83 | 93 | 95 | 94 | 98 | 85 | 83 | 95 | 92 | 109 |
| Republicans | 57 | 61 | 58 | 66 | 83 | 73 | 60 | 49 | 48 | 48 | 43 | 53 | 53 | 43 | 46 | 38 |
| Other | 6 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 12 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 3 |
As a result of the 1992 elections, Democrats held an 87-57 majority. There were two significant shifts in the partisan balance of the state House between 1992 and 2022. In 2000, Republicans gained 17 seats and took control of the chamber. The GOP held the state House until the 2004 elections, when Democrats picked up 13 seats and took control of the chamber.
See also
| Elections | VermontState Government | State Legislatures | State Politics |
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External links
Footnotes
