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“I can’t ever remember feeling as bad about a vote as I do on this one,� Sen. Ann Cummings, the Democratic chair of the Senate Finance Committee, told her colleagues after voting to advance the education reform bill Thursday. “But it will move us forward.�

Here’s a look at the top changes this year’s eclectic housing package would make � including where lawmakers are still debating the details and where Gov. Phil Scott’s administration stands.

Vermont lawmakers are considering postponing or even eliminating some of their key spending priorities as they attempt to gird next year’s state budget against potentially drastic cuts in federal funding.

The legislation would make abortion medication accessible online, broaden which health care service advertising is regulated by consumer protection law, and add privacy options for providers of reproductive and gender-affirming care.

The bill’s backers say a homelessness response system centered on the community level would be a better way to spend state money and serve people in need. It’s an idea with a long history.

For Republicans, H.454 moves too slowly and does not sufficiently contain costs. And for many rural Democrats, the legislation is unacceptably hostile to the state’s smaller schools. But enough lawmakers held their nose Friday to advance the bill on to the Senate and keep education reform on track in Montpelier.

The Vermont House advanced a state budget plan this week that relies on hundreds of millions in federal funding that many fear could evaporate in an instant. Also this week: The feds abruptly announced they would hold back any remaining pandemic recovery funds to schools. Tariffs, meanwhile, could cost Vermonters $1 billion � and then some.

Since the beginning of the 2025 legislative session, lawmakers in both the House and Senate have been working on their counterproposal to Gov. Phil Scott’s sweeping plan to overhaul public education. But it’s become clear that the two chambers are moving in very different directions.

This will likely come as welcome news to property taxpayers, who saw bills rise an average of almost 14% this year. But the use of $118 million one-time funds to buy down rates is a risky move � and one that could set schools and taxpayers up for a financial cliff in the following year.

Without a clear path to override the veto, Democratic lawmakers may need to strike a deal with the governor � or forgo the midyear spending package.