Michael Mrowicki represents the Windham-4 district (Putney, Dummerston, and Westminster) in the state Legislature and is a longtime Putney resident. He can be reached at mike.mrowicki@vtleg.gov.
PUTNEY-Hello, Equal Rights Amendment. Bye-Bye, Paraquat. Hello to CESAs. So long to forced school consolidations.
These are just a few headlines from the just-concluded 2026 legislative session, one that at times felt like trying to drive a vehicle with one hand while with the other trying to ward off the current president as he tries to grab the wheel and drive us into the ditch.
The effects of the president’s policies are hurting Vermont, especially with respect to affordability. Unless you’re a billionaire or large corporation, Donald Trump’s policies only amplify the reality of a national economy of have-nots and have-yachts.
Now, this senseless war on Iran has made it worse, with the cost of gas and heating oil soaring along with food and transportation costs. Housing and health care are also huge concerns for which we’ve had little to no help from Washington. More than 3,000 Vermonters lost health insurance because of federal cuts. And, with the tariffs costing the average U.S. household $1,300 a year, these policies are only making it harder on working and middle-class families.
With those clouds hanging over our heads, the Legislature set about our work to help move Vermont forward.
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On healthcare, we’ve set in place steps to control costs, especially on pharmaceuticals and by initiating referenced-based pricing to make costs more uniform across the state.
• Thanks to the efforts of State Treasurer Mike Pieciak, Vermonters can also save money with the state’s participation in the ArrayRx plan, a partnership with other states that can lower drug costs for Vermonters.
• We also started the process of planning on a move toward universal primary care, which would require a federal waiver to help cover the 60% of Vermonters on Medicaid or Medicare. We have no hope of getting that waiver from the current president, but we are preparing for a leadership change in 2028 so we can be ready.
• Another step we took to help Vermonter’s health is banning the agrichemical Paraquat. This herbicide has been linked to Parkinson’s disease and can be lethal if misused.
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On housing, we continue to make investments with state funding as well as lessen regulatory red tape.
• Regarding land use and Act 181, we listened to the concerns raised by Vermonters and repealed the Tier 3 regulations and the Road Rule that would’ve inhibited landowners from fully using their property without undue regulations.
• Each December, the Department of Taxes sets an estimate for the coming year’s property tax rate, with an initial estimate of 12%. However, just about every year, the actual rate comes in lower than the December estimate.
This year, we’ve changed the formulas that have allowed second-home owners to pay lower rates of property tax than year-round residents. When all was said and done, the state average increase should be around 3.5%.
• On education governance and funding reform, our guiding principles were put kids first, control costs, and listen to local voices. We heard loud and clear across the state that the governor’s plan — to squeeze our 119 school districts into five new mega-districts — would not be the way to go. Fiscal models also showed there really weren’t savings in that plan.
• As it turns out, here in southern Vermont, we already have a way to balance educational quality and keeping costs affordable: Cooperative Education Service Areas (CESAs), which share administrative costs and services, including special education. We’re doing it here, and this will be a model statewide.
Voluntary mergers are also part of this plan as well as, eventually, moving to a Foundation Funding Formula. For details on these reform efforts, visit legislature.vermont.gov/bill/status/2026/H.955.
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Regarding elections: Concerns have arisen that that this president will do anything to prevent any losses in the midterms, including cutting federal funds that have been used to ensure election safety and accuracy.
• In Vermont, our secretary of state and our attorney general are ready to thwart those efforts and support local town clerks and volunteers who keep Vermont elections safe and fair.
•And voters in November will have the final say on a Vermont Equal Rights Amendment by amending the state constitution. Proposal 4 would guarantee equal treatment under the law for, race, sex, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, religion, and national origin.
The next step is up to you: approval on the November ballot.
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While we didn’t get everything we wanted done, by the end of the session we accomplished a great deal that will help move Vermont forward.
There is much more to say. For my comprehensive report, visit windham4.org. To see all the workings of the Legislature, including the status and text of each bill and the activities of each committee, visit legislature.vermont.gov.
As always, it is an honor to serve you and to do so with the other legislators who make up our county delegation. We work hard and work together to represent you in our citizen Legislature.
This Voices Legislative Update was submitted to The Commons.
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