Compromise or Veto Overrides? Vermont Dems Have New Leverage Over Scott

Democrats and Progressives in the Vermont Statehouse now have the numbers to override a veto, giving them greater leverage over Republican Gov. Phil Scott. Whether they'll successfully wield that power to advance a progressive agenda remains to be seen.

On multiple occasions during Scott’s first term, the 53 House Republicans blocked Democrats and Progs from overriding his vetoes, which requires a two-thirds majority in the 150-member House. That bulwark blew up Tuesday night.

After reviewing unofficial election results from the Secretary of State’s Office, Seven Days has confirmed that Democrats gained 12 seats in the House while Progressives held onto their seven, bringing the total number of left-leaning lawmakers to 102. Meanwhile, Republicans lost 10 seats to leave them with 43 members, while independents lost two seats and now hold just five.

In the 30-member Senate, Democrats, who already had a two-thirds majority, picked up another seat, leaving Republicans with only six.

Read more: https://www.sevendaysvt.com/OffMessage/archives/2018/11/07/compromise-or-veto-overrides-vermont-dems-have-new-leverage-over-scott