On February 11, 2020, Republican Governor Phil Scott vetoed a bill (S.23) that would have mandated an increase to Vermont’s minimum wage. Governor Scott stated in his veto message, “Despite S.23’s good intentions, the reality is there are too many unintended consequences and we cannot grow the economy or make Vermont more affordable by arbitrarily forcing wage increases. I believe this legislation would end up hurting the very people it aims to help.”
On February 13, the Democrat-controlled Vermont Senate voted 24-6 to override Governor Scott’s veto. All eyes then turned to the Vermont House of Representatives. Previously, the minimum wage bill didn’t pass the House with the two-thirds margin necessary to override the veto, so the bill’s outcome was uncertain.
