>> GOOD EVENING, AND THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.

THERE'S $7.7 BILLION FOR VERMONT TO SPEND AND THE GOVERNOR HAS LAID OUT HOW HES TO SPEND IT.

OVER THE COURSE OF THE NEXT 30 30MINUTES WE WILL H HIGHLIGHT TE KEY TAKE AWAYS WE WILL INVITE PETER THEIRISHFIELD TO GIVE US THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT OF A BUDGET ADDRESS AND EXPLAIN WHAT IT ALL MEANS.

THEN AT THE END OF THE SHOW, WE WILL WELCOME TWO FORMER LEGISLATORS AND GIVE US THEIR EXPERTISE AND TELL US HOW THE GOVERNOR DID.

ALL THIS AND MORE, COMING UP.

♪ GOOD EVENING, I'M CONNOR CYRUS AND WELCOME TO SPECIAL COVERAGE.

2022 BUDGET ADDRESS.

NOW, THERE'S A LOT TO DISCUSS AND TONIGHT WE'RE ONLY GOING TO GIVE YOU THE HIGHLIGHTS FOR THE GOVERNOR'S FULL BUDGET ADDRESS, VISIT VERMONTPBS.ORG OR FOR MORE INFORMATION AND MORE IN-DEPTH COVERAGE, VISIT VERMONTVPR.ORG.

LET'S EXPLAIN WHAT THE BUDGET ADDRESS.

THAT'S THE GOVERNOR'S WISH LIST ON HOW TO SPEND AND SAVE MONEY FOR THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR.

PETER, YOU HAVE BEEN FOLLOWING THE VERMONT LEGISLATURE NOW FOR YEARS AND THESE BUDGET ADDRESSES THEY HAPPEN EVERY JANUARY, AND ARE PRETTY STANDARD PRACTICE IN THE STATE.

I FEEL NORMALLY WHEN GOVERNOR PHIL SCOTT GIVES A BUDGET ADDRESS, DEMOCRATS ARE LISTENING, PARTICULARLY CLOSELY TO FIGURE OUT HOW WHERE HE'S NOT FORWARDING THE DEMOCRATIC AGENDA.

THIS YEAR THE STATE HAS BILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO SPEND.

WHAT MAKES THIS YEAR DIFFERENT AND CAN YOU SPEAK TO THE MOOD GOING INTO THIS YEAR'S BUDGET ADDRESS?

>> THE GOVERNOR AND THE LEGISLATURE NORMALLY HAVE TO OPERATE WITHIN A REALLY CONFINED SPACE WHEN IT COMES TO THE BUDGET, AND WHAT MAKES THIS YEAR DIFFERENT, CONNOR IS THAT THEY DUDLESTUD -- SUDDENLY HAVE A NEW UNIVERSE OF OPPORTUNITIES TO EXPLORE.

THANKS TO WHAT PHIL SCOTT RIGHTLY CHARACTERIZED AS A ONCE IN A LIFETIME PHENOMENON BEFORE.

NEVER HAS THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT INJECTED SO MUCH MONEY INTO THE ECONOMY.

NOW A LOT OF THAT MONEY HAS GONE DIRECTLY TO INDIVIDUAL VERMONTERS IN THE FORM OF SUPPLEMENTAL UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS, MORE THAN $1 BILLION IS AVAILABLE TO ELECTED OFFICIALS TO SPEND LARGELY AS THEY SEE FIT.

THE LEGISLATURE'S CHIEF ECONOMIST USED A LINE RECENTLY THAT REALLY STUCK WITH ME WHEN HE SAID WE ARE IN THE MIDST OF AN EPIC ECONOMIC EXPERIMENT AND HE'S REFERRING TO THE LEVEL OF MONETARY INTERVENTION BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.

GOVERNOR PHIL SCOTT AND THE 180 ELECTED MEMBERS OF THE VERMONT LEGISLATURE ARE IN THE LABORATORY RIGHT NOW CONDUCTING THAT EXPERIMENT ON THE VERMONTS' BEHALVES.

AND IT'S LED TO A SENSE OF URGENCY AND OBLIGATION BECAUSE THE DECISIONS THEY MAKE ARE GOING TO RIPPLE FOR DECADES PROBABLY.

>> SOME OF THE KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THE BUDGET ADDRESS ARE THE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, TAX RELIEF, HOUSING, CHILD CARE, AND PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE.

NOW, WE'RE GOING TO START WITH THE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT.

# THEGOVERNOR HAS LONG SAID VERT NEEDS TO ATTRACT AND KEEP YOUNG PEOPLE HERE IN THE STATE OF VERMONT AS YOU KNOW.

SO YOU ARE GOING TO -- SO YOU HEAR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

SIMPLY PUT, IT'S A PLAN TO HELP THE LONGEVITY OF VERMONT'S ECONOMY BY TRAINING PEOPLE WHO ARE WILLING TO WORK.

LET'S TAKE A LISTEN TO WHY GOVERNOR SAYS IT'S IMPORTANT.

>> SINCE FEBRUARY 2020, WE HAVE LOST 24,000 PEOPLE FROM OUR WORKFORCE.