Governor Scott's Vision and Agenda for 2025
Inaugural Address
On January 9, Governor Scott delivered his 2025 inaugural address to a joint session of the General Assembly, marking the beginning of his fifth term and ninth legislative session as Governor. The Governor called on legislators to listen to the message Vermonter sent in the last election, calling for moderation and a focus on affordability.
“So, this year, I’m asking you to join me. To listen to those who sent us here, think about what they can afford and what they need, and give everyone the chance to not just survive, but thrive.”
He highlighted major challenges facing the state, especially as the population ages and there are fewer workers and students. And he asked legislators to prioritize three key issues in order to make gains on all Vermont’s challenges: affordability, housing, and education.
On housing, he outlined his Administration’s strategy to make it easier to build homes and revitalize those in disrepair. This included strengthening and expanding infrastructure; revitalizing neglected communities; bringing in smaller-scale community investment partners and homebuilders; and smart regulatory reform. “It’s long past time to legalize housing,” he said.
The Governor also highlighted Vermont’s education quality and affordability crisis and outlined the framework for his Administration’s education reform plan.
“With my budget in two weeks, we’ll share our full proposal to improve the quality, equity, and sustainability of the Pre-K-through-12 system in Vermont. With those three principles, and the mandate voters gave us in November, we’ll propose a multi-year plan to transform education."
The Governor concluded by recognizing examples set by Vermonters around the state to step up to help their neighbors and make their communities a better place for all.
“Whether it’s putting the needs of your neighbors ahead of your own significant challenges, leaving your family for months to protect democracy around the world or being an honest voice for your community in this building for decades. The examples are there for us, we just need to learn from them.”
Read his full Inaugural Address.
Budget Address
On January 28, Governor Scott today delivered his ninth budget address to the General Assembly, presenting a balanced budget for fiscal year 2026, which does not raise taxes or fees while making strategic investments to make Vermont more affordable, improve our demographics and grow our workforce
By focusing on fixing broken systems and investing to increase housing stock, transform our education system to improve outcomes for our kids, and address continued public safety concerns, the Governor’s recommended budget meets the challenges facing Vermonters with real policy solutions that taxpayers can afford.
“With this budget and commonsense reforms, we can help more folks – from all income levels – put and keep a permanent roof over their head. We can address climate change without punishing people. We can help families feel safe in their neighborhoods once again. We can let them keep more of what they earn. We can restore left-behind communities, giving them back the pride and opportunity they once felt. And we can keep and attract the workforce and families we desperately need.”
Read Governor Scott's Past Addresses:
- 2017 Inaugural Address
- 2017 (FY18) Budget Address
- 2018 State of the State Address
- 2018 (FY19) Budget Address
- 2019 Inaugural Address
- 2019 (FY20) Budget Address
- 2020 State of the State Address
- 2020 (FY21) Budget Address
- 2021 Inaugural Address
- 2021 (FY22) Budget Address
- 2022 State of the State Address
- 2022 (FY23) Budget Address
- 2023 Inaugural Address
- 2023 (FY24) Budget Address
- 2024 State of the State Address
- 2024 (FY25) Budget Address