Senate passes $8.6 billion budget, teeing up negotiations with the House

After a key vote Thursday, Vermont’s state budget is on its way to the final stages of negotiation. The Senate voted 26-2 for an $8.6 billion budget, which would take effect at the start of the fiscal year beginning in July. Having passed its own version of the budget last month, the House can now sign off on the Senate’s rewrite or — far more likely — call for a conference committee to hash out the differences. For the most part, there is little daylight between the Senate and House...