Vermont Legislature overrides governor, passing overdose prevention, renewable energy, tax measures

By LISA RATHKE
Associated Press

The Democratic-controlled Vermont Legislature on Monday overturned a number of the Republican governor’s vetoes, passing measures to prevent drug overdoses, restrict a pesticide that’s toxic to bees and to require state utilities to source all renewable energy by 2035. But the Legislature failed to override Gov. Phil Scott’s veto of a data privacy bill that was considered to be among the strongest in the country. It would have allowed consumers to file civil lawsuits against companies that break certain privacy rules. Scott vetoed the legislation last week, saying it would make Vermont “a national outlier and more hostile than any other state to many businesses and non-profits.”