61 Facts About Phil Scott

Philip Brian Scott was born on August 4,1958 and is an American politician, businessman, and stock car racer who has served as the 82nd governor of Vermont since 2017.

Philip B Scott was born on August 4,1958, in Barre, Vermont, the son of Marian and Howard Roy Scott.

Phil Scott's father was disabled after being wounded while serving in World War II and later worked as vehicle permit supervisor for the state highway department.

Phil Scott graduated from Barre's Spaulding High School in 1976, and is a 1980 graduate of the University of Vermont, where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in industrial education.

Phil Scott is a past president of the Associated General Contractors of Vermont.

Phil Scott indicated that he opted to finance the sale himself rather than having the company borrow the money to pay him in full in order to preserve the company's bonding capacity.

In October 2018, the state ethics commission issued an advisory opinion indicating that Phil Scott did have a conflict of interest because of his continued connection to the company.

Terms of the sale were not disclosed, including whether Phil Scott would receive a lump sum or continue receiving installment payments, but DuBois representatives indicated that the company's obligation to Phil Scott would be satisfied.

Phil Scott was reelected four times, and served from 2001 to 2011.

Phil Scott served as a member of the Natural Resources and Energy Committee.

On November 2,2010, Phil Scott was elected the 81st lieutenant governor of Vermont, defeating Steve Howard.

Phil Scott was reelected in 2012, defeating Cassandra Gekas, and in 2014, defeating Dean Corren.

Phil Scott served as acting governor when the governor was out of state.

In September 2015, Phil Scott maintained high name recognition and favorability among Vermont residents.

Phil Scott was an active member of the National Lieutenant Governors Association, and served on the NLGA's executive committee and the NLGA's finance committee.

Phil Scott was a lead sponsor of an NLGA resolution to develop a long-term vision for surface transportation in the US He co-sponsored resolutions to recognize the importance of arts and culture in tourism to the US economy, to support Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics education, to support designating a National Arts in Education Week, and to support a comprehensive system to end homelessness among US veterans.

In September 2015, Phil Scott announced his candidacy for Vermont governor.

On May 8,2016, Phil Scott was endorsed by nearly all of Vermont's Republican legislators.

Phil Scott did not support Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential campaign.

Phil Scott pledged to veto any budget that grows faster than the growth rate of the underlying economy or wages in the previous year, or that increases statewide property taxes.

Conflicts over raising property tax rates, which the state legislature supported and Phil Scott opposed, led to a strained relationship between him and the legislature in 2018 for the FY19 budget, despite high revenues overall.

Phil Scott has made addressing Vermont's long-term unfunded liabilities a priority, and has worked with State Treasurer Beth Pearce to pay down Vermont's pension debt.

The FY18 budget Phil Scott signed into law did not include any new or increased taxes or fees.

Phil Scott refused to sign a bill that would have raised property taxes.

Phil Scott vetoed the FY19 budget twice before allowing it to go into law without his signature, as the threat of a government shutdown approached.

In early 2018, Phil Scott called for eliminating the tax on Social Security benefits.

Phil Scott's administration has reduced both Workers' Compensation and Unemployment Insurance tax rates.

Phil Scott has twice proposed to phase out the tax on military retirement income, which the legislature did not advance.

Phil Scott has set a goal to boost the state's economy by increasing the state's population to 700,000 in 10 years by encouraging young people who come to study in the state to remain after graduation.

University of Vermont economics professor Arthur Woolf Phil Scott suggested that retention of older Vermonters, with larger incomes and tax revenues, would be a better focus, but Phil Scott pointed to the lower average healthcare costs associated with a younger population.

Phil Scott has advocated and achieved increasing tax credits for development, new support for small business, additional initiatives for rural economic growth, tax increment financing, permitting reform, and tax exemptions in key industries.

Phil Scott has made expanding the labor force a priority of his administration, and has proposed and achieved initiatives that invest in workforce recruitment, retention, and relocation.

Phil Scott signed a bill requiring Vermonters to have health insurance, making Vermont among a few states to implement such a policy after the federal repeal of the individual mandate provision of the Affordable Care Act.

Phil Scott has advocated moving away from a fee-for-service-based health care system, and has suggested focusing more on the quality of care and services rendered.

Phil Scott has called for modifying Act 46 to improve cost containment measures, incorporate property tax reduction, preserve local control and school choice, and allow communities to keep the funds they save through school district mergers.

Phil Scott has expressed support for flexible learning plans and new technologies to improve educational outcomes.

The FY20 budget Phil Scott signed into law built on these investments, with an additional $7.4 million for child care and $3 million more for higher education.

The next year, Phil Scott worked with the legislature to eliminate tuition for members of the Vermont National Guard.

Phil Scott passed legislation that banned bump stock devices, expanded background checks for gun purchases, raised the age to purchase firearms to 21, limited the purchase of certain high-capacity magazines, strengthened laws to keep guns out of the hands of alleged domestic abusers, and created risk protection orders.

Phil Scott created a Violence Prevention Task Force, ordered a security assessment of all Vermont schools, and signed legislation appropriating $5 million for school security grants.

Phil Scott supports limiting Vermont's annual legislative session to 90 days.

Phil Scott created the Program to Improve Vermont Outcomes Together initiative, which asks frontline state employees for ways to make state government systems more efficient and easier to use.

Phil Scott consolidated IT functions in state government with the creation of the Agency of Digital Services, saving $2.19 million.

Phil Scott merged the Department of Liquor Control and the Lottery Department into the Department of Liquor and Lottery to achieve savings.

Phil Scott's administration has worked to achieve internal improvements through lean training and permit process improvements.

Phil Scott successfully sought to eliminate and merge redundant boards, commissions, studies and reports.

In July 2016, Phil Scott outlined the transportation priorities he would implement as governor.

Phil Scott signed into a law a gender-neutral bathroom bill intended to recognize the rights of transgender people.

On May 24,2017, Phil Scott vetoed a bill that would have legalized marijuana recreationally in Vermont.

Phil Scott boosted efforts to reduce the drug supply through the Vermont Drug Task Force, Drug Take Back days, and expanding prescription drug disposal sites.

Phil Scott opposed the Trump administration's "zero tolerance" policy and the separation of families at the border.

Phil Scott approved $48 million for clean water funding in 2017.

Phil Scott signed an executive order creating the Vermont Climate Action Commission.

Phil Scott announced a settlement with Saint-Gobain to address water quality issues and PFOA contamination in Bennington County.

On June 2,2017, Phil Scott led Vermont to join the United States Climate Alliance, after President Trump withdrew the US from the Paris Agreement.

On September 15,2020, Phil Scott vetoed the Global Warming Solutions Act, which mandated reductions to Vermont's carbon emissions.

Phil Scott won the 1996 and 1998 Thunder Road Late Model Series championships and the 1997 and 1999 Thunder Road Milk Bowls.

Phil Scott competed in the 2005 British Stock Car Association Formula One Championship of the World, but did not finish.

On July 6,2017, Phil Scott won the Thunder Road Late Model Series feature race; he started from the pole, and the victory was his first since 2013.

Phil Scott participated in a limited number of Thunder Road events in 2019, and won the June 27,2019, LMS feature race.

In July 2022, Phil Scott competed in the Governor's Cup 150, in which he finished 23rd.