Vermont Governor Phil Scott vetoed a bill last Friday that would have mandated paid family and medical leave for all employees in the Green Mountain state but that veto was upheld this week by the Vermont House of Representatives. Despite holding a so-called “supermajority”, the democrat-controlled House fell one vote shy of the 100 needed to override, voting in favor of the override by a vote of 99 – 51.  The decision leaves the republican governor’s voluntary paid family and medical leave program in place as a possible alternative. Under Scott’s plan, the state’s 8500 employees would form an insurance pool that other businesses and employees would be allowed to voluntarily join at their own expense. Despite that victory, Governor Scott has yet to indicate whether he will sign a minimum wage increase the legislature passed late last week. That proposal (S.23) would increase the state minimum wage, which is currently set at $10.96/hour, to $12.55 per hour by 2022. Scott, who successfully vetoed legislation imposing a $15/hour minimum wage on private businesses across Vermont two years ago, still expresses his concerns about the impact a minimum wage hike could have on small businesses in rural areas of the state.