John McClaughry: The difficult legislative agenda of 2018

Editor’s note: This commentary is by John McClaughry, the vice president of the Ethan Allen Institute.The biennial session of the Legislature that convenes this week will face more than its share of hot button issues. Here’s a quick survey of the 2018 agenda.
State finances: The Legislature faces a FY 2019 general fund budget deficit projected to surpass $40 million. The bright side of this coin is that covering a deficit puts a strong damper on ever-present demands for new spending