Vermont governor vetoes data privacy bill, saying state would be most hostile to businesses

By LISA RATHKE
Associated Press

Vermont’s governor has vetoed a broad data privacy bill that would have been one of the strongest in the country to crack down on companies’ use of online personal data. It would have let consumers file civil lawsuits against companies that break certain privacy rules. Republican Gov. Phil Scott said in his veto message late Thursday that the legislation would have made Vermont “a national outlier and more hostile than any other state to many businesses and non-profits.” The Democrat-controlled Legislature plans to override the governor’s veto when it meets for a special session on Monday.