News – Politics – Opinion – Podcasts
Rob Roper 
No doubt the defund the police movement has been devastating for Burlington and other communities throughout Vermont, as our once safest-in-the-nation state has seen an unprecedented and undesirable rise in crime. But while “Defund the Police!” has gotten all the headlines and protest placards (cue Law & Order theme music), “In the criminal justice system, … Read more
When Vermont voters threw out a historic number of Democrats in the November 2024 elections, including the chair of the Senate Natural Resources & Energy Committee chair, breaking the supermajorities in both chambers of the legislature, a very big reason was the Clean Heat Standard. That was a signal that nobody apart from the special … Read more
Governor Scott’s plan for education reform does some things right, and others unnecessarily very wrong. What’s right? The move to a foundation-based funding formula and the primary focus on cost savings being the elimination of supervisory union level of bureaucracy. In no way shape or form do we need 52 supervisory unions governing 109 school … Read more
When it comes to the unaffordable climate change policies being pushed on Vermonters by the Democrat majority in the State House, the Clean Heat Standard for the home heating sector has received all the attention for the past couple of years, but heat only represents about 40 percent of the state’s greenhouse gas emissions. The … Read more
Vermont Democrats passed the Global Warming Solutions Act in 2020 over the veto of Governor Scott and the Republican legislative minority. That law mandates strict targets and timelines for greenhouse gas reduction set at 26% below 2005 levels by 2025, 40% below 1990 levels by 2030 and 80% below 1990 levels by 2050. And, so … Read more
Rep. Kathleen James (D-Manchester) chairs the House Energy & Digital Infrastructure Committee. She was appointed to that post by Speaker of the House Jill Krowinski (D-Burlington). Krowinski also assigned multiple bills that would repeal controversial, unaffordable, climate laws, such as the Clean Heat Standard (H.16), the Global Warming Solutions Act, and the Clean Car mandates … Read more
Ronald Reagan famously quipped, “The trouble with our Liberal friends is not that they’re ignorant; it’s just that they know so much that isn’t so.” This was on full display in the House Energy & Digital Infrastructure Committee as ranking member Laura Sibilia (I-Dover) made a number of statements about the Renewable Energy Standard (RES) … Read more
A few days ago I read and shared an article by Ruy Teixeira on his Substack page, The Liberal Patriot, titled The Democrats’ Governance Problem; They’re bad at it and getting worse. It contained this key insight that I think applies particularly keenly to our little state of Vermont: “Democrats have developed a philosophy … that prizes … Read more
On November 7, the voters of the Bennington 1 House district (Woodford, Searsburg, Readsboro, Stamford, and most of Pownal) appeared to have elected Democrat Jonathan Cooper over Republican Bruce Busa by a squeaker of twenty-five votes. A recount narrowed the margin to thirteen, all of Busa’s recount gains occurring in the town of Pownal. However, … Read more
Okay, we have established that the Clean Heat Standard is an unnecessarily costly, unnecessarily complicated, ruthlessly regressive, unworkable word salad of legal confusion. But, hey, at least, so bleated its supporters incessantly for three plus years, it wasn’t/isn’t a tax, fee, surcharge on home heating fuel, right? So, what’s are the options for moving forward … Read more
A Case Study In How Not to Govern After eighteen months of attempting to build a governing structure for the Clean Heat Standard, the Public Utilities Commission concluded, “…that this program is not well suited to Vermont.” It’s expensive, complicated, and, as they illustrate over a dozen pages in section X of their report, Problems with … Read more
Governor Scott is set to unveil his proposals for education reform this week, fulfilling campaign promises to lower property taxes which are a direct result of public school spending. But there are powerful special interests that want to keep that money flowing from your pocket to theirs. Chief among them, the Vermont Teacher’s Union, the … Read more
The first attempt at spinning the Clean Heat Standard (Act 18) was that it was a “solution” to “global warming” in the thermal sector, hence the name of its mother law, the Global Warming “Solutions” Act. But after bouts of major flooding throughout Vermont made it obvious to everybody that this and programs like it … Read more
So much to unpack from Thursday’s big reveal of the Clean Heat Standard rules package from the Public Utilities Commission (PUC)! The big news is we got an “official” cost impact estimate – sort of. Just shy of a billion dollars over ten years with the impact per gallon of fuel oil bouncing from 8 … Read more
Governor Scott gave a good inaugural speech this week echoing the voters’ call for “affordability” in the last election. “Vermonters told us – loudly and clearly,” explained Scott, “they expect us to get back on course; to spend within THEIR means; and above all else, make Vermont more affordable for them.” I think this sums it … Read more
Next to perhaps property taxes, the biggest issue to motivate voters’ rejection of the Democrats’ supermajorities in the last election was that party’s tone-deaf attitude regarding the Clean Heat Standard carbon tax/fee/surcharge on home heating fuels. In a state where people are struggling mightily to make ends meet the idea of adding a $1-$4 tax … Read more
Following the seismic gains Vermont Republicans made in the state senate last November, shifting the partisan balance in the body from 7-23 to 13-17, Republican Randy Brock (R-Franklin) is making a bid to be Senate President Pro Tem which, if successful, would oust the current holder of that position, Philip Baruth (D/P-Chittenden). This is good … Read more
Vermont voters screamed that affordability is the number one issue we want the legislature to address in 2025. While lawmakers have little control over what we pay for eggs and hamburger, what they do have control over – total control over at the state level — is what we pay in taxes, fees, and regulatory … Read more
As we reach the quarter-century mark in the new millennium, it’s worth looking back on what the politics of this era have done for (or, spoiler alert, “to”) Vermont. First, some important historical context: The last time Vermont Republicans had a majority in the Senate was 1996. The last time Vermont Republicans had a majority … Read more
Act 183 establishing The Commission on the Future of Public Education in Vermont (a name almost as convoluted as the system it’s supposed to reform) is charged by law to, among other tasks, submit “a written report containing its preliminary findings and recommendations, including short-term cost containment considerations for the 2025 legislative session, [emphasis added] on or … Read more