by VDC staff 

Americans for Prosperity (AFP), a national advocacy organization promoting limited government and free-market policies, this month has launched an “accountability campaign” aimed at Vermont lawmakers they say are worsening the state’s affordability crisis by supporting what AFP calls excessive taxes, overregulation, and an expanding state budget.

The campaign is designed to mobilize Vermonters around AFP’s policy priorities and highlight legislative votes from the 2025 session. The effort includes digital ads, grassroots events, and town halls throughout Vermont intended to pressure lawmakers they claim have pushed policies out of step with the financial realities of everyday residents.

Campaign spotlights housing, taxes, and energy mandates

According to AFP, the campaign will focus on three major issues:

• Rolling back recent tax increases

• Lowering housing costs by reducing regulatory barriers

• Repealing state energy mandates that the group says increase costs for consumers

Ross Connolly, AFP’s Northeast Regional Director, said the campaign is a response to what he called “one of the worst affordability crises in the country.”

> “Instead of providing relief to Vermonters who are already struggling to make ends meet, the state’s progressive majority has chosen to inflate taxes and increase regulations,” Connolly said. “The last thing these hardworking families need is lawmakers who ignore the will of the people in order to advance their own radical agenda.”

Connolly, who is also known as one of the regular hosts on WDEV’s M-F 9-11 AM Vermont Viewpoint public affairs program, praised Governor Phil Scott, a Republican, for opposing many of the measures passed by the Democratic-controlled Legislature and pledged to continue working with him to promote “prosperity for all members of the Green Mountain State.”

Campaign seeks to influence future policy

AFP says the campaign will also highlight legislators who supported what it sees as “priority reforms” this year, while calling out those who opposed them. The group has not yet released a list of specific lawmakers or votes but says details will be shared through upcoming public events and digital media outreach.

The campaign comes as Vermont continues to face high housing costs, a tight rental market, and ongoing debates over climate policy, taxes, and spending.

Critics of AFP often point to the organization’s opposition to climate and social policies supported by progressive lawmakers. Supporters say AFP offers a necessary check on government overreach and taxation.

More information about the campaign and upcoming events is available at greenmountainprosperity.com