Governor Phil Scott today announced his appointment of Zachary Harvey, of Castleton, to fill the vacant Rutland-3 seat in the Vermont House of Representatives. Harvey replaces Chris Brown, who resigned last month.
“I am appreciative of Zak’s willingness to serve his constituents in this role,” said Governor Scott. “As we enter a new legislative session, I believe we have a real opportunity to address the affordability crisis we face and I’m confident Zak’s perspective will make him an effective legislator.”
“I am deeply honored by Governor Scott’s appointment and grateful for his confidence in me to represent Rutland’s 3rd District in the Vermont House of Representatives,” said Harvey. “As the new legislative session begins, I am focused on addressing the issues facing Vermonters, such as affordability and education. I look forward to working with the Governor and my fellow legislators to build a stronger, more prosperous Vermont for all.”
Harvey is a 5th generation Vermonter born and raised in the Green Mountain State. Over a decade-long career in financial services, he held various roles at the New York Stock Exchange and its parent, Intercontinental Exchange, a Fortune 500 technology and data services company. He began his career at Nasdaq, a global technology and exchange operator.
Harvey earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with a minor in Economics from Providence College. He has served on several advisory boards supporting his alma mater and non-profit organizations.
Harvey’s appointment is effective Wednesday, January 8. He was selected from a list of candidates forwarded by the Castleton Republican Party committee. He and the following other Republicans newcomers will take the oath of office tomorrow morning:
House Republicans introduce Clean Heat Standard repeal – Rep. Jim Harrison (R-Chittenden/Mendon/Pittsfield/Killington) and most other members of the House Republican Caucus have introduced H-16, the repeal of the Clean Heat Standard.
The Clean Heat Standard of 2023 was passed to implement the carbon emissions reduction goals of the Global Warming Solutions Act. It proposes a carbon taxation scheme that takes money from fossil fuel dealers and consumers and redirects it to heat pump dealers and customers, in an effort to transition home heating away from fossil fuels to electricity. It became increasingly unpopular as lawmakers and Vermonters realized the difficulty and expense (up to $4/gallon of fuel oil) of implementing the complex plan.
Before the November 5 election that eliminated the Democrat supermajority, GOP lawmakers promised to introduce a repeal bill. Whether it gets any attention in a House committee depends on the composition of the House Environment and Energy Committee, including the chair. Committee assignments are likely to be announced tomorrow or Thursday.
House convenes 2025-26 Session at 10 AM tomorrow, January 8 – The Vermont House of Representatives will convene at 10 AM tomorrow and the first major order of business will be the election of a Speaker. Laura Sibilia (I-Dover) is challenging incumbent Jill Krowinski (D-Burlington). Sibilia claims she has enough Democrat, Progressive and independent support to win if the Republican caucus comes over to her side. However at least one GOP House member, Ashley Bartley of Georgia/Fairfax, says she’s sticking with Krowinski, and the rest are staying mum.
Will a GOP challenger emerge? Will GOP House Caucus leaders promise their support in return for key committee leadership assignments? VDC will report live from the Vermont State House tomorrow.
Vermont House Democrats will hold a press conference on Wednesday, January 8, 2025, at 9:30 a.m. in the Cedar Creek Room at the Vermont State House to announce their top priorities for the upcoming legislative session – an agenda built around the priorities of Vemonters.
House Democrats will hold a press conference 9:30 AM at the State House to announce their 2025 priorities, according to a press release that includes the following:
- Education Funding Reform and Strengthening Public Education– “Vermonters were asked to cover unacceptably high changes to their property taxes this year,” said Majority Leader Rep. Lori Houghton. “One of our top priorities will be to restructure the way we pay for schools.” House Democrats will work with education leaders to reinforce Vermont’s public schools as the cornerstone of democracy and opportunity by modernizing school facilities, focusing on student and teacher support, and expanding programs to help every student thrive – all while safeguarding Vermonters’ ability to pay for these vital investments.
- Healthcare – As Healthcare costs continue to affect families and businesses, we must keep our focus on the actions the legislative body has to increase access, support our emergency medical responders and all health care providers, and strengthen our primary care and mental health system of care. We will remain diligent with strong oversight on our partners working on system transformation with the goal of reducing costs to Vermonters.
- Government Accountability and Transparency – Strengthening oversight and transparency allows Vermonters to better participate in the democratic process, see how their tax dollars are spent, and better ensures that state government works efficiently and effectively.
- Housing Solutions for All – Access to safe, affordable housing is essential for the well-being and strength of our communities. We are prioritizing bold actions to tackle the housing crisis head-on by addressing affordability, accessibility, and availability for all Vermonters.
- Climate Resiliency – Communities all across our state are still reeling from the impacts of the widespread flooding in July and December of 2023, and July of 2024. Impacted municipalities have had their resources stressed to the max and smaller towns cannot tackle these issues by themselves. This is a statewide problem and deserves a statewide response.