by Guy Page

A familiar face in the Vermont State House and media has been named Chief of Staff for Lt. Gov. John Rodgers.

James Ehlers, a campaign aide for Rodgers successful campaign to unseat incumbent David Zuckerman, replaces short-lived appointee Elizabeth Brown of Waterbury, who reportedly is leaving the State House post to focus on a consulting job. The Chief of Staff acts as an advisor and secretary, and manages the several interns now working with the Lt. Governor’s office.

Perhaps fitting as the chief aide to a former Democrat elected as a Republican, Ehlers has been nothing if not multifaceted in his more than two decades of Vermont political and policy involvement. In no particular chronological order, Ehlers –

• Helped organize last year’s Tap Trees, Not Vermonters grassroots movement opposing the Clean Heat Standard and excessive property tax increases. Rodgers also played a significant role in TTNV.

• Ran for governor as a Democrat in 2018.

• Advised US Senator Bernie Sanders on the environment and veterans’ issues. 

• Advised Republican U.S. Senate candidate Mark Shepherd in 2006.

• Graduated from Villanova University on a U.S. Navy scholarship. He spent the next four years in the Navy, commissioned as an officer – including serving as a damage control officer on the USS Kidd, stationed in Panama.

• Actively opposed siting the F-22 Raptor squadron at the Air National Guard base in Williston/South Burlington.

• Is a longstanding, outspoken foe of municipalities dumping sewage into rivers and Lake Champlain due to stormwater overflow and other causes.

• Served 20 years as Executive Director of Lake Champlain International (LCI), a prominent and effective nonprofit promoting clean water to protect human health and safety. Won a prestigious Regional EPA award for his work. 

• Was a writer and publisher of Vermont Outdoors magazine, line cook, small farmer and ski coach. Raced at Thunder Road for one season.

Trapping restrictions proposed – H.132, prohibit a person from taking a furbearer by gun, bow and arrow, or crossbow with the use of bait, was introduced into the House on Tuesday. The bill is sponsored by Rep. Larry Satcowitz (D-Randolph). Other sponsors are Michelle Bos-Lun, Troy Headrick, Kate Logan, Phil Pouech, Amy Sheldon, and Dara Torre. The bill was sent to House Environment Committee, where Satcowitz, Logan and Sheldon (Chair) are assigned.

Workforce leadership bill advances – House Commerce and Economic Development has unanimously voted out H.34, a workforce leadership bill, to the House floor. 

Hotel motel owners seek more tourism $$, no increase in rooms and meals tax – The Vermont Lodging Association had a display in the card room of the Vermont State House today.

A spokesperson said the group wants to limit rooms and meals taxes and hopes the State of Vermont spends more to attract tourists. Vermont woefully underfunds tourism dollars, compared to Maine and New Hampshire, she said.

She also said the VLA has the Covid-19 emergency housing episode in its rear-view mirror. While federal funding for housing the homeless was welcome when Covid effectively shut down tourism and business travel – the two mainstays of VLA customers – the return to normalcy has made interest in extending state funding for emergency sheltering in hotels and motels a thing of the past.

Firearms ban in municipal buildings may get hearing – A Secretary of State report recommending a ban on carrying firearms in all municipal property will likely get a hearing before House Judiciary in a week or two. The U.S. Supreme Court has emphatically, categorically upheld the right to carry firearms, so…….