By Guy Page, Editor
So Speaker of the House Jill Krowinski is telling Vermonters concerned about Act 181, “I hear you and we will work together to get this right.”
I don’t know quite what she means. [Read full statement here.] Does she mean House leaders will repeal the odious Tier 3? And in particular the Road Rule?
Or, does she mean they will hold hearings, nod their collective head in synchronized sympathy when Neil Ryan and Christine Stone and dozens and even hundreds of others (if given opportunity) say Act 181 will turn them into serfs? And then… do nothing but maybe delay implementation to a time more fortuitous for the Land Control crowd?
Or does it mean real reform? Repeal Tier 3? Break the deal with the devil that allows more housing in cities while virtually outlawing middle-and-working class landowners to develop family land in rural areas?
The Senate version of Act 181 reform, now under House Environment Committee review, kicks the implementation can down the road: four years for the Road Rule, two years for Tier 3.
This is onerous and a little scary. In maybe two and probably four years, Vermont may not have Gov. Phil Scott to say ‘whoa there podner.’ The Legislature may not have enough Republicans to back a veto, even if he’s still governor.
In four years it could be anything-goes 2024 all over again.
I think Krowinski and the other House leaders know this. And I think they are hoping Vermonters will believe that they’ve been listening to, and that four years really will make a positive difference.
Governor Scott and the Republican minority have at least some swing in the State House now. For people concerned about Tier 3 and the Road Rule, now is the time to repeal.
And while we’re thinking about reform, how about Krowinski play some music for the committee chairs and leave some obstructionists standing when it stops? The chair of House Environment, Amy Sheldon, could benefit from her getting a fresh start. So think, anyway, plenty of concerned Vermonters.
The author of this opinionated commentary is executive editor of the Vermont Daily Chronicle.