News analysis and photos by Alison Despathy
Despite the intensity, serendipity is often the way of the Vermont State House. You easily find the person you are looking for, have a completely unexpected, insightful conversation or land in the right place at the right time without even trying.
As soon as I walked into the statehouse last Wednesday, I found myself in the Cedar Creek Room just as the House Republicans’ press conference began.
Minority leader Representative McCoy (R- Rutland-1) began the conversation with a dire warning to Vermonters about the increasing affordability crisis we face due to compromised legislation that the supermajority is moving through. It is not just one bill, it is multiple bills with no end in sight — a dangerous pattern — that is resulting in even more economic burden and hardship.
Vermonters are living it and the Governor has been very vocal and actively helping to inform Vermonters. The Republican legislators are trying hard to thwart the trend and spread the word.
Some of the press were there. They heard the details. They asked questions. I thought the guts of the press conference would be covered. It wasn’t, or barely was. VTDigger published an article with brief coverage consistent with – IMHO – an establishment propaganda machine allowed a small degree of controlled opposition but certainly not real accountability and unbiased reporting. It is common to see such compromised coverage of an event such as a Republican press conference – or none at all.
[Editor’s interjection: I was next door in the governor’s ceremonial office listening to Amanda Shangraw’s gripping plea for tax relief for small businesses. Many thanks for Alison covering this simultaneous event.]
Regardless, the Republicans were prepared with example after example of the supermajority’s already imposed economic burdens on the people and their plans to make it even more difficult to afford to live in Vermont.
Representative Gina Galfetti (R-Washington-Orange) called out the reality that Republicans face.
“The super majority refuses to work with the Scott Administration and House Republicans. More affordable solutions that are offered gain no traction when they come from the perceived wrong side and who loses? Vermonters. Vermonters who are crying out for relief from the cost of reckless spending.”
Galfetti explained the danger of the Renewable Energy Standard (H.289) recently passed by the House that was, she said, “Written by and for the utilities and special interest groups like VPIRG. These are the groups that will benefit from its passage. While once again Vermonters will be forced to pay in the form of higher electric bills as the cost will be passed on to ratepayers.”
She discussed the Department of Public Service’s Renewable Energy Standard (RES) option would have secured zero carbon emissions by 2030 (using existing regional nuclear power) and costing hundreds of millions of dollars less. The state’s RES had undergone a comprehensive public process including statewide polling, focus groups, advisory groups, webinars, newsletters and regional events. Yet it was ignored by the supermajority.
The recently passed RES lacks any robust public process and brings yet more financial burden to Vermonters in the form of higher electric bills.
Representative Mark Higley (R-Orleans-Lamoille) focused the growing economic burden of adding one mandated expense after another.
“We should be considering the cumulative effect of our actions and mandates on Vermonters… Last year we passed the so-called “Affordable heat Act” which would add $.70 or more to a gallon of heating fuel,” Higley said.
The Affordable Heat Act, with its taxes imposed on the thermal sector and heating fuel, is in the design phase. If voted through next year, it adds to this laundry list of economic devastation.
With an over $200 million dollar property tax increase coming through. a payroll tax on its way, higher costs for basic expenses due to inflation, Higley mapped out the big picture spending issue and what is on the horizon if the supermajority gets their way.
“Take for instance following California’s Clean Car standards, starting in 2026 requiring dealers to have 35% of electric vehicles and hybrids on their lots and selling no new internal combustion engine vehicles by 2035. Add to this an analysis of a cap and trade proposal for gas and diesel in this year”s transportation bill.”
Clearly, the supermajority is now after the transportation sector and is also proposing another new tax for gas and diesel.
California Clean Car standards were adopted by Vermont in 2022. If Vermont moves this forward, it could result in heavy top down control of car dealers and car buyers. How much will Vermonters be squeezed to buy an electric vehicle if dealers are coerced to have cars on their lots that Vermonters may not even want or may not even be practical? Couple this with a tax on fuel intended to force sales of electric vehicles, and the affordability crisis just got exponentially worse.
Currently Maine is pushing back hard on this California style social engineering. There is even a campaign entitled, My Car My Choice which is designed to educate the people and help prevent California’s electric car rules from taking hold in Maine.
An FAQ on the My Car My Choice site answers an important question: exactly how will California (and therefore Maine, Vermont and other alligned states) enforce EV purchasing?
“Does the new policy mandate which vehicle I purchase?
“Not exactly, the new rule will mandate a percentage of vehicles (cars, SUVs and pickup trucks) delivered into the state by manufacturers to the dealers. Meaning, fewer internal combustion engine cars/trucks (gas or diesel), and many more electric vehicles. 43% of new cars sold in Maine must be Zero Emission Vehicles (ZEVs) by model year 2027, 82% by model year 2032, and 100% by 2035.”
Representative Ashley Bartley (R- Franklin-1) spoke next about the housing issue and the failure of the supermajority to pass meaningful legislation to help the housing crisis, she stated,
“We commenced this session with a shared commitment to tackle the housing crisis within our state. It’s important to emphasize that no genuine housing legislation will be advancing from the House during this session….today the House will deliberate on H.687, touted as a housing bill, although it is fundamentally not. I would even argue that it constitutes an anti-housing bill.”
H.687 passed the House on Thursday with heavy debate and a glimpse at a supermajority fracture on this topic of housing and Act 250 which led to an emergency Democratic caucus in the middle of the floor session.
Representative Scott Beck (R- St. Johnsbury) also shared some numbers and they are not pretty.
He stated, “In the last 10 years, personal income tax receipts in the state of Vermont have grown 54%, sales tax receipts have grown 65% and property taxes have increased by 53%. Corporate income tax has nearly tripled in the last 10 years.”
With all of this in mind, Beck explained, “We’re being told that we still don’t have enough money. Clearly we do not have a revenue problem, we have a spending problem.”
Fortunately there is a way to stop this affordability crisis. Besides working to elect legislators that will not support these continued increases in taxes, fees and cost of living for Vermonters, Representative Higley discussed his bills which would put the brakes on the impulsive energy legislation currently driving many of these increased costs.
“H.74 would repeal the 23 member Vermont Climate Council and the Climate Action Plan (CAP) and revert to goals in the Comprehensive Energy Plan (CEP). It would remove a provision that, any person may sue and a prevailing plaintiff shall be awarded reasonable costs and attorney’s fees, when not meeting our bench marks in the CAP.
“Since adoption of the GWSA in 2020, we have been through a pandemic, embroiled in two wars, which has effected fuel costs, and overall high inflation, all effecting affordability issues for all Vermonters. This shortsighted effort to electrify with prescriptive remedies, doesn’t allow for innovation of options for the future. It also doesn’t allow us the option to realistically look at what Vermonters can afford, especially when added to the everyday costs of inflation on items like food, utilities, health care, gas and diesel, insurances and the list goes on.”
Higley and several Republicans also have Bill H.73 which would effectively prohibit Vermont from using California’s Clean Air Act waiver to set motor vehicle standards thus keeping my car, my choice alive and well in Vermont.
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