Special interests have issued their marching orders, and the Democrats are obeying.

by Rob Roper

As the 2025 legislative session winds its way toward the finish line, minority party Vermont Republicans are trying their best to act on the loud and clear message sent by voters last November in regard to such laws as the Clean Heat Carbon Tax, electric cars and trucks adoption mandates, mandates for more expensive renewable energy, and the truly moronic section of the Global Warming Solutions Act that gives standing to anybody who wants to sue the state at taxpayers’ expense if we don’t do all this impossible nonsense. The majority Vermont Democrats are blocking the Republicans at every turn.

Just this week, House Republicans put forward an amendment that would have changed the Renewable Energy Standard, which currently penalizes utilities’ purchase of zero-carbon nuclear and large-scale hydroelectricity, to a “Clean” Energy Standard, allowing the afore mentioned power sources and saving Vermont electric ratepayers as much as a billion dollars over the next decade. Democrats on the Energy & Digital Infrastructure Committee spiked the amendment.

In the Senate, Minority Leader Scott Beck (D-Caledonia) brought two amendments to the budget bill to the floor. The first would have repealed the monumentally unpopular, unaffordable, regressive, logistically unworkable Clean Heat Carbon tax on home heating fuel and the – I’ll repeat, moronic – GWSA lawsuit provision.

Beck reminded his fellow senators, “The legislature two sessions ago said we would have a check back vote on this, whether we’re gonna [move forward with the program] or not. We have not done it.” This was a specific promise made to the late Senator Dick Sears (D-Bennington) in exchange for his deciding vote to pass the CHS over the governor’s veto. Beck’s amendment was deemed “non-germane” to the budget bill, and a vote to allow for the non-germane issue to be debated and considered by the senators anyway was killed on a 17-13 party line vote. So much for promises made to voters and the late Senator Sears.

Beck’s second amendment would have put off Vermont’s participation in the California Clean Cars and Trucks EV mandates until 2028 – a mere two-year delay. Beck argued reasonably, “I think Vermont’s making tremendous progress with our EV and our low emissions vehicles. I think last year, we were twelve percent [of vehicles purchased were] EV, and I think that’s wonderful, but I don’t believe that thirty five percent [in 2026] is attainable.” It’s not attainable. It’s absurd and dangerous.

But again, Beck’s amendment was deemed non-germane, and the motion to allow a non-germane amendment to be debated and considered was rejected by the Democrats on a 16-14 vote. They will not even allow discussion!

Which begs the question, why? All these programs have been shown to be more expensive than originally believed, all are regressive, inflicting the most harm on the most financially vulnerable Vermonters, some are logistically impossible to implement, none are good for our economy, and they are all reviled by a majority of voters. Why wouldn’t any representative — emphasis on the concept of “representative’ — move swiftly and without controversy to remove or reform unaffordable, unpopular laws? Well….

Amid these (how to describe them) kerfufflettes, the special interest lobbying firm for wind and solar developers disguising itself as a grassroots organization, VPIRG, sent out the following email to all Representatives in anticipation of the Republicans’ next move:

Dear Representative,

It has come to our attention that there may be a motion to discharge H.16 – and possibly other bills that would weaken Vermont’s climate laws – from the House Energy & Digital Infrastructure Committee during an upcoming floor session. VPIRG opposes these motions, urges you to vote No, and will be including any such vote on our legislative scorecard.

The usual committee process, while imperfect, should not be disregarded in this matter.

Sincerely,

Tom Hughes

Senior Strategist

VPIRG

As Senator Terry Williams (R-Rutland) did back in February on the senate floor, House Republicans are allegedly planning (let’s hope they do) to make a motion to relieve the Energy & Digital Infrastructure Committee – the hole where common sense goes to die – of the bill to repeal the Clean Heat Standard and bring it to the full body for a vote. Outnumbered 94-56, the House Republicans are sure to lose this vote – but it will put House Democrats on the record as blocking the repeal of the hated law. And the VPIRG letter goes to show why they would cast such a vote so seemingly absurd on its surface: Democrats’ loyalties are to the special interests, not their constituents. (Thanks for the reminder, VPIRG!) This, folks, is who they take their marching orders from! Not you. Now you know, if you didn’t already.

Rob Roper is a freelance writer who has been involved with Vermont politics and policy for over 20 years. This article reprinted with permission from Behind the Lines: Rob Roper on Vermont Politics, robertroper.substack.com