Republicans’ H.16 calls for full repeal! But…

by Rob Roper

Next to perhaps property taxes, the biggest issue to motivate voters’ rejection of the Democrats’ supermajorities in the last election was that party’s tone-deaf attitude regarding the Clean Heat Standard carbon tax/fee/surcharge on home heating fuels. In a state where people are struggling mightily to make ends meet the idea of adding a $1-$4 tax to every gallon of fuel people need to heat their homes was/is absurdly stupid if not downright cruel in its indifference.

Vermonters “got it” and brought about major changes to the makeup of the legislature as a result. So, for the House, where Republicans picked up 18 seats, we were just treated to the headline in Vermont Daily Chronicle, “GOP House reps named to chair or vice-chair 11 committees.” That’s 11 out of 14 committees. Wanna know what one of the three committees that didn’t get a Republican chair or vice-chair or even ranking member is? The newly created Energy & Digital Infrastructure Committee.

And wanna know where Rep. Jim Harrison’s (R-Chittenden) bill, H.16 – An act relating to repealing the Affordable Heat Act with its 55 all Republican co-sponsors was sent? Yup. The Energy & Digital Infrastructure Committee.

Wanna know who’s on this committee? For the Democrats, a veritable Who’s Who of the legislative climate whack-a-doodle caucus. The Chair is Rep. Kathleen James (D-Manchester), who for the last three years served as essentially Chatty Kathy, the carbon tax version. Pull the string in the back of her head and get the brainless talking points (aka misinformational propaganda) blabbed at you over and over and over again. (Here’s a fun example.)

The Vice Chair is Rep. Scott Campbell (D-St. Johnsbury), arguably the whackiest whack-a-doodle of them all. Campbell acknowledges that this and all the other greenhouse gas reduction policies Vermont enacts will have no impact on future climate trends or weather events, but is the most enthusiastic backer of doing it all anyway, regardless of cost, regardless of lost opportunities to invest in other things, regardless of the pain inflicted because, well, he’s nuts – as only someone who is willing to waste billions of dollars to achieve precisely nothing at a time when people can’t afford the price of eggs can be. I guess this vice-chair position is his reward for being the last Democrat standing in Caledonia and Essex Counties, only because Republicans fielded just one candidate in his two-seat district. 2026 can’t come soon enough.

The Ranking Member is (facepalm with simultaneous head shake) Rep. Laura Sibilia (I-Dover). Sibilia is fresh off her spectacularly failed attempt to oust Jill Krowinski (D-Burlington) as Speaker of the House. (Seriously, everything this woman touches turns to poop, or, perhaps more accurately, is poop to begin with. She’s just not bright enough to realize it’s poop and thinks it’s gold. It’s poop.) Anyway, THE face of the Clean Heat Standard is back in a position to keep the travesty alive.

Entering freshman Rep. Bram Kleppner (D-Burlington) joins this esteemed lot, but don’t let his newbie status fool you. Kleppner has been long time member of the Vermont Climate Council where he was and is a staunch supporter of the Clean Heat Standard. He was one of only three Democrats who answered the Vermont Daily Chronicle candidate survey on the Clean Heat Standard, and he pledged to support it. Kudos for honesty, but…. (For a good picture of who Bram Kleppner is, check out one of my earliest — and one of my personal favorite — BTL pieces HERE.)

The other two Democrats on the committee are freshman Rep. Christopher Morrow (D-Windham-Windsor-Bennington District), who’s first bullet point on his campaign webpage states, “I am a common sense, middle of the road numbers guy. I am socially liberal and fiscally conservative. Montpelier needs less ideology and more practicality.” Okay. We shall see! And second termer Rep. Dana Torre (D-Moretown), a drone who voted for the Clean Heat Standard and to override Governor Scott’s veto of same.

The three Republicans who round out this nine-member committee are Rep. Richard Bailey (R-Hyde Park), Rep. Christopher Howland (R-Rutland), and Rep. Mike Southworth (R-Walden) – ALL freshmen. Which means, of course, that they will all be starting out at the bottom of their learning curves and will have no one on their committee to look to for guidance on the history of this legislation, procedure, etc. So, yeah, the deck is stacked, and these three Republicans need our support.

Republicans have pledged to put forward legislation to repeal the Clean Heat Standard. They’ve done it. The Democrats’, who still hold a significant majority, counter strategy is to ensure any such attempt dies in committee — this committee — never seeing the light of day. How can you help? Contact your Representatives and let them know – every day if that’s what it takes – that you want them to take up and support H.16 – An act relating to repealing the Affordable Heat Act. Demand that the committee debate it, vote it out of committee, and then vote it out of the House and send it to the Senate.

To find your representative and their contact information, CLICK HERE.

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