“There’s three other fingers pointing back at themselves,” Scott tells reporter

by Guy Page

Democrats are pointing the finger at Vermont Governor Phil Scott for the state’s climbing tax, housing, health care and affordability problems. At a recent press conference, he said the Legislature’s majority party should look at the three fingers pointed right back at them.

In an exchange with Vermont Public reporter Peter Hirchfeld at last Wednesday’s press conference in the Vermont State House, Scott responded with laughter and testy answers to accusations that he, and not the Democrat majority, are responsible for the state’s increasing financial, housing, and affordability problems.

Peter Hirschfeld: Affordability issues that you talked about at the beginning of this press conference — the Vermont Democratic Party had a press conference a few weeks ago where they made the case that under no 10-year period in Vermont history have the costs of health care, housing, and property taxes risen as rapidly as we’ve seen over the past decade here. And they said there’s one through line to all that, and it’s Republican Governor Phil Scott.

Gov. Phil Scott: Well, I would say — I would say a supermajority. And again, yeah, again, we can bring you all the ammunition you want. If you want to go through all the things that we’ve offered that have been turned down over these 10 years, I think it will tell a very, very different story. I’d be happy to have that conversation.

But I just think they’re wrong.

Hirschfeld: If it’s about the results, then what does that say?

Scott: Well, we’ve had a majority of one party in both bodies over the same 10 periods. I would say it should be some — I mean, if they thought they could fix everything, they had the opportunity to do so, right? They didn’t fix it.

If they say it’s as bad as it is — and I think it is — then they should be pointing… and when they’re pointing the finger at me, it’s looking back at them. There’s three other fingers pointing back at themselves. So again, I just reject that.

The following are several bills vetoed by Gov. Scott in 2023 and 2024, and then overridden by the supermajority:

Act 181 update – House leadership promises they’re listening –

House Speaker Jill Krowinski Friday, April 3: issued this statement, reflecting legislative leaders’ concern about the rising tide of opposition to the Act 181 rural development controls that will go into effect July 1:

MONTPELIER, VT – Today, Speaker Jill Krowinski made the following statement on Act 181 and pending legislation in the House:

“In 2024, we passed Act 181 which seeks to reform our decades old Act 250 land use policy and make it easier to develop housing while also making our communities more resilient in the face of rising climate disasters. Vermont’s housing crisis and the devastating flooding that impacted communities reinforced the need to reimagine how development happens in Vermont – the costs, the time it takes to go through the development process, and where development is happening.

“It’s clear that many aspects of the law are working well, and we are seeing new housing coming online across the state. It’s also clear that parts of the law, particularly the sections impacting rural Vermont, are problematic and need to be addressed. Vermonters have made it clear that they have not felt heard or a part of the process, especially in rulemaking for the road rule and Tier 3, and that has led to fear and frustration on how this could impact their lives.

“While this has caused fear and anxiety, we are going to make this an opportunity to engage deeply with Vermonters and work together to listen, learn, and find solutions together. Vermonters are concerned about the restrictions and cost this will have on their land and the impact it will have on their families and future generations. I am putting out this statement as a first step in saying: I hear you and we will work together to get this right.”