by Guy Page

The 2024 Legislature’s Act 250, Renewable Energy Standard, flood safety, and Make Big Oil Pay bills all take the wrong road to a worthy goal, Gov. Scott said at a press conference yesterday.

He said the bills are all under administration review as possible subjects for his veto. The Legislature will meet June 17 for a veto override session. Both of Scott’s vetoes thus far in 2024 are legislative bans on Bad Substances:

– S.18, Flavored tobacco ban (he says it’s a product legal for adults, bringing in state revenue of $14 million)

– H.706, Neonicotinoid pesticide ban (he says bee population is recovering without the ban, and the ban will hurt the vital, endangered species called the Vermont Farmer.)

Scott has made it clear there will be many more vetoes, many more letters explaining to the Legislature why and what it should do to make a bad bill better. He explained further yesterday:

“Sometimes the Legislature focuses so much on their goals they don’t consider the unintended consequences. And the reality is, there are almost always some negative consequences as the result of new policies. I also believe there is often a path to reach our goals while limiting those consequences. But to find that right balance we have to take our time to get it right; to walk before we run; and, importantly, make sure Vermonters can afford it. Unfortunately, due to a lack of balance in the Legislature, they don’t want to hear about the consequences, limitations or barriers when it comes to their initiatives. This means some bills end up doing more harm than good.”

He then had ANR Secretary Julie Moore list three bills he is considering but not yet promising to veto – not because he disagrees with the state goals, but because the Legislature is taking the fast, easy, unresearched path to a good goal:

S213, wetlands regulation, river corridor development, and dam safety, because it imposes new regulations for development and flood management on 45,000 parcels statewide – regs that will take three years to develop

S259 – MBOP (Make Big Oil Pay) – will cost $600 K up front and likely much in litigation, with highly uncertain payoff

H687 – Act 250 bill – complicated, will take years to implement new regs (although there are some immediate exemptions), and limits housing in rural areas

Minutes later, in response to a reporter’s question, Scott added to the list H289 – the Renewable Energy Standard. This bill will cost ratepayers up to $1 billion more over 10 years to develop instate renewables to get to zero carbon emissions, while Scott’s plan to buy more carbon-free nuclear and hydro off the NE market would reach the same goal at a fraction of the cost. Needless to say, Scott’s plan was virtually ignored by the Legislature. 

ANR Secretary Julie Moore said the administration should move forward on the issues these bills address with a methodical ‘step approach. But the Legislature wants to “forge ahead, toute-suite,” Moore said at yesterday’s press conference.

The bills singled out by Scott and Moore at yesterday’s press conference share the same fault as last year’s Affordable/Clean Heat Standard bill, also passed in a veto override session, Scott said. Before and after that veto override, the PUC – the state body required to make the vast body of regs for the Clean Heat Standard – has said “the timetable is untenable,” Public Service Commissioner June Tierney said.