Former House legislator Kurt Wright will be leaving his Morning Drive gig at the end of this month.
By Guy Page
House Republicans hope to bring a Clean Heat Standard repeal vote to the floor next week, despite the strenuous, successful efforts of both House and Senate leadership to prevent one this week.
First try
On Tuesday, Rep. Rob North ) offered a floor amendment to repeal the Clean Heat Standard, which would transition home heat from fossil fuels to electricity. He asked House Speaker Jill Krowinski (D-Burlington) to attach it to a Senate bill expanding solar power, which would provide more power to electrify Vermont homes.
‘Not germane,’ Krowinski ruled. In other words, CHS repeal doesn’t have enough to do with solar power, the subject of the underlying bill. Gone were North’s hopes of a roll call to put House members on record as opposing or supporting repeal.
Second try
On Friday, Sen. Scott Beck offered a floor amendment in the upper chamber to repeal the Clean Heat Standard. He asked for it to be attached to the bill for the state budget, which includes funds for prepping implementation of the Clean Heat Standard.
After some parliamentary back-and-forth, Senate Pro Tem moved a related climate change question ‘not germane.’ Lt. Gov. John Rodgers, who presides over the Senate, ruled in Baruth’s favor.
Beck moved that the Senate rules be suspended in order to permit consideration of the proposal of amendment on its merits, despite being not germane. Sen. Russ Ingalls asked for a roll call.
Ingalls got his wish.
The senators who voted against voting on the merits of delaying truck emissions standards 0were all Democrats or Democrat/Progressives: Baruth, Seth Bongartz, Alison Clarkson, Ann Cummings, Martine Gulick, Ruth Hardy, Wendy Harrison, Nader Hashim, Ginny Lyons, Joe Major, Andy Perchlik, Rob Plunkett, Kesha Ram Hinsdale, Tanya Vyhovsky, Anne Watson, and Becca White.
The senators who voted for voting on the merits were all Republicans, except Democrat Tom Chittenden: Beck, Pat Brennan, Randy Brock, Chittenden, Brian Collamore, Sam Douglass, Larry Hart, Steve Heffernan, Ingalls, Chris Mattos, Bob Norris, Dave Weeks, Rich Westman, and Terry Williams.
Third try?
Undeterred, House Republicans have been trying this week to squeeze out a House Energy & Digital Technology Committee vote to send to the floor H.16, a CHS repeal vote co-sponsored by almost every Republican. Like almost everything of consequence this time of year, it’s the subject of behind-closed-doors negotiations with Krowinski and GOP minority leaders.
At the bottom of all of this back-and-forth is a belief by current Legislative leaders that Vermont needs to enact the Clean Heat Standard in some form, and a differing belief by elected Republicans that voters sent them to Montpelier with a short wish list that included repealing the Clean Heat Standard.
Federal funding, tariffs taking toll on both organic and traditional farmers
Northern Organic Farmers Association (NOFA) is in the State House today, Friday May 2. They report that they’ve been DOGE’d $200,000 in federal funds used to make available at farmers’ markets organic fruit and vegetables as well as all other SNAP-eligible foods. They’re asking the Legislature for $500,000 to shore up this and other programs.
Also, a dairy farmer/House representative says that although fertilizer is not subject to tariffs, urrea applied to fields growing hay and grass for cattle feed is subject to a 10% tariff. The net financial impact is an added $25/$30 per acre.
Former lawmaker to step down as talk show host
Kurt Wright, former Republican lawmaker from Burlington’ New North End, has enjoyed a lively second career as the host of Morning Drive, WVMT’s public affairs call in program. But that career, too, is coming to an end.
“I have regrettably decided to step aside at the end of next month,” He told VDC. “I will miss doing this show very much. I am proud of the shows I have been part of for the last nearly 6 1/2 years but getting up at 4 AM every day at this point in my life starts to take its toll and my wife and I want to do more traveling as well. Plus the heart scare I had in February also puts an exclamation point on things and makes you think about your own mortality. So while I hate to walk away from it, it is time.”
Wright concluded: “(I think!)”
Bills signed into law
On May 1, Governor Scott signed into law these bills :