By Guy Page
Ever since November 8, Vermont Republicans and social conservatives have been asking: what’s going on?
On Election Day, voters endorsed absolute abortion rights 72% – 22% and gave the Democrats an unassailable supermajority in the Vermont Legislature. Since then:
- The Legislature enacted a law making the traditional Town Meeting optional for the next two years.
- Reporters, lobbyists and other members of the public are booted out of important legislative committee hearings. Pandemic capacity limits are cited.
- Both House and Senate are fixated on a carbon tax scheme with teeth that will essentially destroy the fossil-fuel heating business and coerce homeowners, business owners, and vehicle operators to go electric, electric, electric. The lawmakers appear as uncertain about what it will cost Vermonters as they are determined to pass the law.
- Bills to shield abortion and transgender medical providers (Planned Parenthood is both) from any possible legal opposition are on the fast track. At least one of the bills (S37) would place an advertising/marketing gag on pro-life pregnancy counseling services.
- Tax increases in the form of big state spending for childcare and paid family leave are in the works.
- A gun control bill would ban possession of a semi-automatic firearm illegal for youth under 21.
- Etc……
Vermonters opposing some or all of these measures are responding in different ways. For example, five very different courses of action are on display in today’s Vermont Daily Chronicle. None are necessarily “better” than the others. All are sincere efforts to light a candle in the perceived darkness.
- Legislative advocacy – the Vermont Family Alliances testifies before the House Judiciary Committee about the perils of H89, the gender-affirming/abortion provider shield bill.
- Standing strong on religious principle, 2022 candidate Alice Flanders urges.
- Satire – Johnny Bananas employs his considerable talents in that area to skewer both lawmakers and conspiracy theorists.
- Emailing lawmakers – Karen Rowell takes Senate Democrats to task for focusing on carbon reduction and seeming to do less about more serious threats to quality of life.
- Challenge to political involvement – 2022 Senate candidate Paul Bean asks the armchair quarterbacks to get in the game with volunteer time and votes.