by Guy Page
The override vote on S.5, the Affordable Heating Act, is on today’s House “notice calendar,” meaning the vote will be held Thursday.
The Senate overrode Gov. Phil Scott’s veto Tuesday and the House is expected to do likewise. However, a poll released this week by the Ethan Allen Institute shows that – unlike their representatives – the Vermonters polled opposed S.5.
The poll, conducted by the free-market Ethan Allen Institute, whose leadership has warned the Legislature about the negative financial impacts of implementing the carbon taxation bill, shows:
- Among those who know of it, Vermonters oppose the Affordable Heat Act 40% to 27%.
- If the Affordable Heat Act causes any increase in fuel prices, Vermonters oppose the Act by 61% to 26%.
- Vermonters will vote against a state senator or state representative who supports the Affordable Heat Act by 53% to 18%, a 3 to 1 margin.
- Vermonters believe Gov. Phil Scott’s veto should be upheld by 64% to 18%, more than 3-1 in favor of sustaining the veto.
The Ethan Allen Institute conducted a statewide survey, May 1-May 4 among 300 registered voters in Vermont. Interviews were conducted online and by telephone. Telephone respondents included both cell phone and land line users. A 52%/48% mix of female/male respondents was enforced. At .90 confidence level the margin of error for this study is +/- 5%, EAI claimed.
The EAI data appear to support the anecdotal claims of many lawmakers who say constituent emails and phone messages have opposed S.5 by a wide margin.
Senate S.5 supporters sound off – Few senators supporting S.5 offered comments during yesterday’s floor discussion, at least in part from deference to Sen. David Weeks’ need to leave the discussion due to a family funeral. However, in a statement issued by Senate Pro Tem Phil Baruth’s office yesterday, several supporters broke their silence.
“Governor Scott and the Republican Party have made it clear that they have no intention to address the climate crisis and will limit their involvement to delaying and criticizing our climate legislation,” said Baruth. “Future generations are counting on us to act on climate. Today’s override represents our commitment to them and to all Vermonters. We don’t have time for more delays.”
“Vermonters are facing both a climate emergency and a heating emergency,” said Senator Bray, chair of the Senate Natural Resources and Energy Committee. “We’re seeing heating fuels at record high prices, and Vermonters need and deserve cleaner, money-saving options. I’m grateful to the Vermont Senate for listening to Vermonters and taking careful, responsible action today.”
“The status quo is not sustainable for Vermonters,” said Senator Anne Watson, vice chair of the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Energy. “The upfront cost of switching to cleaner heating options or weatherizing has been a barrier for many Vermont families. This bill is designed to start the process of designing a transition that would bring down those upfront costs to a rate that is accessible for all.”
“Vermonters are seeing the impacts of climate change and they have called on the legislature to act,” said Senator Becca White, member of the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Energy and co-chair of the Vermont climate caucus. “S.5 would move Vermont toward a more equitable, affordable and sustainable energy future. I want Vermonters to have a smooth landing as we transition off of fossil fuels, by design rather than disaster, and this is our best opportunity to do that.”
Fossil fuels are organic, former LG candidate says – 2022 candidate for Lt. Gov. Greg Thayer of Rutland weighed in with a public statement on the biological necessity of C02. In an open letter to legislators, Thayer wrote:
“Did you know that fossil fuels are 100% organic? Made from the Earth and by the Earth. All life is made up of carbon, and C02 originates from the atmosphere. Further, all of the carbon in fossil fuel energy that we all burn today or that we use from “friendly” climate control products that you praise was once in the atmosphere as carbon dioxide before it was consumed by the plankton and plant life. The plankton in our water systems and the plants on land use C02 to live and provide for us in our everyday life. Without it, they died.
“Plankton and plants are the originators of fossil fuels after the heat and pressure systems in the Earth’s crust. This is an organic and necessary process, and is absolute for our life.”
Categories: Legislation
It really does not matter what we want, those disingenuous D-bags under the Golden Dome will do as they see fit Remember in November !
We must NOT give up! I suggest that we (those of us concerned and affected) flood our Pro S. 5 Legislators with EMs, letters, etc. every time we encounter our fuel bills, etc.!!
Of course, those who voted for this bill, will certainly find that voters will check off on the ballot a name that voted contrary to this bill. So, don’t be surprised next election cycle,
Thank the dem/prog alliance voters who gave you this unresponsive group of out of state legislators who do not respect the wishes of nor do they represent the people who elected them. They raised taxes, DMV fees, are going to raise home heating fuels and transportation fuels taking from us and then gave themselves a big raise for 2025. The raise will hit just in time for the rise in heating costs will arrive for us little people, the poor and the retired people living on fixed incomes. This is the most arrogant and ignorant group of legislators ever to control the peoples house.
Totalitarian communists do not care what you want. The Elites know what is good for you and them. They do what they want. If this does not convince the average voter to be more thoughtful about who represents them, then they get what they deserve. November will be interesting.
I am very unhappy that, after getting their concerns ample discussion with S.5, the legislature is actually going to override Scott’s veto to put this regressive, confusing and expensive act into effect. If our lack of housing and expensive taxes don’t keep the skilled working families we need so much from coming to or staying in this state, this bill might well be the final nail in the coffin.
only the legislature is in favor of raising the cost of living in an already expensive state. mostly i think government now loves to tell the citizens how to run their lives.
Well, it’s easy for them since they can vote themselves a raise, which comes from the pockets of their constituents. Hell, if you have an ivy league education and the acting talent to fool enough people, you can do it too!
…..and so we keep voting in Democrats over & over & over. It’s now been 49 years of their majority. Please Vermonters, learn who the candidates are and what they stand for.
They are NOT Democrats!!!!
Vermont Voters just don’t seem to learn. These out of state occupants in the Vermont State house are free to do what they want, when they want to, to whom ever they want , without any consequences. And (here comes the best part) , they know it!! Who cares if they punish the very same citizens who elected them. These Statists know they can count on the almost cult like voting behaviors from these very same voters they squeeze on an almost daily basis. Either get out of Vermont or learn to live with it (kicking and screaming all the way is expected). It’ll be three to four generations before it changes. A sad state of affairs in a once great place to live. I certainly wish it wasn’t so…
It’s important to recognize that this statement presents a very narrow and biased perspective. Firstly, it uses sweeping generalizations to paint an entire group of people (Vermont voters) as ignorant and foolish. This type of language is not constructive and only serves to divide people rather than bring them together.
Secondly, the statement suggests that out-of-state occupants in the Vermont State House have complete control over the state and can act with impunity, which is simply not true. These occupants are elected officials who are held accountable by the voters in their districts and the laws of the state.
Thirdly, the statement implies that Vermont voters have a “cult-like” voting behavior and are unable to learn or make informed decisions. This is disrespectful and overlooks the fact that voters in Vermont, like in any other state, come from diverse backgrounds and hold varying political views.
Lastly, the statement suggests that change is impossible and that people should either leave Vermont or accept the status quo. This defeatist attitude ignores the fact that progress and change can happen, and that people have the power to bring about that change through civic engagement and advocacy.
In summary, the statement presents a biased and negative perspective that does not accurately reflect the complexity and diversity of Vermont’s population and political landscape.
Ignore the bot, everything above is a talking point provided for this fake!
How can Baruth state, “Today’s override represents our commitment to them and to all Vermonters” and worse Bray stating, ” I’m grateful to the Vermont Senate for listening to Vermonters and taking careful, responsible action today.” when the polls and emails/calls to them say otherwise?
As an AI language model, ChatGPT can potentially be used to spread misinformation if it is fed with false information or biased data.
For instance, if someone were to train ChatGPT on a dataset that contains inaccurate information or fake news, it could repeat that misinformation to users who interact with it. Additionally, ChatGPT could also be programmed to generate misleading or false responses intentionally by malicious users.
Here are some examples of how ChatGPT could be used to spread misinformation:
Conspiracy theories: A user could train ChatGPT on conspiracy theories and then use it to propagate those theories to unsuspecting users.
Political propaganda: A user could use ChatGPT to generate biased political content in order to influence people’s opinions or political beliefs.
Fake news: ChatGPT could be trained to generate fake news articles or headlines, which could then be shared on social media platforms.
Misleading information: ChatGPT could be programmed to provide misleading information about certain topics, such as health or science, which could lead to people making incorrect decisions based on that information.
It’s important to note that the responsibility of ensuring that ChatGPT is not used to spread misinformation ultimately falls on its developers and users. By carefully monitoring the data fed into ChatGPT and educating users on how to recognize and avoid misinformation, we can help mitigate the risk of its misuse.
Keep hammering on the questions.
“When S5 is fully implemented…. :
– what will be the measureable impact on VT temperatures?
– what will be the impact on US temperatures?
– what will be the impact on global atmospheric CO2 levels?
– what will energy cost increases be for Vermonters?”
-NOTHING
-NOTHING
-NOTHING
-Far more than any supporter of this no gain law will ever admit in their blind effort to be “something”.
Can you please post all the names and addresses for the ones that voted to over ride the Veto.
What if everyone reading this were to take a moment to PRAY for Representatives that their votes will align with the polls reflecting the voice of the people.
If you have not contacted your legislator, CALL 802-828-2228
These are Republicans in the House to be thanked.
BENN – Morrisey CAL Beck, Wilson CHIT – Brennan, Mattos, Taylor ESSX – Williams, Labor FRNK – Bartley, Branagan, Dickinson, Oliver, Walker, Hango, Laroche, Gregoire, Demar, Toof GRI – Morgan, ORG – Graham, Parsons ORL- Smith, Page LAM – Higley, Marcotte RUT – McCoy, Canfield, Harrison, Burditt, Peterson, Sammis, Clifford, Maguire, Shaw WASH – Donahue, Goslant, Galfetti, McFaun
These are Republicans in the Senate to be thanked.
ESSX – Ingalls FRNK – Brock, Norris LAM – Westman RUT – Collamore, Weeks , Williams
These are the Democrats/Independents who voted in opposition and we should send a note of thanks – and encourage them to stand strong in your vote to protect many Vermonters.
Joseph Andriano of Orwell, Addison-Rutland
Nelson Brownell of Pownal, Bennington
Dennis LaBounty of Lyndon, Caledonia -3
Taylor Small of Winooski, Chittenden 21
David Templeman of Brownington, Orleans- 3
John O’Brien of Tunbridge, Windsor-Orange 1
John Arrison of Weathersfield, Windsor 2
Kristi Morris of Springfield, Windsor 3
These are Representatives who were absent from the vote and should be encouraged to vote NO in the next round.
Mari Cordes of Lincoln, Addison 4 Caleb Elder of Starksboro,Addison-4
Troy Headrick of Burlington – Chittenden – 15, Kate Logan of Burlington. Chittenden -16
Representatives that are newly elected, ran in close races and in lower income regions should hear from people in their districts about the unaffordability, the lack of voter oversight of the PUC, and how unfairly S5 will treat low income people.