On Wednesday, Vermont Republican legislative leaders and candidates released what they are calling “Vermont Promise” — an outline of policies and proposals they plan to introduce in the next session.
Two years ago, Republicans picked up seats in the House and Senate, breaking the supermajority Democrats had held in the previous biennium. With all legislative seats up for election this year, GOP leaders are hopeful they will obtain a majority in the state Senate. Vermont Senate Minority Leader Scott Beck announced their agenda Wednesday called Vermont Promise.
“If we’re going to ask Vermonters to make us the majority, we need to tell them exactly what we would do in a very clear way.”
Beck says Vermont Promise includes tax relief, affordable health care and housing, public safety, revitalization of rural areas and fully funding the transportation fund to repair roads and highways.
“We can clearly see what Vermont looks like after 30-plus years of a Democratic majority. Vermont Republicans have a different strategy. Together, we can build a stronger economy with stronger communities and a more affordable future for every Vermonter. That is our Vermont Promise.”
Beck also said they plan to propose a state constitutional amendment to reform Vermont's bail system.
“We'll make our communities safer by increasing accountability for repeat and violent offenders while protecting the rights of law-abiding Vermonters. We will introduce a constitutional amendment to keep repeat and violent offenders out of our communities while they await trial. We’ve waited too long for this. In the Senate you can only introduce an amendment every other biennium and this is the biennium that it can be introduced.”
Beck was surrounded by about two dozen Republican legislative candidates. Rutland District incumbent Senator Terry Williams praised the Vermont Promise agenda.
“We understand what needs to be fixed. I’ve been here for four years and these are all issues that we should have dealt with four years ago. It’s not going to be easy. If we get a majority, we own the problems. We need to be able to tell people what we’re going to do to fix them.”
Senator Randy Brock is running for reelection to his Franklin District seat. He says Vermont Promise follows up on Republican progress during the past biennium when they captured more seats in the state Senate, percentage-wise, than any other state in the country.
“And it showed that people are sick of what we have been dealing with for these many years. They want to see, not radical changes, but changes that make sense. Changes that lower the cost of living because Vermont has become too expensive for so many people to live in.”
Williams believes Democrats in the chamber will be willing to cross the aisle on these issues.
“Democrats are good people. They’re not the boogey-man. They get it. A lot of their leadership isn’t going to be coming back. They had 42 incumbents that decided not to come back including the speaker. So, I think the ones that are left behind get it. We don’t need a majority or supermajority. We need balance and we need people that are willing to have civil discourse about the issues. And I think that will happen.”
Matt Cota works for Meadow Hill Consulting, representing fuel dealers and also serves on the Vermont Climate Council. He was on alert for the GOP’s energy and environmental proposals.
“One of the things that really strikes me is the commitment to rethinking our energy mandates, specifically the 2020 Global Warming Solutions Act. It’s clear that we are not going to meet the mandates as required in the 2020 law. So hearing that there is an effort to turn those mandates back into goals, right size those mandates or to push them back to a later date makes a heck of a lot of sense.”
Vermont’s statewide primary is August 11.
