Legislative leaders discuss priorities for 2023

Public domain

ONE-PARTY RULE: The Democrats in Vermont want state-mandated carbon reductions for heat and transportation as well as increased public housing regulations, and other new programs.

In a Monday appearance on the “Morning Drive” radio show, Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Baruth, D-Chittenden, discussed how Democrats’ continuing supermajority will affect what goes on in the Vermont Senate.

“We’ve got people who are very conservative on some issues, we’ve got people who are very liberal on some issues,” Baruth said. “… On any given override, let’s say the governor issues a veto on this or that, we’re going to lose a couple of people almost certainly.”

state of Vermont

Senate President Pro Tem Philip Baruth, D-Chittenden

The Senate’s new pro-tem expects that the clean heat standard, which would add costs to conventional heating fuels while using subsidies to support newer green technologies, will likely make an appearance again.

“My reason for singling that out is it’s unusual, because we passed the Global Warming Solutions Act, which among other things, makes the state liable in court if we don’t hit certain emission targets by certain dates,” Baruth said.

New gun legislation ‘absolutely’ on the agenda

He also said new gun legislation will be on the table “absolutely.”

“We will come back with gun safety legislation absolutely,” Baruth said. He added that “there have been hundreds of mass shootings in the United States and it’s a problem we have to deal with.”

In the past years, Baruth has proposed legislation limiting where the public can carry guns, such as in hospitals and government buildings.

His take on transgender-related disputes

A caller to the radio program asked if Baruth supports gender-related medical surgeries for youth even when parents may not be informed. The senator said he does support these medical practices, but did not specify how young might be too young.

“We absolutely oppose what I see as a demonization of various parts of our party, including trans youth who are trying to figure out their identities and working with our doctors and families to accomplish that,” he said.

He added that he “sides with medical experts” when it comes to potential conflicts between families and the state.

Defends liberal economic policies

On the issue of the still-slumping economy, Baruth said the results of the general election show Vermonters trust Democrats to lead.

“Our majorities were strengthened in the House and the Senate,” he said. “If Vermonters really believed that we weren’t protecting their wallets, that they were at risk financially for putting us in office, they would have reduced our majorities not strengthened them.”

state of Vermont

House Speaker Jill Krowinski, D-Burlington

Jill Krowinski set to lead the House again

On Saturday, Democrats in the Vermont House of Representatives nominated Rep. Jill Krowinski of Burlington to lead during the 2023–2024 biennium. Nominees will be confirmed in the opening days of the new legislative session.

During her address to her 109-strong member caucus, Speaker Krowinski said, “It’s clear that Vermonters are counting on us to continue investments in building housing opportunities for all walks of life, expand access to affordable high-quality child care, increase workforce and educational opportunities, pass legislation to reduce our carbon footprint and protect our state’s natural resources, pass legislation to protect us from gun violence, and so much more.”

According to a WCAX report from the day after Election Day, “Krowinski says this will give them leverage to pass policies like child care funding and paid family leave that never made it over the finish line the last two years.” Later in an interview with VTDigger, she said housing would be another priority for lawmakers.

“I would say 99.9% of the conversations I had were about housing,” Krowinski said about her campaign experience. In 2021, she voted yes for a statewide housing registration bill that ultimately never became law.

Krowinski formerly work eight years at Planned Parenthood of Northern New England, and she’s the executive director of Emerge Vermont, an organization that works to increase the number of Democratic women elected to public office.

Michael Bielawski is a reporter for True North. Send him news tips at bielawski82@yahoo.com and follow him on Twitter @TrueNorthMikeB.

Images courtesy of state of Vermont and Public domain

33 thoughts on “Legislative leaders discuss priorities for 2023

  1. Pingback: Bernie Sanders wants more puberty-blockers for children - Licking County Times

  2. Objective of the commie flatlanders will be to out commie commifornia… Thanks you bunch of sheep voters for killing off the last vestige of a independent
    individuals Vermont. The beatings will continue until moral improves.

    • I want to comment on your reference to individualism. I was looking at the Webster dictionary and the definition of individualism is now associated with racism and white supremacy. Back in 2016, the dictionary definition was defined as the state exists for the individual. This is an attack on all America, capitalism and American values to usher in socialism. The definition changed because a black girl in her senior year of college at Ohio state write a letter to Webster saying that their definition let white people off the hook for slavery. Even the definition of racism has been changed. The definition used to refer to the actions of an individual. The new 2020 definition no references systems that are racist.

      • Pretty organized, aren’t they?

        they trained them crazy with subversion and let them loose to keep doing the damage and here we are in 2020……

      • CJ: When I go to the Merriam-Webster online dictionary I don’t see any references linking Individualism to ‘white supremacy’. Nor do I see any similar reference in Britannica’s list of ‘negative connotations’ related to the word. Even Wikipedia, one of the most ‘woke’ references on the planet, doesn’t correlate individualism to ‘white supremacy’.

        And please, make no mistaken assertions about my raising this point. Individualism vs. Collectivism is the crux of today’s bi-polar philosophies. Not only am I a devote Individualist, I consider Collectivism to be, at best, a temporary necessity for a civilized government – at worst, the governance of cowards and thieves.

        Yes, there are those who characterize Individualism as you’ve noted. They are fools and cowards. But, please, give credit where its due. Merriam-Webster doesn’t correlate Individualism to ‘white supremacy’.
        https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/individualism

  3. Reality check: The federal cash flow is no more. Nancy is gone and Becca is a powerless newbie. We are in a recession facing hyperinflation to deflation, some economists opine a depression incoming. The supermajority feels empowered to get their unicorns and rainbow wishlist realized unencumbered. It is nothing more than puffed up blather considering the State of the Union and State of the State. The more they lie and threaten all sorts of all ready failed policies, the more reality is going to wipe them out in short order. Let them celebrate and pontificate ad nauseum – boomerang incoming and there is absolutely nothing they can do to stop it. Babylon is going down in a cloud of fairy dust.

  4. The election was doomed at the Republican State Meeting in which Paul Dame was elected Chair. It has been down hill and still sliding ever since. I cannot for the life of me figure out how these morons in our own party think anything of value and purpose can be accomplished in a severely divided house as the R’s are in. Who are they trying to fool?
    This is why the R’s stay home and let the D’s manipulate the Dominion Hardware.

  5. Notice the shift in some policies they state publically…

    Below is there real agenda….agenda 2030….

    https://theconservativetreehouse.com/blog/2022/12/05/no-joke-climate-change-professionals-now-provide-goals-and-individual-allowances-for-transportation-food-and-clothing/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=no-joke-climate-change-professionals-now-provide-goals-and-individual-allowances-for-transportation-food-and-clothing

    You’ll have 7 sheets of toilet paper per visit and only 2 visits per day. Read the comments below about people in Russian during the 1980’s…..look at any russian video of their current housing standard….

    When Bernie and company visited their mother country….they were on a guided tour for sure. Some might refer to him as a useful idiot….

    This is how they are going to make Vermont more affordable…

  6. If you think there was no ballot box stuffing in Vermont, especially in close races, I have a bridge in London, I would like the sell you.

    With universal mail out of ballots on bloated registered voter list, and universal harvesting of some of these ballots, the opportunities for cheating are great for re-electing politicians

  7. Conservatives by definition play defense … trying to conserve. Defense never wins a game. Defense has no goal. It is just for slowing down the other side. You need a paradigm shift to win. You must set big goals and get on office, make the case and don’t do anything that does not move toward those goals. Stop being conservative. Be openly limited-government, free-market, God-honoring, etc. Make the case as often as you can to whoever will listen. Stop fighting the symptoms of bad ideas. Present good ideas and make the case. If the case cannot be made, maybe the ideas are not so good … or maybe you have not thought hard enough of why they are good, so you cannot make the case. Be intellectual. Think deep and aim high. Young people want to make their world a better place. Give them more than failed ideas, which is all the left has, to accomplish that! Present winning ideas.

    • There is so much they could be doing, that cost little or no money and could have a wonderfully positive affect and bring people together.

      But, as you know, those in power the uniparty, like it perfectly the way it is. They will put up this huge show where everyone, energy, time and money will be spent on one stupid gun law, where Phil Scott will play the role of the perfect foil, saying no and then get over ridden….It will play out for two years, perhaps with a really stupid bill they know they can’t get passed on the first year.

      Meanwhile they will sell us out to the marxist group of climate cool aid jones followers…the world is going to end…..which is sending our population into hysteria, just look at the Bennington elementary schools and the dysfunction there, all created by us.

      6 new homes in every town under $250k……just that simple idea alone, easily achievable would be a serious boon. But no, we’ll have endless grant money for walking paths, bike paths and dog parks, nothing against them….but the people are needlessly suffering.

      Recycle centers with awards…..keep stuff out of landfills, works for everyone! Industrial Good wills, etc….

      Not prostituting our children might be helpful too,

  8. Once again Republicans did pretty much the same thing and got the same results. The top of the ticket for state offices offered little contrast from the Democrats. Same with the number 2. So why would anyone think the election would go any different than they did?

    Elections have consequences. It may be too late to save Vermont, apart from simply letting it suffer the consequences of its chosen direction. And the faster that happens the easier it will be to someday rebuild the state on sound ideas. How do you help … take your economic activity elsewhere and then do all you can from there to stop the federal bailouts to states that are trying to see if ideas that have always failed will somehow magically work now. There are a ton of great options. We found one, when we made that tough decision and moved our family and business out of Vermont. We did it for our children and for the state I love. It is a form of tough love. Stop enabling bad ideas and the bad ideas will stop.

  9. Politicians never want transparency for the results of their legislation by researching and assessing the true consequences of the policies because they know most of them fail. They just say they should be believed because they say the policies work.
    Has a single firearm’s law stopped the illegal and criminal use of firearms? If they did, why are we continually told year over year that we have a “gun violence epidemic” and need more “common sense” gun laws? The laws only restrain the rights of law-abiding citizens. Criminals never obey the law do they?
    I suggest a law requiring all legislation enacted and kdirected towards “social engineering” and those that defy the VT Constitution must include a sunset provision and the be subject to an impartial assessment of the law’s effects over the period of it’s enactment.
    If a law does what it was proclaimed to do then repass it but if not scrap it.
    Not too much to ask!

    • The Vermont Constitution states the following:
      Article 9. [Citizens’ rights and duties in the state; bearing arms; taxation]
      “… previous to any law being made to raise a tax, the purpose for which it is to be raised ought to appear evident to the Legislature to be of more service to community than the money would be if not collected.”

      As with the ineffective enforcement of firearm laws already on the books, this constitutional directive is ignored by the legislature and executive branches of our government. The problem isn’t a lack of laws, but a proliferation of lawlessness.

      • And the Vermont supreme court falls in line with the liberal legislature. The recent supreme court decision makes current VT gun laws unconstitutional. Who does anything about it, no one! Gun groups here have tried but the SC of VT ignores reality until they are overturned by a higher court. They know this and act in accordance with the left ideology from which they all come from. Vermont needs some deep pocket patriots to sue the state for violation of the State and federal constitutions. The legislature just used the language of the 2nd amendment in article 22, “shall not be infringed” so they claim their laws can’t be infringed but the 2nd amendment can. They have all violated their oaths of office to not harm the VT constitution. Where is our relief from hypocrisy?

        • Yes, our legislators and law enforcement officials are sometimes breaking the law.

          As Benj. Franklin said: “[T]his Constitution with all its faults, if they are such; …. can only end in Despotism, as other forms have done before it, when the people shall become so corrupted as to need despotic Government, being incapable of any other.”

          The question you must now answer for yourself is: what are you going to do about it?

        • Not many “deep pockets” but what if all those opposed got together and actually did sue for violations. You know, a class action suit!

          • I agree and that should be a priority of the republican party. We need a freedom party with rational leaders. We need a leader to tell it like it is and someone who can build the grassroots by not being an apologist for losing every election. In the meantime, if the republican party sued the state for unconstitutional gun laws it might generate some interest in those who have given up or just don;t vote. Any effort would be better than nothing other than them trying to figure out why they keep losing.

    • The answer to new gun laws is, do not obey, do not comply. Their gun control laws work only if we obey them.

      The 2nd Amendment does not grant us the right to keep and bear arms. The 2nd Amendment denies the government the authority to infringe upon our right to keep and bear arms.

  10. Well, it seems like Mr. Baruth is already trying to ” flex ” his new-found ” Pro-Tem” muscles
    so apparently Phil Scott is being warned, to go with the flow of liberal nonsense, more than
    he already does !!

    Also for the Vermont Gun owners that ” never ” vote, this is what you get more rhetoric and
    your rights are being stepped on………so Mr.Baruth since he lives in Burlington, maybe start
    by stopping the crime wave in his city, Nah…….. thugs & drugs would be a real challenge !!

  11. Senator Baruth, I contend that if Vermont were not using the Dominion voting system that the Democrat/Progressive/Marist regime wouldn’t be in control. We the people also contend that if you gave a rat’s arse about the oath of office that you took upon entry into your service into upholding the Constitution’s of our Nation and State that your policies wouldn’t that directed to you by the WEF, and other totalitarian based one world gobernment entities.

    You know the drill Phil, it’s all in the Constitution you swore to uphold with your sworn word upon taking office, you and every other elected official in our once great State. We are at the threshold of no return for our Nation and State if you and those of your ilk continue down the path of tearing away the People’s Freedoms by incremental legislation and mandate. The ball is in your court Mr. Baruth. We the People are paying close attention.

    • In justice, i personally know of three hand recounts in the past year, 1 with the older machines, the other two with the new, the most any deviated from the machine count was two votes.

      • But no mention of the internal modems used to flip cotes from one side to the other already proven possible and hidden by Dominion who does not allow inspection of their internal software.

        • Dano, the actual paper ballots are re-counted. Unless the machines can actually reprint a ballot after it’s been cast, the recount is legitimate. And no one is claiming the machines have that capability.

          The problem is, of course, with the mail-in ballots. Election officials have no way to confirm whether or not a mail-in ballot comes from the voter casting the ballot. There are no signature checks. Once the mail-in ballot is removed from its envelope, no one can determine if it came from the voter who received it in the first place.

  12. Building housing opportunities or taking housing away from people and placing others in that said housing. Peter Conley of Addison 2 stated in the Addison County Herald that the plan is to move people out of their homes in Addison County to provide housing for large families. Any idiot can read between the lines to understand that he means seniors, living alone or as a couple. Who else would have a large home suitable for a family. My next question is where are these large families coming from, as most Americans no longer have large families. I assume we need to provide housing for those 11,000 immigration that came into the country over the last two years.

    The only reason these people were elected was the endless propaganda perpetrated by the DNC , Joe Biden and Planned Parenthood and others, with deep pockets, like George Soros and the FTX money laundering scheme. Joe Biden went on national television days before the election and stated that if you vote for a Republican, they will kill your children. It is pathetic and dishonest to state that people aligned with you destructive Progressive platform over concerns related to economics. This is not true. People have no idea what they voted for. I regret to say they will find out real soon.

Comments are closed.