The analogy they trotted out on the floor and in the media in support of moving forward anyway is giving blood. Giving a pint of blood, they argue, doesn’t solve a problem by itself, but if everybody gives a pint of blood it makes a difference. The GWSA is Vermont’s pint of blood.
House lawmakers on Wednesday passed the Global Warming Solutions Act, advancing legislation that would turn state carbon emission reduction goals into mandates and allow individuals to sue Vermont if targets are missed.
A newly appointed panel of unelected “stakeholders” will design a plan to meet the GHG reduction mandates and give it to the unelected bureaucrats at Agency of Natural Resources (ANR), who will then create, implement, and enforce rules impacting the lives and livelihoods of Vermonters based on that plan.
The Vermont Department of Health and the Agency of Education have enacted strict new rules for children waiting for and riding the bus to school. Officials also recommend parents give their kids a ride, or have them walk or bike to school.
Vermont Secretary of Education Daniel French wants a change in state law to allow funding of school districts this year based on last year’s pre-pandemic enrollment, he said in an Aug. 24 recommendation to the Legislature.
In the coming month, legislators are poised to cast historic votes on taxation, legal marijuana sales, police reform, climate change, clean water, and the next half-century of housing and business development — all while citizens have reduced access to lawmakers.
This week House lawmakers will be reviewing the Global Warming Solutions Act, a piece of legislation that would change renewable energy goals into mandates and allow individuals to sue to the state if the quotas are missed.
The Vermont Legislature reconvened Tuesday with a stated priority to pass a budget for the final nine months of the 2020-21 fiscal year. But legislative leaders also want to deliver on their promises for action on several high-profile issues, including commercial cannabis, the Global Warming Solutions Act, and Act 250 reform.
H.688 does not solve global warming. In fact, the bill is downright bad climate policy because it prioritizes emissions reductions over environmental protection.
Advocates for social justice and organic farming oppose S.54, the retail sales, taxation and regulation of marijuana. Barring major changes in the upcoming special session, it should be scrapped for the year, they say.
“Legislative Leadership should take some time to seriously reflect on whether the provisions of the GWSA truly represent the best interests of Vermonters, and whether or not now is the time to be spending time, energy, and resources hashing out this issue.”
While Vermonters were waiting in hours long lines to get military surplus MREs in order to feed their families, Democrats were focused on passing the Global Warming Solutions Act, with the objective of tamping down any economic activity that uses fossil fuels.