UNDERDOGS: The GOP will continue to seek leadership in the House chamber under Rep. Patricia McCoy, R-Poultney, who is accustomed to working with the minority party to influence bills backed by majority Democrats.
In the upcoming legislative session, House Republicans will have just 38 representatives to oppose a slew of progressive policies planned by Vermont’s majority Democrats. This presents an extraordinary challenge for state Rep. Pattie McCoy, R-Poultney, the House minority leader.
But McCoy isn’t conceding defeat. In an interview with True North, she says she’s working in familiar territory.
“We’ve been a super-minority for the last six years, it’s nothing new, but we have less people,” she said. “I continue to say that the work that we do as a minority is done in committee.”
According to McCoy, the GOP still has sway in committees. She said there may be one less Republican assigned to committees compared to last year, so that enables the minority to continue to speak up about the shortcomings of Democrat-led bills.
“We don’t control the agenda in the House, however we are there to point out … the rocks, so to speak, that are in the way of a bill — ‘this might not be good for Vermonters,’ or ‘this might cost Vermonters more than we’re willing to put in a bill,'” she said.
McCoy said the task of Republicans will be to figure out what are the majority’s “must-pass” bills and to scrutinize them in their assigned committees. She added that representatives may need to do more outreach to get the public engaged in the process.
Due to the inability of the GOP to sustain the governor’s vetoes, Vermonters can expect to see an ambitious Democratic Party agenda at the Statehouse: eradication of the Sportsmen’s Bill of Rights, an updated version of the clean heat standard, single payer health care, paid family leave, and a host of other priorities that were formerly out of reach.
At least one of those agendas, the clean heat standard, could run into opposition from economic realities people face: high heating fuel prices. That legislation, which narrowly failed to become law this year, would require fossil fuel companies and utilities that sell heating fuels to reduce their carbon emissions over time and pay for Vermonters to update their homes with weatherization and heat pumps.
McCoy says the clean heat standard could overburden Vermonters already struggling to afford life in Vermont.
“There were individuals paying maybe $3.50 a gallon for their heating oil [who] ended up paying $6 or $6.20 a gallon for their fuel oil, and that’s prior to the clean heat standard, which wanted to tack on an additional $2 a gallon,” she said.
“We need to look at what bills we pass and how they affect everyday Vermonters — the family that is trying to get by living week to week, paycheck to paycheck, to heat their homes and buy their food and pay their rent and pay their mortgage. We have to look at all of that,” McCoy said.
Longer term, Republicans have to figure out how to win elections in Vermont. McCoy says Gov. Phil Scott, the only Republican to win statewide office, holds the key for others who hope to run for office.
“We have to start listening to our Republican governor and what his programs are, and what he’s trying to do, and try to understand where he’s coming from,” she said. “I think some people just kind of … call him a RINO or something. I’ve worked with the governor for six years now and I unequivocally say the guy is not a RINO.
“When you look at it, in the past six years he has not raised taxes or fees. There’s no Democrat that would ever sit in that seat and do that.”
Michael Bielawski is a reporter for True North. Send him news tips at bielawski82@yahoo.com and follow him on Twitter @TrueNorthMikeB.
Here’s a video that will lift the hearts of those who value truth and love…
https://choiceclips.whatfinger.com/2022/12/13/elon-derangement-syndrome-top-10-memes/
We are making a difference, it’s just not what they think. The people know whom the liars and cheats are ……..
Even if we have to smuggle the truth into our state from outside news sources.
she says we can’t control the agenda…..the VTGOP never had an agenda, it was always defense, they never controlled their own thoughts, their own party….how could they possibly lead?
Richard Ley
December 13, 2022
I just got off the phone with my representative Arthur Peterson in Clarendon Vermont
He defends the lies of the republican party and the censorship of those who want to tell the truth
I just relayed to him that after his 5-vote win I’m disappointed in voting for him
Does anyone in their right mind wonder why republicans are losing in the state of Vermont? It’s probably because there is absolutely no trust in the republican party.
He told me he felt it was right to be censored because I was telling the truth.
Who in there right mind believes this garbage?
All I can say is his 5-vote margin of winning will definitely be reduced in the next election if he chooses to run again.
As a lifelong vermoner I’m disturbed when people filter into our state and want to censor you for being honest.
Is there anyone else here who has to question why no one shows up to vote because we have no one worthy of voting for?
Vermont will be lost until we elect candidates who support our constitutional rights and are willing to defend them.
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
Arthur my question is are we being sold out at the hands of people who moved into Vermont to bring us to the leftist agenda?
When we defy the writers of the constitution we are no longer viable representation in government.
You are a sell out the people in the state of Vermont when you refuse to uphold our constitutional rights for your own benefit
This is disgraceful
I just got off the phone with my representative Arthur Peterson in Clarendon Vermont
He defends the lies of the republican party and the censorship of those who want to tell the truth
I just relayed to him that after his 5-volt win I’m disappointed in voting for him
Does anyone in their right mind wonder why republicans are losing in the state of Vermont? It’s probably because there is absolutely no trust in the republican party.
He told me he felt it was right to be censored because I was telling the truth.
Who in there right mind believes this garbage?
All I can say is his 5-volt margin of winning will definitely be reduced in the next election if he chooses to run again.
As a lifelong vermoner I’m disturbed when people filter into our state and want to censor you for being honest.
Is there anyone else here who has to question why no one shows up to vote because we have no one worthy of voting for?
Vermont will be lost until we elect candidates who support our constitutional rights and are willing to defend them.
Patty McCoy is a sellout to the republican party in the state of Vermont
She was one of the leaders in denouncing Donald Trump along with the disgusting senator Joe Benning
We have been sold out in the state of Vermont and now we’re going to listen to one of the people who was a leader in the sellout?
Patty if at this date and time you don’t recognize that Phil Scott is a rhino you are in the wrong business.
Phil Scott voted for Joe Biden.
You went on to try to denounce president Trump so that puts you in the same category with the sellout Phil Scott.
We have no republican party in the state of Vermont.
What’s coming to republicans in this state is our just desserts for the damage we have done to the people that have depended on the republican party.
This is false hopes from someone that’s helped to sell the republicans in the state of Vermont down the tubes.
Until we clean up the republican party in the state of Vermont we are totally cooked.
The only real check is the people and it seems not enough care about liberty anymore … just want to be taken care of by their government, or at least hoping that will happen. The rude awakening will surely come. If only we had a true federalism system, with a limited federal government, this would not be the risk that it is because the bad ideas would fail quicker and the good ideas implemented in states with a responsible citizenry would show the way back. The same is true of the statewide control over what used to be at the town level. I am finally reading a book I have wanted to read for decades, but just have not done so until now. Democracy in American by Alexis de Tocqueville. I am in the section about the creation of the New England colonies. It is fascinating and points to the only real pathway to such a great system starts at the very local level and then builds up. Maybe conservatives could migrate to a certain part of the state and create a model of private/home education, training skills and keeping out the drugs and be an example to the rest of the state. This would of course mean the people in that community internally embracing true ideas and rejecting the fraudulent destructive ideas. Sort of like the Amish, except with a mission – to rebuild the state on true ideas. Just thinking out loud here … Vermont is in a very bad way. You must think outside the box to find a way to build a light that can show the way. The other option is to leave the state and push against the federal government subsidizing Vermont. As hard as the first option is, it is likely a better idea.
It’s really too bad that it’s come to this..
I don’t think that people understand that they’ve voted away their checks and balances.
There is just about no check at all on the Democrats in Vermont.. this is pretty dangerous.
Thanks for trying Ms. McCoy….but you are “spitting into the wind”… in VT…you HONESTLY think they will listen to you, while they have a super majority?? Dems and Progs don’t do that (listen). They will spit back in your face…Saul Alinsky style.. You cannot defeat them in VT, EVER….but nationally Elon Musk has a chance! I love whaty he said today:
“Elon Musk Tweets…. “The Woke Mind Virus Is Either Defeated – Or Nothing Else Matters”
Rep. Patricia McCoy, and keep the heat on these leftist clowns, real working Vermonters
are watching, ………… thanks for standing up for common sense !!
Is there anyone that’s paying attention they can agree with patty McCoy who sold us out when she sold out Donald Trump
Our state is so screwed by people in the republican party who support Phil Scott who voted for Joe Biden and support the Biden agenda
I’m happy to stick with Donald Trump and the America first agenda
We the people on this country not Phil Scott not patty McCoy not any party member
We are being sold out and we don’t even know it
She also voted for civil unions years ago, she isn’t a republican. Just another pretender. Government decisions for the benefit of society can not be justified by emotional votes. She has to make it sound like they can stop the coming disaster. She is a minority member of the uniparty of Vermont. Even the worst governor ever to hold office in this state has no power at all. He goes along to get along. Did you note all the smiles today in pictures as the obnoxious constitutional articles were presented. Our governor supports the termination of life. How much worse can it get under his administration. Death before life even starts. The Vermont I was born into is now dead and there is no revival insight.