2024 VT Legislative Scorecard
The following scorecard lists several key votes in the Vermont General Assembly in 2024 and ranks state representatives and senators based on their fidelity to (U.S.) constitutional and limited-government principles.
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Senate Votes
S18 targets tobacco and nicotine use reduction, particularly among youth, through extensive regulatory measures. The bill bans the retail sale of flavored cigarettes, e-cigarettes, e-liquids, tobacco substitutes, and specifically menthol-flavored tobacco products. It mandates that all retail sales of these products require a license, prohibits sales to individuals under 21, and bans vending machine and internet sales to non-licensed entities.
The Vermont Senate passed S18 on March 21, 2024 by a vote of 18 to 11. We have assigned minuses to the yeas because “public health,” including “anti-smoking initiatives,” is not the purpose of government. This bill follows the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s unconstitutional and erroneous minimum-age requirements that deny to adult citizens younger than 21 years of age — who are both eligible to vote and enlist in the military — their right to purchase tobacco, electronic cigarettes, and alternative nicotine products. An individual’s non-injurious personal decisions over what they choose to eat, drink, or consume should not be criminalized, but instead considered private matters not under federal, state, or local jurisdiction.
S259 creates a "Climate Superfund Cost Recovery Program" to require “compensatory” payments from entities involved in fossil fuel extraction or petroleum refining. Under this law, "responsible parties" who have contributed greenhouse gas emissions are subject to strict liability for funding climate change adaptation projects like nature-based solutions, infrastructure upgrades, and public health initiatives. Additionally, S259 mandates the development of a “Resilience Implementation Strategy” by the Agency of Natural Resources.
The Vermont Senate passed S259 on April 2, 2024 by a vote of 26 to 3. We have assigned pluses to the nays because this bill expands government control under the guise of the “climate change” hoax, and seeks to implement provisions of the United Nations’ Agenda 2030 into state law. Globalist elites are fanatically attempting expand their taxing power and authority, encroaching on the property rights of Americans enshrined in the Bill of Rights and the 14th Amendment. Vermont must end the unconstitutional war on fossil fuels and other energy resources that will further threaten free-market enterprise, reduce our standards of living, and compromise the integrity of our infrastructure.
S0209, the "Vermont Ghost Guns Act," introduced regulations on unserialized firearms, frames, and receivers. It enacted new laws to prohibits the possession, transfer, or manufacture of firearms, frames, or receivers without a serial number. Additionally, it includes extending a mandatory 72-hour waiting period for firearm transfers and prohibiting firearms at polling places.
The Vermont Senate passed S209 on February 28, 2024 by a vote of 26 to 3. We have assigned pluses to the nays because the fundamental right of the American people to keep and bear arms is protected by the U.S. Constitution, particularly in the 2nd, 9th, and 10th Amendments, and should not be infringed. The Constitution does not limit citizens from manufacturing a firearm.
H289 amends Vermont's “Renewable Energy Standard” to expand the state's renewable energy programs, increasing the renewable energy requirement for retail electricity providers to 63% starting in 2025, with a goal to reach 100% by 2035 for most providers. The bill outlines provisions for alternative compliance payments, allowing providers to pay into the Vermont Clean Energy Development Fund if they cannot meet renewable energy targets.
The Vermont Senate passed H289 on June 17, 2024 by a vote of 21 to 8. We have assigned pluses to the nays because this expands government by pushing for interventions infringing on individual freedoms and economic liberties. Tax dollars should not go toward complying with any aspect of the UN’s Agenda 2030, as it is not constitutional. Additionally, this legislation creates more government interference in the free-market economy and advances the Marxist climate change agenda. Businesses should have the freedom to conduct business without the government meddling in their affairs by setting unrealistic and costly regulations.
H887 creates “the Commission on the Future of Public Education in Vermont”, which is tasked with analyzing and recommending changes to ensure “equitable educational opportunities”. This legislation also raises property tax rates for 2025, and also introduces a new 3% surcharge on short-term rentals, with the revenue going into the Education Fund. Other provisions include updates to ballot language for school budgets, and the creation of an “Education Fund Advisory Committee”.
The Vermont Senate passed H887 on June 17, 2024 by a vote of 22 to 7. We have assigned pluses to the nays because this legislation raises taxes, expands government involvement in education, and imposes DEI ideology in schools. We encourage all parents to get their children out of the government school system and instead pursue sound alternatives such as homeschooling and patriotic private schools, where government funds are not involved.
H706 bans the use of neonicotinoid pesticides. Provisions include a ban on the sale and use of neonicotinoid-treated seeds for certain crops like soybeans and cereal grains. Additionally, it prohibits outdoor application of neonicotinoids during bloom periods for specified crops and on ornamental plant. It also mandates the Secretary of Agriculture, Food and Markets to develop best management practices for neonicotinoids, focusing on reducing harm to pollinators and ecosystems.
The Vermont Senate passed H706 on April 26, 2024 by a vote of 25 to 2. We have assigned pluses to the nays because it expands government control over agriculture and increasing regulatory oversight on farmers. This legislation infringes on free-market principles and property rights by forcing growers to comply with government-imposed standards on their own land rather than allowing market-driven quality control. "Public health" and environmentalism are not the purpose of government.
