My friend Dr. Donald Devine makes a good point about the workings of the Administrative State . 

In a review of a book by former Secretary of the Interior Avid Bernhardt.

The word “historic” is seriously overused these days, too often to describe events more curious than momentous. A case can be made, however, for the events taking place this week in the “veto session”, in which the supermajority Democratic legislature confronts a popular Republican governor. Consider this combination of facts.

In this era dominated by aggressive steps to deal with “climate change”, it’s worth inquiring into what the climate activists are working to install in our public school system, presumably to lead their pupils into supporting a long list of policies on the climate change agenda.

The following tribute was delivered by Mr. Chris Demuth at the Ethan Allen Institute 30th Anniversary Dinner at Burlington, Vermont, on May 31, 2023. At dinner, Mr. John McClaughry was presented with the Institute’s Lifetime Achievement Award for his public policy work in service of Vermont and her people.

The red hot policy issue in the state right now is S.5, the (un)Affordable Heat bill passed by the Democratic supermajority in the House and Senate. Gov. Scott vetoed it last Thursday.

I recently got an email from a former Vermonter, an engineer, whose career has been largely in building systems. He wrote, “Now that the Vermont Legislature has passed the Affordable Heat Act, your liquid fuels costs will [In 2025] start hitting $9/gal at least for heating oil and diesel, so I predict that there will be a new industry of coal smuggling starting up.” 

A major issue dividing Democrats and Gov. Scott is what to do with some 2,800 homeless who’ve been relying on a state-run motel program that is weeks away from terminating.

One of the serious thinkers for whom I have had great respect for many years is George Will, perhaps America’s leading voice for thoughtful conservatism, tinged with libertarianism. Here’s a quote from his book The Conservative Sensibility that impressed me.

On May 25 the U.S. Supreme Court handed down two really remarkable rulings in cases brought by the Pacific Legal Foundation. In Sackett v. EPA, the Court significantly narrowed the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Water Act authority.

The Reason foundation’s Christian Barnard published an encouraging story on school choice advances in six states.