The Public Utility Commission, at the direction of the legislature, has “joined the chorus of voices seeking climate action”. Its all-fuels energy report takes note of the state’s ambitious carbon dioxide emission reduction goals, and almost screams what’s needed on every page: “More Funding!”

Steve Merrill, who runs a cable access news program in the Northeast Kingdom, was recently banned from Governor Phil Scott’s virtual press conferences for asking a tough question:

“Governor, you’d mentioned set-asides for the BIPOC community. What with no tribal — federal tribal recognition and, you know, reservations or anything like that, how would one qualify as indigenous?”

So, the Vermont Climate Council, established by the Global Warming Solutions Act passed last year, has started their work in how to figure out the ways in which Vermont can reduce its greenhouse gas emission to 80% below 1990 levels by the year 2050. It’s a daunting task. some would say impossible – others would say impossible and a useless gesture in virtue signaling that will accomplish nothing at great expense. But…

Vermont scored the worst of all 50 states in providing a legislative check on the governor’s emergency powers, in Scoring Emergency Executive Power In All 50 States, a new study from the Maine Policy Institute.

The Vermont Tax Structure Commission released its 180 page draft report to the legislature in January, and one of the major recommendations it makes is to expand Vermont’s 6% sales tax, currently limited to non-essential goods and a few select services, to all goods and services except healthcare. Doing this would be accompanied by an overall rate reduction to 3.6%.

On January 19, the Vermont AFL-CIO labor union hosted a virtual panel discussion, in which they answered questions from members of Vermont Interfaith Action, a left-leaning faith-based, political action group.