Roll Call! House Passes Global Warming Solutions Act, (105-37), 2020

H.688 – AN ACT RELATING TO ADDRESSING CLIMATE CHANGE

PASSED
in the State House of Representatives
on February 26, 2020, by a vote of
105-37

Purpose: The Global Warming Solutions Act (GWSA) mandates that Vermont meet strict carbon emission reduction targets to 26% below 2005 levels by 2025, 40% below 1990 levels by 2030 and 80% below 1990 levels by 2050.
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Analysis: The GWSA would create a Climate Council made up of 22 state government officials and citizen experts to adopt a “Vermont Climate Action Plan” by Dec. 1, 2021. This plan would offer guidance to the Agency of Natural Resources, which would be empowered to create and implement new rules for achieving the emission targets.
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If any citizen (or special interest group) believes the Agency is not adopting rules quickly enough to meet the mandates, they may take the state to court. The court can warn the state that it is not meeting its obligations and award attorney’s fees to the winners of any suit brought.
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Those voting YES believe Vermont has a moral obligation to accelerate the state’s reduction of carbon emissions, and that the normal democratic process has proven inadequate to the task. They hope the specter of judicial review and the liability of paying attorney’s fees will keep the pressure on the Council, Agency and Legislature into adopting sweeping regulations.
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Those voting NO did so for several reasons. First, they believe it is irresponsible to legally bind the state to meet these emissions goals, placing the taxpayers in legal jeopardy, without any idea of how much such a program would cost or what rules would be necessary to impose on the citizenry to achieve the result. They believe the Legislature should retain its democratic obligation to pass laws, not delegate that authority to an unelected board and a bureaucratic agency of the executive branch. They note that Vermont already has the lowest emissions in the country, both as a whole and per capita, and Vermont’s emissions are expected to continue declining even without this legislation.

As Recorded in the House Journal, Thursday, February 20, 2020: “Thereupon, the Clerk proceeded to call the roll and the question, Shall the bill be amended as recommended by the committee on Energy and Technology, as amended? was decided in the affirmative. Yeas, 105. Nays, 37“…(Read the Journal p. 317 – p. 338)

How They Voted

(Click on your Rep’s name to send an email)

Janet Ancel (D – Calais) – YES

Peter Anthony (D – Barre) –YES
Sarita Austin (D – Colchester) –YES
Robert Bancroft (R – Westford) –NO
John Bartholomew (D – Hartland) –YES
Lynn Batchelor (R – Derby) –NO
Christopher Bates (D – Bennington) –YES
Scott Beck (R – St. Johnsbury) –NO
Matthew Birong (D – Vergennes) –YES
Thomas Bock (D – Chester) –YES
Patrick Brennan (R – Colchester) –NO
Timothy Briglin (D – Thetford) –YES
Nelson Brownell (D – Pownal) –YES
Cynthia Browning (D – Arlington) –YES
Jessica Brumsted (D – Shelburne) –YES
Thomas Burditt (R – West Rutland) –NO
Mollie Burke (P – Brattleboro) –YES
Scott Campbell (D – St. Johnsbury) –YES
William Canfield (R – Fair Haven) –NO
James Carroll (D – Bennington) –YES
Seth Chase (D – Colchester) –YES
Robin Chesnut-Tangerman (P – Middletown Springs) –YES
Annmarie Christensen (D – Weathersfield) –YES
Kevin “Coach” Christie (D – Hartford) –YES
Brian Cina (P – Burlington) –YES
Sara Coffey (D – Guilford) –YES
Selene Colburn (P – Burlington) –YES
Hal Colston (D – Winooski) –YES
Peter Conlon (D – Cornwall) –YES
Charles Conquest (D – Newbury) –YES
Sarah Copeland-Hanzas (D – Bradford) –YES
Timothy Corcoran (D – Bennington) –YES
Mari Cordes (D/P – Lincoln) –YES
Lawrence Cupoli (R – Rutland) –NO
Carl Demrow (D – Corinth) –YES
Eileen Dickinson (R – St. Albans) –NO
Kari Dolan (D – Waitsfield) –YES
Anne Donahue (R – Northfield) –YES
Johannah Dovan (D – Burlington) YES–
David Durfee (D – Shaftsbury) –YES
Caleb Elder (D – Starksboro) –YES
Alice Emmons (D – Springfield) –YES
Peter Fagan (R – Rutland) –NO
Charen Fegard (D – Berkshire) –YES
Martha Feltus (R – Lyndon) –NO
Marianna Gamache (R – Swanton) –NO
John Gannon (D – Wilmington) –YES
Marcia Gardner (D – Richmond) –YES
Dylan Giambatista (D – Essex) –YES
Diana Gonzalez (P – Winooski) –YES
Kenneth Goslant (R – Northfield) –NO
Maxine Grad (D – Moretown) –YES
Rodney Graham (R – Williamstown) –NO
James Gregoire (R – Fairfield) –ABSENT
Sandy Haas (P – Rochester) –YES
Lisa Hango (R – Birkshire) –NO
James Harrison (R – Chittenden) –YES
Nader Hashim (D – Dummerston) –YES
Robert Helm (R – Fair Haven) –NO
Mark Higley (R – Lowell) –NO
Matthew Hill (D – Wolcott) –YES
Robert Hooper (D – Burlington) –YES
Philip Hooper (D – Randolph) –YES
Mary Hooper (D – Montpelier) –YES
Lori Houghton (D – Essex) –YES
Mary Howard (D – Rutland) –YES
Kathleen James (D – Manchester) –YES
Stephanie Jerome (D – Brandon) –YES
Kimberly Jessup (D – Middlesex) –YES
Mitzi Johnson (D – Grand Isle) – PRESIDING
John Killacky (D – S. Burlington) –YES
Charles Kimbell (D – Woodstock) –YES
Warren Kitzmiller (D – Montpelier) –YES
Emilie Kornheiser (D – Brattleboro) –YES

Jill Krowinski (D – Burlington) – YES

Robert LaClair (R – Barre) –NO
Martin LaLonde (D – S. Burlington) –YES
Diane Lanpher (D – Vergennes) –YES
Paul Lefebvre (R – Newark) –YES
Felisha Leffler (R – Esburgh) –NO
William Lippert (D – Hinesburg) –YES
Emily Long (D – Newfane) –YES
Terence Macaig (D – Williston) –YES
Michael Marcotte (R – Coventry) –NO
Marcia Martel (R – Waterford) –ABSENT
James Masland (D – Thetford) –YES
Christopher Mattos (R – Milton) –NO
Michael McCarthy (D – St. Albans) –YES
Curtis McCormack (D – Burlington) –YES
Patricia McCoy (R – Poultney) –NO
James McCullough (D – Williston) –YES
Francis McFaun (R – Barre) –NO
Leland Morgan (R – Milton) –ABSENT
Kristi Morris (D – Springfield) –YES
Mary Morrissey (R – Bennington) –NO
Michael Mrowicki (D – Putney) –YES
Barbara Murphy (I – Fairfax) –YES
Linda Myers (R – Essex) –NO
Logan Nicoll (D – Ludlow) –YES
Terry Norris (I – Shoreham) –NO
William Notte (D – Rutland) –NO
Daniel Noyes (D – Wolcott) –YES
John O’Brien (D – Tunbridge) –YES
Jean O’Sullivan (D – Burlington) –YES
Carol Ode (D – Burlington) –YES
“Woody” Page (R – Newport) –
Kelly Pajala (I – Londonderry) –YES
John Palasik (R – Milton) –NO
Carolyn Partridge (D – Windham) –YES
Avram Patt (D – Worcester) –YES
David Potter (D – Clarendon) –YES
Ann Pugh (D – S. Burlington) –YES
Constance Quimby (R – Concord) –NO
Barbara Rachelson (D – Burlington) –YES
Zachariah Ralph (P – Hartland) –YES
Marybeth Redmond (D – Essex) –YES
Peter Reed (I – Braintree) –YES
Lucy Rogers (D – Waterville) –YES
Carl Rosenquist (R – Georgia) –NO
Brian Savage (R – Swanton) –NO
Robin Scheu (D – Middlebury) –YES
Heidi Scheuermann (R – Stowe) –NO
Patrick Seymour (R – Sutton) –NO
Charles “Butch” Shaw (R – Pittsford) –NO
Amy Sheldon (D – Middlebury) –YES
Laura Sibilia (I – Dover) –YES
Brian Smith (R – Derby) –NO
Harvey Smith (R – New Haven) –ABSENT
Trevor Squirrell (D – Underhill) –YES
Thomas Stevens (D – Waterbury) –YES
Vicki Strong (R – Albany) –NO
Linda Joy Sullivan (D – Burlington) –YES
Mary Sullivan (D – Dorset) –YES
Randall Szott (D – Barnard) –YES
Curt Taylor (D – Colchester) –YES
Thomas Terenzini (R – Rutland) –
George Till (D – Jericho) –YES
Tristan Toleno (D – Brattleboro) –YES
Catherine Toll (D – Danville) –YES
Casey Toof (R – St. Albans) –ABSENT
Maida Townsend (D – South) –YES
Matthew Trieber (D – Rockingham) – RESIGNED
Joseph “Chip” Troiano (D – Stannard) –YES
Tommy Walz (D – Barre) –YES
Kathryn Webb (D – Shelburne) –YES
Rebecca White (D – Hartford) –YES
Theresa Wood (D – Waterbury) –ABSENT
David Yacovone (D – Morristown) –YES
Michael Yantachka (D – Charlotte) –YES
Samuel Young (D – Greensboro) –YES