My Policies

This is the overarching and underlying issue of our lives — Floods. Fires. Who thought air conditioning would feel essential in Vermont? — and it determines everything else we talk about. Climate change is not about electric vehicles or carbon taxes. Those are just tools in the toolbox. We can’t get hung up on the tools or even the toolbox, because the real mission is to rebuild this engine and we need every option available. When we talk about the economy, about farming, jobs, housing, it’s all tied together. Already the ski industry, tourism, sugaring, dairy farming, migration in and out of the state, housing, and transportation are struggling to adapt to more storms, floods, thaws, heat waves, and droughts.

We need thoughtful proactive solutions to the changing climate and to forge allies in the fight, not shortsighted, wishful thinking that the world as we know it will remain the same. There is no return to good old days before the climate bill came due. We must meet the challenges of now.

My belief is that the best way to raise the standard of living is to put more money into people’s pockets and to wean people off state services by providing a livable wage, and implementing paid family leave to care for a sick family member or bond with a new child.

Affordability means childcare that doesn’t cost more than your paycheck. It means a college education that won’t leave you with a lifetime of debt. It means housing options and tax fairness, accessible medical care, and shorter commutes, all of which translate into a thriving economy for us and for our children, which means a future for Vermont.

I was raised on a farm. I understand and value the hard work and know something of the seemingly endless obstacles in the way. I have been a champion for expanding local on-farm economic opportunities. The long-standing agriculture, timber, and slate mining industries are vital parts of both our local economy and Vermont culture. I will continue to support these industries while easing impacts on the environment and adapting to climate change.

On the other side of the spectrum, technology is a necessity for the evolving rural economy which includes folks working from home. Helping younger people establish themselves here by making housing affordable and broadband accessible is imperative for the future of our state.

This is and will continue to be a critical issue in Vermont. Even as the influx of Covid refugees slows demand for housing has only increased and I expect that we will see continued pressure from “climate migration” as people seek refuge from the forest fires and drought of the far west. I have worked actively for a variety of solutions, from regulatory and permitting reform to incentives for builders. We have increased opportunities for first generation homeowners, in housing stock for workforce and middle-income, and in affordable manufactured and mobile home housing. At the same time we have protected Vermonters by requiring flood disclosure for all homes, strengthening floodplain building requirements, and by putting public housing where it makes the most sense: near public transportation, employment, shopping, and walkable downtowns.

Fast and efficient broadband is no longer a luxury but a critical part of the way we work, learn, shop, and communicate. I helped create the Communication Union Districts and I will ensure that we continue our smart investments in building out broadband to all corners of this district and the state as we have in Rupert!

The cheapest and cleanest energy is the energy we don’t use. We are in the midst of a global transition away from fossil fuels toward greener and cleaner energy. The stakes are high and time is short. We can choose to make this transition proactively and with our eyes wide open, embracing the economic opportunities, or we can get left behind. This includes local production and use of clean energy, micro grids, energy storage, and increased efficiency.

In 2024 I sponsored a bill to greatly reduce the use of Neonicitinoid pesticides in the state. The bill is closely modeled on and adopts the timelines of a similar bill in New York and several other states are following close behind. Neonics are a class of very effective pesticides used primarily to treat corn and soybean seeds before planting. Unfortunately neonics are also extremely lethal to bees, butterflies, and other pollinators, contributing to the decline of these essential and beneficial insects. The bill was passed by the legislature, vetoed by the governor, and the veto overridden. So it is now law.

The government has no place in your bedroom, or telling you whether you must or may not bear a child. That decision, that choice, is a fundamental human right. It is that simple.

I believe that the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision is one of the worst and most destructive rulings and it continues to do immense damage to our democracy. Corporations are not people and money is not speech.

Until and unless this ruling is overturned there is little I can influence or control other than my own choices. So on this basis I choose to make my campaigns people-centered and people-driven. I do not and have never accepted corporate donations or money from Political Action Committees (PACs).

In the past I have returned many donations from PACs, even those whose mission I support, because I just don’t like the political funding model. This decision makes fundraising a lot more difficult, but it also ensures that I am working for you, not for corporate interests.