Like the temperature changes outside that will soon bring us winter, Election Day results will bring a different dynamic to the State House in January.
The current supermajority in the Vermont Legislature has been dissolved. The Democrats will maintain majorities in the House and Senate but will no longer be able to override vetoes by the governor without Republican help. Republicans picked up 18 or 19 seats in the House (depending on how you classify a former Republican member who became a Libertarian) and six in the Senate.
Additionally, it is likely there will be a recount in the Springfield House district and a possible revote in a Bennington County district that apparently sent about 40 residents in Pownal the wrong ballot.
The change in makeup will mean that compromise will be necessary for any major legislation to pass. The Democratic majority will continue to drive the legislative agenda but will need to find common ground with Republicans and Gov. Scott to enact new bills.
Former Democratic legislator and now Republican, John Rodgers, defeated the incumbent Lt Governor David Zuckerman, a Progressive/Democrat from Chittenden County. While this race will ultimately be decided by the Legislature as neither candidate received 50% of the vote, it’s unlikely the Legislature will vote to change the outcome.
Controversial measures, such as the Clean Heat initiative, face an uncertain future. The law, which was enacted last year by overriding a gubernatorial veto, would have increased the cost of heating fuels to fund other energy measures. It is slated to return to the Legislature in January for another approval, which is now less likely. The original sponsor of the measure, Senator Chris Bray, D-Addison, was one of the lawmakers to lose re-election last week.
Education finance changes are also on the table, given the pushback from voters on increased property taxes. The legislation, which passed last session via a veto override, set up a two-year commission to come back and recommend changes. Many lawmakers do not believe we can wait two years, and that action needs to be taken sooner rather than later.
Other laws enacted over vetoes could be revisited, but that would take the legislative majority to reconsider their past votes and might be too high a hurdle.
While Governor Scott successfully campaigned hard for candidates to achieve more balance at the State House, he urged newly elected and re-elected lawmakers to put aside the “D” or “R” after your name and work for your communities, not your party. He further said, “…at the end of the day, we’re all on Team Vermont.”
On the eve of Election Day, I met up with a member of Governor Scott’s team and he jokingly said to me that it would be embarrassing to lose my re-election bid to “blank” on the ballot (I was unopposed). I am pleased to report, that thanks to the voters of Chittenden, Killington, Mendon and Pittsfield last Tuesday, I received more votes than “blank” and was re-elected to another term.
However, it is interesting and perhaps telling, that there were more votes for “blank” than for the current House Speaker and Senate leader on the respective ballots in Burlington.
Thank you all for your continued support!
Jim Harrison is the state representative for Chittenden, Killington, Mendon, and Pittsfield. He can be reached at JHarrison@leg.state.vt.us.
