I support the GET REAL initiative by Vermont Republicans.

GET REAL is an acronym representing a set of reasonable policy prescriptions organizers believe will benefit every Vermonter.

Republicans want to secure Vermont’s future as an affordable place to live where we can find good jobs and raise a family in a safe and clean environment. Vermont Republicans, if elected, are committed to addressing these issues via the GET REAL policy prescriptions which offer a first step toward restoring a stronger, safer, cleaner and more affordable Vermont.

G: Global Warming Solutions Act Reform

In 2020, the Vermont Legislature passed the Global Warming Solutions Act (Act 153 as enacted), which created legally binding emission reduction requirements that allow the state to be sued at taxpayer expense.

“Any person may commence an action alleging that rules adopted by the Secretary pursuant to section 593 of this chapter have failed to achieve the greenhouse gas emissions reductions requirements pursuant to section 578 of this title.” And that, “In an action brought pursuant to this section, a prevailing party or substantially prevailing party: (1) that is a plaintiff shall be awarded reasonable costs and attorney’s fees….”

Several witnesses are on record - and basic math shows - that Vermont is not on track to achieve those reductions, making the anticipated lawsuits now appear inevitable.

Vermonters hard-earned taxes should not be wasted lining the pockets of out-of-state lawyers.

Republican Position: Restore CO2 reduction mandates to goals. Remove the provision allowing anyone to sue the state at taxpayer expense.


E: Educational Excellence

Political activism and ideological indoctrination have no place in the classroom and take time and focus away from academics. Test scores have been on the decline and, whereas Vermont used to be in the top 4 nationally, we now rank 24th. State Brief 2023-20-VT-01 showed Vermont students have continued to decline in ELA proficiency from 52.9% in 2019 to 44.0% in 2022.

Republican Position: Get rid of political ideology in schools and repeal any non-core curriculum mandates that may exist. Concentrate on reading, writing, math and science.


T: Transportation

Every Vermonter would benefit from better maintained roads and safer bridges. On average, Vermont’s bridges are 15 years older than the rest of the United States. Nearly half of our bridges are in need of repair and 75 are considered structurally deficient, with that number growing each year. We are spending record amounts of taxpayer dollars every year while ignoring our own infrastructure.

Republican Position: Fix Vermont's roads and bridges. Prioritize local projects to assist with flood mitigation and weather resiliency.


R: Regulatory Reform

Act 250 is 50 years old and needs to be streamlined to lower the cost and lessen the time required for new housing construction. It served its purpose years ago to control the expansion in development after the interstate highway came in but needs reform to allow the construction of houses without the excessive regulatory burden.  Some large projects take years to get started because of Act 250 reviews which can increase the costs of projects by 30% or more. Homes currently built through Vermont State Housing Agencies can cost as much as $650,000 per unit to build.

Its not just Act 250 but a host of mandates and regulations forced on contractors and building codes that increase the cost of building beyond the reach of the average Vermonter. The lack of housing is impacting the ability of the state to attract much needed skilled labor and creates a negative economic impact for us all.

Republican Position: Streamline permitting to lower the cost of building new housing.


E: Environment

Republicans care about the environment as much as anyone else but believe in prioritizing environmental issues that immediately threaten Vermont above the dictates of unelected elites in foreign countries seeking to impose their agenda on our state. Taxpayer dollars are being funneled into dubious efforts to change the temperature of the planet while Vermont dumps millions of gallons of raw and partially treated sewage into Lake Champlain every year. The Agency of Natural Resources collects overflow data from these facilities which you can view on their website and receive email alerts when overflows and discharges occur.

Our water and sewer treatment plants are in desperate need of upgrades and expansion. Keeping our tax dollars in Vermont to preserve our environment makes for a cleaner state that benefits all Vermonters and creates jobs here at home.

Republican Position: Refocus environmental policy on Vermont rather than global projects.

A: Affordability

The clean heat standard (S5) will cost hundreds of millions of dollars in increased fees and taxes on motor fuels and home heating fuel.

The clean energy standard (H289) will increase the cost of electricity by hundreds of millions of dollars.

DMV fees were increased unnecessarily by 20% across the board Jan 1, 2024.

The school portion of real estate taxes took a jump state wide with some towns as high as 46%, with the estimation that the school tax rate will double in 5 years.

The Vermont Tax Commissioner says Vermonters will pay more than $490 million in new taxes, this year alone.

The middle class can longer afford to live in Vermont and out of control taxation is literally driving generational Vermonters from family owned lands.

Republican Position: Reform educational funding, no carbon taxes on motor or home heating fuels, and pass a Taxpayer Bill of Rights that limits State spending.


L: Law and Order

Recent bail reform went too far and is neither "equitable" nor safe for anyone living in Vermont. Gangs and organized crime rings now base themselves in Vermont knowing that, if they get caught, the likelihood is they will be turned back onto the streets and probably suffer no consequences. If criminals are prosecuted, it can take years to ever bring them to trial. Businesses are fleeing Church Street and their employees are reluctant to leave the shops late at night. Some stores remain locked during business hours and will only buzz you in after being identified. Discarded needles litter parks and sidewalks. Both Burlington and Rutland are now on a list of least safe cities in America on a per capita basis.

Republican Position: Fund and support law enforcement. End catch-and-release bail for repeat offenders.