Issues

Affordability

Vermont has become increasingly less affordable. The cost of living has gone up everywhere with inflation, but there are things that Vermont can do to make it easier on those living here. Vermont is one of 12 states that taxes pensions and social security. This needs to change. We are taxing those that can least afford to pay and many retirees are leaving because they can't afford to stay. Vermont is also known as being unfriendly to business. We don't have a lot of large businesses here which is part of the charm of the state, but that also means small businesses are squeezed. We need to make it easier for small businesses to flourish here. Vermont has seen a decline in population in the last decade and a large part of that is young people feeling like they have few opportunities. Instead of using tax payer dollars to pay people to move to the state, we need to encourage young people to stay and raise families by lowering taxes and incentivizing small business owners. Prices at the pump and fuel oil are through the roof. The Clean Heat Standard was narrowly defeated, but the Democrats in the legislature will try again which will essentially be another tax on fuel oil and make it even higher at a time when Vermonters are already wondering how they are going to pay to heat their homes this winter.

Education

I have a second grader in the Milton Elementary School. My husband and I have become frustrated with the apparent secrecy and the lack of communication from the school board as well as school administrators. As I was expressing my concerns over aspects of school policy, the superintendent told me that a lot of what the school had to do was handed down from the state and that if I didn't like it I should go to Montpelier. That was what started this adventure for me. The parents that I have spoken to have had similar experiences and many have pulled their children out of the school systems. Parents need to know what is going on in their schools and that their kids are getting the best education possible. Since COVID parents and other volunteers have not been allowed in the school buildings. I am fighting for volunteers and especially parents to be allowed to help out in the classrooms again. Teachers are over worked and need the help. Parents want to know what is going on in their children's classrooms and they want to help. Parents also need to have the choice that if their district school is not working for their child that it will be easy and affordable to find a school that works for them or to homeschool. Currently it Vermont does not allow charter schools and micro-schooling is virtually impossible. The progressive run legislature is also looking to end reimbursement for private schools.

Farming

Vermont's farms are iconic. The rolling hills and fields of farmlands are part of what makes Vermont so attractive. Farms are small businesses that keep the state rural and food on our tables. Like other small businesses we need to incentivize start ups and make it easier for them to operate. Fuel prices are hitting all of us hard, but especially farmers that rely on heavy equipment that use diesel. Ten years ago the legislature decided to allow regulators to readjust the gas tax every three months. At a time when Vermonters are having trouble being able to afford to fill their tanks, and other states are giving their citizens a tax break on gas, our gas tax went up four cents. Conveniently, the legislature can throw up their hands and not take responsibility for this price increase, and instead, blame a decade old law.

Unelected Groups Running Our State

From the Green Mountain Care Board to the Climate Council, the Vermont legislature has been giving up its responsibilities to unelected government bureaucracy that isn't accountable to the people. Vermonters deserve better from their representatives in Montpelier. Elected officials have quietly been forming councils and agencies that have the power to direct policy while they take no responsibility for those policies themselves. This is not how representative democracy works. Those making the laws need to be answerable to the people and right now, the bureaucracy in Montpelier is making that impossible.

Environment

Vermonters are environmentally conscious. We have a beautiful state and we want to keep it that way. Vermont is also a small state and environmental regulations such as the Clean Heat Standard would do nothing but make living here more expensive. Those legislators responsible for bills like this have admitted as much behind closed doors. As a small state we will not make a dent in climate change. We can, however, clean up our own back yard. Lake Champlain is a tourist destination, but the beaches end up being unusable for portions of the summer because of toxic algae. I question studies blaming farm run off as the culprit when the number of farms in the state continues to decrease while water quality worsens. We have also heard the stories of certain municipalities along the lake dumping raw sewage every time it rains, because of aging infrastructure that is not capable of handling the current population. Let's focus on cleaning our beautiful lake, something we can have an affect on and really do something about that will benefit all of us instead of wasting money on climate initiatives that won't affect climate change.

Parental Rights

H. 659 was a house bill last year that would have allowed "gender affirming care" for minors without parental consent. It specifically outlines the use of puberty blockers, but not surgery, and does not specify an age of the minor allowing consent. Bills such as this strip parents of their right to do what they feel is best for their children. No non-emergency medical intervention should ever be given to a child without input from the parents. This particular bill is the most egregious example of the state trying to strip parents of their rights.

Women's Rights

The supreme court's overturning of Roe v. Wade will have little to no effect on Vermont. I am personally pro-choice. I think abortion should be safe, legal and rare. Access to it is important for women and Vermont has guaranteed that access through its laws. I do, however, take issue with Prop 5 and how it is written. I think the wording of it is too vague and, in fact, it never once mentions abortion. It instead uses the term "reproductive autonomy" which could be construed to mean just about anything. I also feel that the articles sited in Prop 5 as a justification for its adoption could just as easily be used against it.

Sec. 2. Article 22 of Chapter I of the Vermont Constitution is added to read: Article 22. [Personal reproductive liberty] That an individual’s right to personal reproductive autonomy is central to the liberty and dignity to determine one’s own life course and shall not be denied or infringed unless justified by a compelling State interest achieved by the least restrictive means.

Childcare

Childcare in Vermont is in crisis. Facilities and home daycares are closing at an alarming rate and families are having trouble finding care for their children and the care that is available is often unaffordable. The current legislature's response to this is to force already overburdened schools to make space for pre-k and subsidize the few large childcare facilities that can meet the requirements for that subsidization. Smaller facilities and home daycares can't afford to compete. It is too costly and time consuming to meet regulations and they don't have the amenities the larger facilities offer but can't afford to charge less. Instead of forcing schools to take on the burden and throwing more money at the subsidies which will raise taxes, we need to ease regulations on daycares which will allow them to operate more cost effectively and more will be able to stay open.

Mental Health

This is a complicated issue and it goes without saying that the solution won't be simple. What I know is that just throwing money at the issue won't solve anything. Any funding directed at helping those suffering from mental health crises needs to be spent carefully and specifically. There aren't enough facilities in the state to handle those that need in house treatment. They often end up in ER's to languish for days. This not only doesn't help the mentally ill, but also taxes an already overburdened healthcare system. Mental health and substance abuse go hand in hand. The movement to defund the police has seen fewer officers on the streets and allowed crime and access to illegal substances to skyrocket.

Traditional Vermont Values

Vermont has a proud history of independence. Vermonters have traditionally been self sufficient, tough and hard workers in a largely rural and agricultural state with an unforgiving environment. This is why the Vermont Constitution states in Article 16 "That the people have a right to bear arms for the defense of themselves and the state..." As a representative I will abide by the constitution of the state of Vermont.