Governor Scott, Please Veto the Global Warming “Solutions” Act—It Solves Nothing
When the Vermont Legislature reconvenes in August, lawmakers will consider giving their final approval to the bill they have misnamed “The Global Warming Solutions Act.”
Then it will go to Governor Scott’s desk.
If only the bill offered a solution to the problem of global warming. But it does not. In fact, the bill will most likely worsen the impacts of climate change in Vermont.
We have a number of objections to this bill:
1. It establishes carbon emissions reduction targets and makes the state responsible for meeting them
a. The targets may not be achievable
b. The state may use the legislation to justify intrusive and costly measures that will impact Vermonters and Vermont businesses
c. If the targets are not met, the state will use taxpayer money to pay people to sue the state
2. It is bad climate and environmental policy
a. The bill includes mandates on carbon emissions from fossil fuels consumed in Vermont
b. It does not account for the carbon that is removed from the atmosphere and sequestered by our forests and fields
c. It provides no incentives for modern forestry, agricultural, and land-use practices that increase carbon uptake and sequestration
d. Energy developers will use the bill to justify the degradation of our natural resources in exchange for meager emissions reductions
3. It is bad economic policy and socially unjust
a. Energy or carbon taxes are the primary mechanism the state will use to force Vermonters to reduce emissions
i. These taxes are regressive, having the most impact on those who can least afford them
ii. Many Vermonters have already eliminated all inessential energy consumption
b. High energy prices make Vermont an unattractive state for business
4. The bill establishes an expensive bureaucracy
5. The bill enables the Vermont Legislature to abrogate its responsibilities and cede authority to a board of unelected officials who will, along with the Conservation Law Foundation, assume responsibility for Vermont’s energy and climate policies
6. The Senate used the COVID-19 crisis as a pretext to short-circuit regular legislative order and pass this bill under rules that were established for critical pandemic-related legislation.
Please tell Governor Scott that you want him to veto this bill!
By email: governor.vermont.gov/email
By phone: 802 828-3333
Please tell your legislators that you want them to uphold the governor’s veto.
Find your legislators: legislature.vermont.gov/people/search/2020
Find out how legislators voted on this bill
Representatives: legislature.vermont.gov/bill/roll-call/2020/135
Senators: legislature.vermont.gov/bill/roll-call/2020/213