WEST LEBANON — The theme of the Vermont Legislature’s 2025 session, which begins Wednesday, Jan. 8, could be change.
Republicans now hold more Senate and House seats than they have in two decades, upsetting the Democratic supermajority. Legislators on both sides of the political aisle are optimistic about a dynamic shift.
Last session, Democratic bills “just flew through without much substantive debate,” state Rep. John O’Brien, D-Tunbridge, said. “It was a process without a lot of good vetting because the opposition was not listened to.”
One of these bills was a 14% property tax increase for education funding.
“That’s what we had to run on,” O’Brien said. “No wonder people were mad.”
Democrats also overrode several of Republican Gov. Phil Scott’s vetoes, a power they no longer have after losing six Senate seats and 18 House seats in November’s election.
“Any collaboration was kind of a facade the last two years,” state Rep. Joe Parsons, R-West Newbury, said. “Vermonters came out at the election and said we want you to work together, listen to the governor and take into account all sides.”
Sen. Alison Clarkson, D-Woodstock, who is gearing up for her 20th year in the Vermont Legislature, served as majority leader for four years. But in November, Senate Democrats voted 9-7 with one member abstaining to elect Sen. Kesha Ram Hinsdale, of Shelburne, as their new majority leader.
“The caucus at the moment wanted a more public facing leader and I was not that person,” Clarkson said. “I don’t put myself forward. I serve the caucus.”
Sen. Becca White, D-Hartford is a supporter of Clarkson and gave her nominating speech at caucus. She was “heartbroken” when Clarkson did not win but understands why her colleagues voted for Ram Hinsdale and is excited to work with her as Senate whip, or assistant majority leader.
“We knew as Democrats coming out of the election that we needed to make a change and signal to voters that we’re not ignoring election results,” White said. “Although Alison was the least culpable, voting her out was a logical way to represent us making a change.”
On the first day of session, the House will elect a speaker and the Senate a president pro tempore. White expects the current President Pro Tempore Sen. Philip Baruth, D-Burlington, to win his re-election bid, but the future of the Speaker of the House position is less certain.
Two weeks before the general election, Rep. Laura Sibilia, I-Dover, announced her plan to run for speaker of the House against Jill Krowinski, D-Burlington, who has held the position since 2021.
“I think it will be incredibly close,” O’Brien said about the race.
O’Brien is supporting Sibilia in hopes she’ll be the right person to work with both parties, and the governor.
With more perspectives and voices, Parsons hopes to see the House Committee on General and Housing loosen restrictions on what land can be developed.
“We’re not trying to flatten the forest and pave it all, but we want to allow people to build,” he said. “You don’t have to tell people what to do to keep a pristine Vermont, they’ve been doing it for hundreds of years.”
Responsible for flipping two of the seats Democrats lost are: Sen. Larry Hart, R-Topsham, who unseated longtime lawmaker Mark MacDonald, of Williamstown, and Rep. VL Coffin, R-Cavendish, who won a seat vacated by John Arrison, of Weathersfield.
“I think the laws (Democrats) passed the last three years upset and hurt people in the state of Vermont,” Hart said.
Hart plans to be on the Transportation Committee, where he hopes to move along funding to resurface parts of Route 25 and Route 302 in Topsham and Bradford.
Coffin served in the military and is “honored to be able to serve the state again.” Coffin wants to repeal the Global Warming Solutions Act in an effort to make Vermont more affordable. He also plans to turn his attention toward flood mitigation in his district, which contains Cavendish and Weathersfield.
“The people have entrusted me to represent them,” Coffin said. “What we’re there to do is serve the people of Vermont, not our own plans or agendas, and I think a lot of legislators in the past year have forgotten that.”
Also new to the Legislature this year is Sen. Joe Major, D-Hartford, who was elected to the seat representing Windsor County towns that was previously held for decades by Dick McCormack, D-Bethel. Major said he’s ready to bring “a pair of fresh eyes,” to the Senate.
His top priority this session, along with many other lawmakers, is bringing down property taxes and finding a sustainable solution to education funding, which the Senate and the governor’s administration have committed to focusing on in the first few weeks of the session.
Major recognizes “very tough decisions” must be made, but is committed to ensuring Hartford Area Career and Technology Center and River Valley Technical Center in Springfield, Vt., do not lose funding and continue to train young people in fields such as electrical and plumbing, in order to fill jobs the employers around the state struggle to fill.
“I am new to this process,” Major said. “I do not in any way, shape or form say that I know all the answers, but I know I’ll have to roll up my sleeves and make sure we get things done.”
Emma Roth-Wells can be reached at erothwells@vnews.com or 603-727-3242.
