First-term state Rep. Charles Wilson (R-Lyndon), seen here doing his level best to stay awake during a budget hearing, has established himself as one of the most complainy of the House Republicans’ infinitesimal freshman class. He’s right up there with Barre Town’s Gina Galfetti for writing op-eds about how badly House Republicans are mistreated by the majority caucuses.
WIlson has characterized global warming as “a hoax“ and the majority Dems and Progs as “tyrannical.” Which only means that he has never experienced real tyranny, but let’s keep moving. He also sees organic farms as “failing” enterprises that are a waste of farm aid programs, and the state budget as an “obnoxious and unsustainable” document that “tempts unconscionable spending on policies set by unelected consultants and boards of California Dreamers.”
His latest commentary complains that Vermont has a “one-party system.” Which, ahem, Phil Scott. But yeah, the Dems and Progs have built up historic majorities in the Legislature — thanks to the VTGOP’s descent into incompetence and extremism.
One of WIlson’s complaints is that “many Republican bills are never even put forth for discussion — only Democrat and Progressive bills.” Well, sure, that’s what legislative majorities do. But let’s be fair and take a closer look at these “Republican bills” that are languishing in the circular file. I’m sure they’re top-flight examples of deep thought and creativity, right?
Spoiler alert: Nah.
Here’s a sampler of the bills that Wilson has signed onto as a co-sponsor.
H.73 would prohibit Vermont from adopting California’s Clean Air Act standards for motor vehicle emissions and repeal Vermont’s Low Emission Vehicle and Zero Emission Vehicle rules. So, giant backward step on climate change. Check.
(By the way, one of the other co-sponsors on H.73 is putative moderate Carolyn Branagan. Oh, well.)
Its companion bill, H.74, would repeal the Global Warming Solutions Act, so points for consistency.
Oh goodie, now we get to the anti-vax stuff. H.182 would establish a person’s right to bodily autonomy, allowing them to “accept or refuse any health or medical intervention, testing, treatment, or vaccine.” H.187 would allow people to opt out of “immunizations required for attendance at school and child care.” H.188 would allow individuals to sue health care practitioners fif they were vaccinated without “informed consent.” And H.189 would require the state Health Department to issue an annual report to the Legislature “regarding adverse reactions reported to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System.” VAERS, as you may know, gathers reports of adverse reactions but makes no attempt to evaluate them. It’s used by anti-vaxxers to scare people about adverse reactions to vaccines, even though VAERS doesn’t require a shred of proof. Finally, there’s H.364, which would prohibit discrimination based on vaccine status.
Right in the middle of those anti-vax bills we find H.183, which would “protect the conscience rights of health care providers and health care institutions,” meaning they would be free to refuse to treat or dispense medication for, say, reproductive issues or gender dysphoria.
Just a couple more. H.257 would repeal the legalization of cannabis and dismantle Vermont’s system of regulating cannabis growing and sales. And H.405 would establish universal school choice and a voucher system that would funnel away taxpayer dollars to any school at all, anywhere, under any circumstances.
Absent from this rogues’ gallery of wasted time and effort are any bills concerning abortion. I’m sure there would be, except that those darn voters overwhelmingly opted to enshrine reproductive rights in the state constitution.
Wow. For the life of me I can’t understand why all those worthy bills have remained resolutely pinned to the wall. How outrageous that the Dems and Progs would, I don’t know, prioritize their own legislative agenda rather than allow a tiny band of Republicans to dismantle their previous efforts.
Aside from the consequences of losing election after election, Wilson also fails to grasp the fact that hundreds of bills are introduced every year and only a relative handful get anywhere at all. The Legislature’s time is precious, and they’re not going to insult the taxpayers by wasting time on bills that have literally zero chance of passing.
The solution isn’t to whine about your circumstances, Rep. Wilson. It’s to go and win some damn elections.
The Vermont Political Observer. 
Maybe Mr Wilson sho7ld look into retirement villages in Florida as his politics is a better fit for that environment.
Vermont is in the top three most liberal states in the nation, the top two least religious states in the nation, the top three least secure elections in the nation, and the top five most abortion-minded states in the nation. Those are not moderate positions. Those are radical leftist positions. There is no balance. Don’t tell the man to get out of the state. And no, just because you have won a majority in the legislative elections that is not a reason to act like the elitist nobility of Europe. We are not a Democracy. We are a Constitutional Republic. And there are constitutions at both the state and federal levels that protect the rights of those not in the majority. In a Democracy, the majority can do whatever they like to their minority opposition, which is a mindset you apparently endorse. That is not true in a Republic with a set of written Constitutions. If the Dems and Progs want to act like the nobility of Europe and treat their minority conservative Republican colleagues like serfs under their feet, there will come a reckoning eventually. Bills should be allowed to come to the floor for debate, whether they get voted down or not in the end. But you are fine apparently with most Republican bills being blocked from ever reaching the floor and being debated. That is tyranny. Radical leftist proposed bills aplenty were allowed to move forward and have hearings in committee. For example, several bills that displayed overt hostility to churches. Vermont should not be proud of this behavior. Minorities have rights under Constitutions. We are not a pure Democracy where might makes right. That is lawless.
Do you really think you’re convincing anyone?
Of what? Facts? Those statistics are facts, not my opinions. For example, the fact that Vermont is in the top two least religious states in the nation is not my opinion, but true. You need to read a broader range of surveys and news, not just the liberal side. And it is also true that several bills were introduced in the Legislature this session that were overtly hostile to religion, Christian churches in particular but not strictly limited to Christians. There was such an outpouring of opposition from the grassroots citizens — not just religious leaders — that both bills will probably languish and die in committee.