Tag Archives: Terry Williams

A Real Murderers’ Row of Conservative “Thinkers” is About to Descend on the Statehouse (Updated)

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Hey, anybody know how to get in touch with the gender-nonconforming CHAOS! Dance Troupe? Because they’ve got another prime opportunity coming up this week.

The occasion: A bunch of far-right activists has reserved the Cedar Creek Room on Wednesday at noon for a Parents’ Rights Rally. “Parents’ Rights” (they actually misspell the phrase, but we’ll get to that) is ultraconservative code for cracking down on the allegedly liberal proclivities of public schools and libraries. It’s really about book banning and getting rid of DEI and critical race theory and, most of all, anything having to do with acceptance of gender nonconformity. After all, we’ve got to make those people as miserable as we possibly can, right?

The list of speakers for the event includes prominent ultraconservative culture warriors like John Klar and Gregory Thayer. We’ll get to the rundown, and wow is it a doozy, but I have to begin with one of three lawmakers who will share a lectern with this bunch of bozos.

I’m referring to Sen. Terry Williams, second-term Republican from Rutland County. He has been relatively circumspect in his public profile, and has shown few outward signs of being a far-right nut. But he’s been on my watch list*. And here he is, making common cause with some outrageously far-right figures. Which makes me wonder yet again how in Hell this guy wound up on the Senate Education Committee. I mean, they had to do something with all those Republicans, but if Williams is in the Thayer/Klar ballpark, he should have been shunted to something less crucial like Agriculture or Institutions or the useless Senate Ethics Panel.

*Note: A reader has provided a link to an outrageously telling commentary by Sen. Williams posted on, you guessed it, Vermont Daily Chronicle. See below.

His participation also makes me wonder about his “Yes” vote on Senate Resolution 15, “supporting Vermont’s transgender and non-binary community and declaring Vermont’s commitment to fighting discrimination and treating all citizens with respect and dignity.” This resolution passed the Senate 30-0, and Williams was officially recorded as voting in favor. Maybe someone will bring up his vote in front of the rally crowd. Should be worth a chuckle.

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Here’s One Way to Identify the Most Conservative Members of the State Senate

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You may have heard that many sectors of the Vermont economy have been thrown into turmoil by Donald Trump’s ridiculous tariff war with Canada. From tourism to energy to craft beer and spirits to maple products to construction materials (when we’re already in a housing crisis due in large part to high building costs), we have begun feeling the pain from Trump’s Quixotic crusade. (Meaning no disrespect to the Man of La Mancha.)

One small response to the situation has come in the form of a state Senate resolution, S.R.11, “supporting warm and cooperative relations on the part of both the United States and the State of Vermont with Canada and urging President Trump to remove all tariffs that he has imposed against Canadian imports and to refrain from subsequently imposing any new tariffs against Canadian imports.”

Seems like something we can all agree with, no? Even Republican senators can see the harm that threatens their constituents from a trade war with Canada. And indeed, the vast majority of Republicans signed on as co-sponsors, joining all the Democrats and Progressive/Democrat Tanya Vyhovsky. A total of 27 names are attached to S.R.11.

Checking my math real quick, that leaves a mere three senators who haven’t signed on.

The envelope, please…

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