Vermont Must Change

For 30 years, rising taxes, expanding regulations, and increased government spending have made it more difficult for Vermont families, workers, farmers, retirees, and small businesses—especially in rural communities—to succeed. Too many young Vermonters are departing in search of better opportunities elsewhere, leaving Vermont with one of the nation's oldest populations. As our workforce shrinks, fewer working families are supporting growing healthcare and education costs. The impact on Vermont is significant: declining school enrollment, difficult school consolidation decisions, and reductions in essential healthcare services, including the loss of birthing centers at two rural hospitals. These consequences are real, interconnected, and predictable.

In 2024, after three decades of Democratic control of Vermont’s Senate and House, voters demanded change by significantly increasing the number of Republicans in both the Senate and House. Together, Republicans prevented new taxes, limited education property tax increases to 4% instead of 24%, repealed the Road Rule and Tier 3 provisions of Act 181, expanded tax credits for children, increased income tax exemptions for Social Security recipients and military retirees, and blocked implementation of the Clean Heat Standard.

Now is the time to build on that progress. In 2026, Vermonters can elect the first Vermont Republican Senate and House majority since 1994. Imagine a Vermont Legislature that is actually focused on affordability, tax relief, economic growth, housing and healthcare, agriculture, public safety, stronger rural communities, and practical energy and environmental policies.

Vermont cannot tax and regulate its way to prosperity. Democrats tried unsuccessfully for 30 plus years. A stronger economy requires tax relief, affordable housing and energy, accessible healthcare, good-paying jobs, and policies that encourage businesses to invest and create opportunity. Republicans will work across the aisle to deliver practical affordability solutions, strengthen accountability, and expand opportunity for every Vermonter.

Vermont Promise is our plan to move all of Vermont forward, so that all Vermonters may thrive.

Our Vermont Promise

With majorities in 2027, Vermont Republicans are committed to passing legislation that provides all Vermonters with income and property tax relief, increased economic opportunity, and affordability

We Will:

Work to grow good-paying jobs, incentivize and support local businesses, welcome new businesses, remove bureaucratic barriers to statewide economic growth and housing, strengthen our farms, and reduce the cost of living so Vermonters can afford to build better lives here.

Stand up for rural Vermont, ensuring small towns and working landscapes have a stronger voice in Montpelier, a seat at the table, and the tools they need to prosper. When rural Vermont thrives, all of Vermont thrives.

Build a Vermont where our young people have a future—a place where they can find good careers, buy a home, and raise a family.

Lead with integrity, transparency, and accountability, always remembering that we work for Vermonters.

Fully fund the Transportation Fund and repair Vermont’s roads and bridges by making it a priority. 

Listen intentionally, keep our promises, and measure success by one standard: whether Vermonters’ lives are better and more affordable.

Build a stronger, more prosperous Vermont for this generation, and the next. Join us.

Provide Tax Relief for Vermonters

Provide $250M in income tax relief in 2027, targeted at low and middle-income Vermonters, and Social Security and retired military income recipients.

Move the Education Property Tax Credit to the General Fund, reducing homestead property taxes by $134M and a rate decrease of $0.35/100, $1,400 on a $400,000 home. This change would also save the General Fund $34M.

Affordable Healthcare and Insurance

Give health insurers greater flexibility to offer more affordable, accessible coverage options, and increase the number of health insurers in Vermont.

Reduce the burden of rising health insurance premiums so employers can attract workers, businesses can grow, and families can access the care they need.

Ensure a regulatory framework for hospitals and insurers that promotes predictability, stability, and affordability by setting multi-year budget and premium targets. 

Make Housing More Affordable

Drive construction costs down by fully implementing 802 Homes and the Community and Housing Infrastructure Program (CHIP), remove bureaucratic barriers to housing, and allow more homes per parcel. 

Reduce the cost to renovate existing housing stock and increase Vermont’s housing supply — extend the Housing Improvement Program (VHIP) and Mobile Home Infill Program (MHIP).

Revitalize Rural Vermont

Restore common sense to land-use decisions by empowering landowners and licensed professionals, reducing duplication, improving predictability, and lowering permitting costs and delays. Rural Vermont will be a leader in land-use planning and at the table, not an asterisk.

Help farmers, food processors, and the forest economy diversify, modernize, and expand while continuing Vermont's tradition of environmental stewardship. Bring back the  machinery and investment tax credit.

Count Current Use land toward Act 59's 50% conserved land requirements. Farmers and foresters are Vermont’s best environmental stewards.

Fully Fund Roads and Bridges

Fully fund the Transportation Fund and increase annual state highway paving from 56 miles in FY27 to a goal of 300 miles. With 2,700 miles of state highways, Vermont must invest in maintaining the infrastructure that connects our communities and economy.

Eliminate Costly Energy Mandates and Reduce Carbon Emissions

Support voluntary adoption of cleaner heating and transportation technologies through efficiency programs and electrification incentives—not costly mandates.

Keep electricity affordable to reduce energy costs, encourage electrification, and lower emissions.

Repeal expensive energy mandates that lead to higher energy costs, unnecessary regulation, and costly litigation.

Make Communities Safe and Increase Accountability

Advance a constitutional amendment in 2027 to reform Vermont's bail system and keep repeat and violent offenders from endangering communities while awaiting trial.

Repeal Vermont's Raise the Age laws.

Provide Vermont Tax Relief

Vermont’s total annual spending has increased 62% since 2019, while inflation has increased 31%. If Vermont had increased its budget according to inflation, we would now be spending $7.6B — almost $2B less than Vermont currently spends.

With a majority, we will pass a budget that provides $250M of income tax relief targeted at low and middle-income Vermonters, and Social Security recipients and military retirees in the 2027 session. This is a necessary first step toward lowering Vermont’s crushing tax burden and making Vermont more affordable.

Vermont currently has 900 unfilled positions that are budgeted for - $100M; the Green Mountain Care Board now exceeds $11M, and the Cannabis Control Board exceeds $7M. These are just a few examples of where savings can be found.

We will also pass a bill that moves the Education Property Tax Credit (income sensitivity) to the General Fund and reduces homestead property taxes by $134 million, while only costing the General Fund $75M. The General Fund is contributing $105M to property tax relief in FY27. In other words, we can save property taxpayers $134M and save the General Fund $30M, and continue to protect Vermonters who pay their education taxes based on household income (income sensitivity).

Most tax relief requires a commensurate spending decision. Not in this case; Vermont’s Education Property Tax Credit system is the poster child for a Rube Goldberg machine. The Property Tax Credit increases every homeowner's property tax rate by $0.35/100, $1400 on a $400k home. 40% of homeowners who currently receive a credit would be better off if Vermont didn't provide a credit. Those who do benefit will remain protected and continue to pay based on household income. But the cost of the credit will be far less because the property tax rate is reduced by $0.35/100.

Affordable Healthcare & Insurance

Every Vermonter deserves access to high-quality, affordable healthcare close to home. Yet rising insurance premiums, deductibles, and out-of-pocket costs have become one of the greatest affordability challenges facing Vermonters. Families, employers, and small businesses are paying more, while rural communities face additional challenges from provider shortages and limited access to care. Recently, two birthing centers were forced to close. 

It didn’t have to be this way.

In 2010, President Obama signed the Affordable Care Act (ACA) with the goal of making health insurance more affordable and accessible while protecting patients. Since then, 48 states across the country have found ways to make the ACA work for their residents. Vermont, unfortunately, chose a different path.

In 2011, Vermont Democrats passed Act 48, creating the Green Mountain Care Board and setting the state on a path toward a government-directed, universal healthcare system. Thankfully, Governor Peter Shumlin abandoned the plan in 2014 when its enormous costs became clear. But the policies adopted under Act 48 had already taken a toll. Competition diminished, regulatory burdens increased, and insurers became less willing to serve Vermont’s small and challenging market.

For years, Vermont has continued moving toward a highly regulated, one-size-fits-all healthcare system that limits competition and consumer choice. The results speak for themselves: Vermont now suffers from the highest healthcare and health insurance costs in the country.

We need a different approach.

We will pursue policies that increase competition, expand consumer choice, and lower the cost of health insurance without sacrificing quality or the patient protections provided by the ACA. Health insurers should have greater flexibility to offer innovative, affordable plans that meet the diverse needs of Vermont families, individuals, and employers.

More choices and greater competition can give Vermonters the ability to select coverage that fits their healthcare needs and household budgets while putting downward pressure on premiums and other costs.

Affordable healthcare is also essential to Vermont’s economic future. Businesses consistently identify healthcare costs as a major barrier to growth and workforce recruitment. Lower insurance costs will help attract new residents, retain young workers, support small businesses, and make it easier for Vermont employers to compete.

Healthcare decisions should be made as close to patients as possible. Vermont’s hospitals, physicians, nurses, and other healthcare professionals understand their communities far better than distant regulators. We should trust local providers to determine which services their communities need and how those services can be delivered most effectively.

Protecting rural healthcare must remain a priority. We will work to reduce unnecessary administrative burdens, strengthen healthcare workforce recruitment and retention, and improve the long-term financial stability of community hospitals, rural health centers, and independent medical practices.

Make Housing More Affordable

40 years of overregulation have badly hurt Vermont’s housing industry and the number and quality of available homes that Vermonters can afford. In a nutshell, in much of Vermont, the cost of building is greater than the value of the home. Only Vermonters with large amounts of cash can build in this economic environment. If we can turn this relationship around, then our housing problem will be solved.

Here’s how we do it. We will increase Vermont’s housing supply and lower the cost of homeownership by fully implementing the 802 Homes initiative and the Community and Housing Infrastructure Program (CHIP). We will modernize laws that govern local zoning and permitting to allow more home construction.  Reducing unnecessary regulatory barriers, attracting private investment, making it easier for builders to meet market demand, and increasing the supply of housing is the most effective long-term strategy to improve affordability and ensure more Vermonters can live and work in the communities they call home. Importantly, none of these  policies or strategies require public appropriations.

At the same time, we will incentivize improvement and preservation of  the housing we already have. We will continue Vermont’s Housing Improvement Program (VHIP) to bring vacant and underutilized homes back onto the market, and expand the Mobile Home Infill Program (MHIP) to strengthen one of Vermont’s most affordable housing options. By combining new construction with the rehabilitation of existing homes, we will create more housing opportunities, reduce costs, revitalize neighborhoods, and help communities across rural and urban Vermont grow in a responsible and sustainable way. Importantly, these programs do require state appropriations and should be phased out when the housing market stabilizes and prices become affordable.

Revitalize Rural Vermont

Vermont's farms, forests, and working lands are the foundation of Vermont’s rural communities, economy, and heritage. Farmers, foresters, and landowners have long been responsible stewards of our natural resources while producing the food, fiber, forest products, and renewable materials that sustain Vermont. Yet these industries face growing financial pressures, workforce shortages, rising regulatory costs, and burdensome permitting. Government should be a partner in their success, not an obstacle.

We will strengthen Vermont's agricultural, food processing, and forest economy by reducing unnecessary regulations, restarting Vermont’s machinery and investment tax credit, encouraging innovation, and expanding economic opportunity. We will support farms, food processors, and forest products businesses as they modernize operations, adopt new technologies, diversify, and reach new markets. A stronger working lands economy will create jobs, attract investment, and preserve the landscapes that define Vermont.

Vermont should be a premier destination for agritourism. Our proximity to population centers makes this goal achievable, and it will serve as a catalyst for increased visits to Vermont that will improve our economy, brand, and ability to market our agricultural and craft products more broadly.

We recognize that agriculture and forestry are among Vermont's greatest environmental assets. Responsible landowners protect soil health, water quality, wildlife habitat, and healthy forests every day. We will reward sound stewardship while removing unnecessary barriers that discourage productive land management.

We will recognize land enrolled in Vermont's Current Use Program as contributing toward the state's Act 59 conservation goals, acknowledging the program's vital role in protecting working lands and preventing unnecessary development.

We will also modernize Vermont's permitting process by restoring greater decision-making authority to landowners and qualified licensed professionals. By reducing unnecessary bureaucracy, shortening approval timelines, and creating a more predictable regulatory system, we will lower costs, encourage investment, and strengthen Vermont's rural economy while protecting our natural resources.

Finally, decisions that impact rural Vermont will be made using an open and transparent process with rural Vermont at the table. Vermonters who work the land know their land the best. We will listen to them.

Fully Fund Roads and Bridges

It costs less to maintain a system of roads and bridges that are kept in good/very good condition than it is to maintain the same system of roads and bridges in poor/very poor condition.

We will fully fund the Transportation Fund and make the long-term fiscal decisions necessary to improve the condition of Vermont’s roads and bridges. Vermont has approximately 2,700 miles of state highways that require regular maintenance, resurfacing, and reconstruction. Yet under current funding levels, the state plans to pave only 56 miles of state highway in FY27—an inadequate pace that allows roads to continue deteriorating faster than they can be repaired.

We will establish an annual target of 300 miles of state highway paving to ensure Vermont moves from a costly delayed maintenance approach to a proactive approach that improves road conditions and saves tax dollars. By prioritizing maintenance and timely repairs, we can reduce costly emergency projects, extend the life of existing infrastructure, and provide Vermonters with safer, smoother, and more reliable roads and bridges.

Vermont’s roads and bridges are a foundation of our economy, connecting families to jobs, businesses to customers, farmers to markets, and communities to essential services. For too long, Vermont has shortchanged the maintenance of our transportation infrastructure, allowing roads to deteriorate and increasing automotive repair costs for taxpayers. A reliable transportation system is especially critical for rural Vermont, where residents often travel longer distances for work, healthcare, education, and everyday needs.

Strong transportation infrastructure is essential for economic growth. Businesses consider road quality, accessibility, and reliability when deciding where to locate and expand. Focusing on transportation and prioritizing it will support construction jobs, strengthen local economies, and help rural communities remain connected and competitive.

Eliminate Costly Energy Mandates and Reduce Carbon Emissions

Young Vermonters want a future where they can afford to live, work, and build a life while protecting the environment. We believe Vermont can reduce carbon emissions without driving up the cost of housing, transportation, heating, and electricity through expensive government mandates.

The best climate policy is one people can afford. When clean technologies like heat pumps, electric vehicles, weatherization, and renewable electricity are practical and affordable, Vermonters choose them. Government should encourage innovation, expand consumer choice, and help lower costs—not rely on costly mandates, penalties, and lawsuits.

Affordable, reliable electricity benefits everyone. It makes it easier for families to lower their energy bills, helps businesses create jobs, supports manufacturers and farmers, and encourages more people to switch to cleaner technologies. Lower energy costs also make Vermont more competitive and attractive to young workers, entrepreneurs, and growing families.

For too long, Vermont has pursued a strategic policy of reducing carbon emissions by imposing unnecessary mandates. We will repeal the Global Warming Solutions Act, the Clean Heat Standard, and the 2024 Renewable Energy Standard because we believe these policies increase costs, create uncertainty, and make it more difficult for Vermonters to afford everyday life. Instead, we will pursue practical energy policies focused on affordability, reliability, innovation, and measurable environmental results.

We will continue to support energy efficiency, weatherization, advanced heating technologies, the transition to electric and hybrid vehicles, and modern electric infrastructure while encouraging private-sector innovation that makes clean energy more accessible to all Vermonters. Vermont can protect its natural environment and build a stronger economy at the same time. By making clean energy affordable, instead of mandatory, Vermont can reduce emissions, lower costs, create opportunity, and ensure our state remains a place where the next generation can afford to live, work, and thrive.

Make Communities Safe and Increase Accountability

Keeping Vermonters safe is government's most fundamental responsibility. Every family, business, and community deserves to feel secure in their homes, schools, workplaces, and downtowns. Our criminal justice system must protect the rights of the accused while also ensuring the safety of victims and the public. When repeat and violent offenders terrorize communities, families, and businesses, the government must act.

We will advance a constitutional amendment in 2027 to reform Vermont's bail system so judges have greater authority to detain individuals awaiting trial who pose a significant threat to public safety or are serial repeat offenders. Vermont’s current constitutional limitations almost always require the release of repeat and violent offenders who present an ongoing danger to their communities. Our proposal will give judges the flexibility to consider an individual's risk to public safety when making pretrial release decisions, helping prevent additional violent crimes while protecting the constitutional rights of those accused.

We will also repeal Vermont's Raise the Age laws. While young people should have opportunities for rehabilitation, serious criminal offenses require meaningful accountability and consequences. Public safety must remain the first priority, particularly for violent crimes that threaten victims and communities. Repealing these laws will ensure that serious offenses are handled appropriately while maintaining services that help young offenders successfully return to productive lives whenever possible.

Our goal is a justice system that is fair, accountable, and focused on protecting Vermont communities. By strengthening bail laws, holding violent offenders accountable, and giving law enforcement and the courts the tools they need, we will improve public safety while restoring confidence in Vermont's criminal justice system.