SEN. RUTH HARDY

Qualification: I have experience as a public servant at both the local and state levels. I have represented the Addison District in the Vermont Senate for the past six years and have worked with colleagues of all parties to advance major legislation, including bills to address childcare, flood recovery, broadband and healthcare. I currently serve as chair of the Government Operations Committee, which has oversight of more bills than nearly any other committee. I have also served on several local school boards, including as chair of the Mary Hogan School Board and co-chair of the ACSD unification committee.

Education funding: Vermonters cannot afford another property tax increase like this year. Vermonters also love their local public schools and want what’s best for kids. I’m committed to reforming our school funding system to make it more fair and affordable for Vermonters while protecting our public school system and the kids it serves. We need a multi-pronged approach, which includes reducing costs and moving more expenses off property taxes. Vermont has one of the country’s most equitable but complex school funding systems, including an income-sensitive property tax credit that most homeowners receive. We also have one of the most expensive K-12 systems per pupil, due to our small, rural schools and commitment to high-quality education. With declining enrollments, increasing student needs, and variations across school districts, our funding system isn’t working to equitably balance costs.

A commission is working to recommend potential changes to our school funding formula. More work is needed to reduce administrative costs, efficiently upgrade and use school facilities, equalize class sizes, and potentially further streamline school governance. Vermont’s school buildings are among the oldest in the country, so we could save money and improve education by combining some schools, rather than renovating under-enrolled, failing school buildings. Some school districts could restructure or potentially combine to reduce administrative costs and improve equity.

We should reduce which expenses are funded through the Education Fund. Vermont’s school voucher program increasingly subsidizes private and religious schools with public tax dollars — this needs to stop. Schools are increasingly asked to pay for social and health services for kids. While these services should continue to be delivered through schools because that’s where kids are, they should not be funded through property taxes. I’ve worked to solve education policy problems and balance competing needs, and I am ready to lead these efforts next session.

Housing: The housing and homelessness crisis in Vermont is tragic and frustrating, impacting thousands of people and their towns. The lack of affordable housing is also at the root of many economic and social challenges, making it difficult for Vermonters to accept jobs, do well in school, and maintain their personal health. We have already invested significant funding in housing in recent years, supporting a multi-faceted approach to housing access and development.

Yet more work must be done. We must fix our broken emergency housing system so families and seniors don’t end up on the street or in tents. We must invest in diverse supportive housing, including recovery housing, housing for adults with disabilities, and long-term care housing for seniors. For many people supportive services make stable housing viable. We must continue housing construction investments, especially dense development in downtowns. In order to develop affordable housing, we must put public funding on the table so projects pencil out. Finally, we must continue to seek creative solutions to build homes for everyone, including low-cost, energy-efficient manufactured homes, accessory dwelling units, and multi-unit apartment buildings. The housing crisis has been brewing for many, many years, and it will take time and concerted effort to fix it.

Climate crisis: Because climate change is taking a huge toll on Vermont, I have voted for bills to conserve vital habitats, reduce emissions, promote local renewable energy, and reduce reliance on imported fossil fuels, including a bill to study a clean heat standard. I will carefully consider the full results of this study and will not vote to implement a clean heat standard that is unaffordable for my constituents. However, continuing to use fossil fuels at current levels is also not affordable for most people. With significant federal funds available and the cost of renewable energy decreasing rapidly, helping Vermonters move away from fossil fuel use will likely save them money in the long run.

As climate change continues to intensify storms, we must make sure Vermont is prepared. I have helped numerous constituents and towns with flood recovery efforts and have seen the huge financial and personal toll these storms have taken on Vermonters and their communities. I led passage of the Government Response to Natural Disasters Act to improve how we plan and respond to flooding and other natural disasters and successfully advocated for flood recovery and infrastructure improvement funding for local towns.

Other priorities: The cost of health care is out-of-control, driving up expenses for schools, businesses and families, and too many Vermonters can’t get a doctor’s appointment without a long wait. Health care must be a priority next session, and I have experience and plans ready to move forward. As a member of the Health & Welfare Committee, I have worked to reign in prescription drug costs, help seniors pay Medicare premiums, make dental care more affordable, provide scholarships & training for medical providers, and improve access to critical care. I introduced legislation to expand low-cost, public health insurance to thousands of Vermonters, including a means for small businesses to buy cheaper public health insurance for their employees. I will work to pass this legislation next year.

We must improve access to primary and long-term care, reduce soaring hospital & drug costs, and refocus health care services to keep our aging population healthy, such as the Medicare Savings Extension, passed last year to make Medicare more affordable for thousands of Vermonters, including assistance paying for Medicare premiums and prescription medications. Finally, we must make our hospital system more sustainable, shifting care away from the urban center to smaller hospitals such as Porter, and shoring up other healthcare providers so some care can move out of hospitals to lower-cost locations such as homes and out-patient facilities. My deep professional and legislative experience in healthcare policy will be needed next session if we’re to make progress in making healthcare more affordable for Vermonters.