Franklin County Sen. Randy Brock will be challenging Democrat Phil Baruth for the top leadership post in the Vermont Senate.
Brock, a five-term Republican who served as Senate Minority Leader last year, said the GOP has gotten short shrift from Baruth when it comes to key committee assignments in the state senate. He said the lack of any Republicans on the Senate Committee on Natural Resources last year, for instance, was especially problematic.
“That effectively shut the minority from being able to effectively discuss in the committee setting the issues that were so critical to Vermont, and for the whole issue of housing and dealing with this crisis,” Brock told Vermont Public on Friday. “I think that we would have a better result if we had a more inclusive approach.”
Republicans picked up six seats in the Vermont Senate on Election Day and will have 13 seats in that chamber during the upcoming legislative biennium. Incoming Senate Minority Leader Scott Beck said Brock will have the GOP caucus’ full support when the body votes for its next pro tem on Wednesday.
That means Brock will likely need at least three votes from Democrats in order to unseat Baruth. In the event of a 15-15 tie, the lieutenant governor will cast the deciding vote. But that vote will take place before Republican Lt. Gov.-elect John Rodgers is sworn in, meaning incumbent Lt. Gov. David Zuckerman, a Progressive/Democrat, would serve as the tiebreaker.
Baruth told Vermont Public Friday that if he’s reelected as pro tem, Republicans’ newfound strength will be reflected in committee assignments.
“In working with the Committee on Committees currently, I’ve tried to offer Republicans what I consider a generous share of power in the chamber given their new numbers,” Baruth said.
The Committee on Committees is the three-person panel — it includes the pro tem, lieutenant governor and an at-large member — responsible for making committee assignments.
Baruth said that, given the results of the presidential election, it would be unwise for Democrats to cede the reins of a state legislative body to a member of the Republican minority.
“Vermonters are looking to us, especially certain communities of Vermonters, for protection,” Baruth said. “And what Randy is asking is that Democrats voluntarily … give over control to the Republican Party. And I just can’t see that happening."
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