Lt. Gov. Rodgers: Tilting at windmills won’t get hay in the barn

May 18, 2025 | By Lt. Gov. John Rodgers

I was raised on a dairy farm in Glover, where we learned early that you don’t spend money you don’t have, and you don’t pick fights you can’t afford to finish. That common-sense approach, of humility and hard work, has served Vermonters well for generations. 

But lately I’m concerned that Montpelier is losing sight of these humble principles.

In recent years, our state has poured millions of taxpayer dollars into lawsuits—often to defend laws that, while perhaps well-intentioned, push the envelope beyond settled federal precedent. The latest example: Vermont now faces a lawsuit from the U.S. Department of Justice and 32 other states over our new climate superfund law.

Of course, addressing climate change is crucial. But launching legal battles without broad coordination or clear legal footing puts our already-strained budget at risk. Legal fees aren’t cheap, and when we lose or settle, it’s we taxpaying Vermonters, who foot the bill. I can assure you that the taxpayer bill due will be nonpartisan. 

Meanwhile, pressing issues like our broken education finance system and skyrocketing property taxes demand our attention. Yet, some committees are revisiting bills, like digital privacy mandates and the so-called “kids code” law, that are already tied up in courts elsewhere. Can't we let those cases play out in other states before we commit our limited resources?  I support elements of these efforts, but just like on the farm, timing is everything.  And when the time is right, I will work with proponents, left and right, to do the right thing.  Now is not the time to expose our fellow Vermonters to more financial risk.

Our constituents, Republican and Democrat, sent us here to tackle the challenges that impact their daily lives: affordable housing, quality education, and reasonable taxes. They expect us to be prudent stewards of their hard-earned money.

It’s time we refocus our efforts on the issues that matter most to Vermonters. Let’s prioritize practical solutions over costly legal battles. Humility and hard work, not hubris and fantasy. The farmer's way. The Vermont way. 

John Rodgers is the 84th Lieutenant Governor of Vermont.