Legislative Scorecards
VPIRG produces a scorecard of key votes at the conclusion of each legislative biennium.
Use these scorecards to find out how your representatives in the Vermont House and Senate voted on important public interest issues including – climate solutions, toxic chemical protections, zero waste issues, democracy reforms, consumer protection and more.
SCORECARD ARCHIVE
2010 | 2012 | 2014 | 2016 | 2018 | 2020 | 2022 | 2024
What votes did we score for the 2025-2026 Legislative Scorecards?
VPIRG includes votes that reflect the variety of public interest issues we work on. In some cases, there may be several roll call votes on a particular bill (including potential amendments to the bill). We’ve chosen to include votes that are substantive, have a large effect on the outcome of the legislation, and that we believe provide the most accurate representation of legislators’ stances* on key public interest issues.
*The 2025-2026 legislative biennium was notable, relative to recent biennia, in that several of VPIRG’s priority bills did not receive roll call votes (despite passing). As such, the votes scored—while the most accurate, on-record way we have of tracking legislators’ positions—represent a partial, but still meaningful representation of a legislator’s public interest record.
Continue reading for a list of bills we included in this scorecard, descriptions of the substance of those bills, and links to the specific roll call votes that were used in the scorecard.
H.125 – Energy Transition Reporting (House only): This bill would have directed the Secretary of Natural Resources, in consultation with several state agencies, to produce a report on the economic impacts of Vermont’s transition away from fossil fuels by looking at several data points. This report would have given lawmakers and regulators important information to help shape Vermont’s energy transition. A vote in favor of this bill was a vote for the public interest.
H.536 – Heavy Metals in Baby Food (Senate only): Studies have indicated that toxic heavy metals can be found in baby food and even in infant formula. This bill, now signed into law, will require testing and disclosure for heavy metals in baby food so caregivers can make informed purchasing decisions. It will require the same for infant formula once California or two other states require the same.
H.710 – Solar Co-Location (House only): This bill would have helped Vermont’s clean energy transition by streamlining the process for building out solar arrays on or near existing solar power sites. The governor ultimately vetoed this commonsense, pro-solar bill. Legislators who voted for this bill voted for the public interest.
H.727 – Regulating Data Centers: VPIRG led the effort to strengthen and pass H.727, which Gov. Scott ultimately vetoed despite hundreds of VPIRG members and other Vermonters urging him to side with Vermont ratepayers over Big Tech. The bill would have ensured Vermonters don’t wind up paying higher electric bills due to data center development, that data centers maximized on-site renewables and funded energy-saving projects for the surrounding community, and critically, it barred data centers from running on-site fossil fuel generators except during genuine emergencies. The House attempted to override the governor but failed, and therefore the Senate never had the opportunity to cast an override vote. Accordingly, we’ve scored the override vote in the House and the initial passage vote on the bill in the Senate—as that was the only on-record vote to score in the chamber. Legislators that voted yes (for the override in the House and for the bill in the Senate) voted for the public interest.
See how the House voted (veto override)
See how the Senate voted
H.740 – Greenhouse Gas Inventory: This bill would have required create the Secretary of Natural Resources to create a comprehensive greenhouse gas emission reporting program that covers all sources of emissions, including fuel suppliers so that lawmakers and regulators can have complete and accurate information about Vermont’s fossil fuel usage when crafting energy policy. This legislation ultimately did not make it over the finish line in time. A vote for this bill was a vote for the public interest.
See how the House voted
See how the Senate voted
H.740 – Global Warming Solutions Act Repeal Amendment (Senate only): During the floor debate on the aforementioned Greenhouse Gas Inventory Reporting Bill, several senators attempted to amend the bill so as to repeal Vermont’s Global Warming Solutions Act, which requires the state to meet mandatory climate pollution reduction goals. The amendment was defeated. A vote in support of this amendment was a vote against the public interest.
H.849 – Constitutional Accountability:After the violence that took place in South Burlington on March 11, the call for accountability became louder than ever. VPIRG supported this legislation which allows individuals to bring action against government officials for interfering with constitutional rights. The legislature passed this bill and the governor allowed it to become law without his signature. A vote for this legislation was a vote for the public interest.
See how the House voted
See how the Senate voted
S.68 – Climate Policy Rollbacks (Senate only): Last session, certain senators attempted a procedural maneuver that would have taken S.68—legislation rolling back or repealing climate policy that could have been a vehicle for additional repeals or rollbacks—out of its committee and fast-tracked it for passage. Senators voting no for this maneuver voted for the public interest.
S.69 – Kids Code: The legislature passed and enacted S.69 – an age-appropriate design code aka Kids Code – which aims to keep kids safe from the worst excesses of the Big Tech industry. The Kids Code requires tech companies that develop products used by kids under 18: to ensure that the highest privacy settings for their products is the default when they are being used by a minor, to limit the collection and sharing of kids’ data, and to design their products with a duty of care so as to not cause reasonably foreseeable emotional distress, compulsive use, or discrimination. Legislators who voted for this bill voted for the public interest.
See how the House voted
See how the Senate voted
S.190 – Referenced-Based Pricing for Health Care: This legislation would have fast-tracked premium savings for two groups of health insurance customers: individuals buying insurance Vermont’s ACA marketplace and public school employees (and, by-extension, would have saved taxpayers money by addressing one of the underlying drivers of education cost). The bill would have done this by speeding up the state’s ability to use a cost-saving tool called reference-based pricing which pegs the reimbursement rate for certain medical services to the Medicare rate. The governor vetoed this health care cost-saving measure. Legislators that voted for this bill voted for the public interest.
See how the House voted
See how the Senate voted
S.202 – Portable Solar (Senate only): Currently, many Vermonters – especially renters – are effectively locked out of the solar transition, exacerbating existing energy inequalities. This legislation, now signed into law, will enable plug-in solar and begin to change that. Current technology and safety standards mean that Vermonters that are allowed to do electrical work in their home can access this technology right away. Additionally, the bill ensures that as soon as true “plug-and-play” solar is available Vermonters will be able to use it.
S.208 – Law Enforcement Identification: VPIRG was proud to support legislation that would have required local, state, and federal law enforcement officers to clearly identify themselves during enforcement actions, including a ban on officers from wearing masks outside of extreme circumstances. This legislation passed the Senate on a 27-2 vote, but suffered serious setbacks, delays, and an ultimate failure in the House when the body failed to suspend rules to take the bill to a final vote on the last day of the session. Accordingly, we’ve scored that initial vote in the Senate and that rules suspension vote in the House. A yes vote (for the bill in the Senate and to suspend rules in the House) was a vote for the public interest.
See how the House voted
See how the Senate voted
S.209 – Limiting Civil Arrests in Sensitive Locations: Passed in response to the Trump administrations aggressive and deadly immigration enforcement operations, this legislation protects Vermonters by prohibiting civil arrests in sensitive locations like schools, shelters, healthcare facilities, places of worship, polling places, and government buildings. This bill was passed and signed into law. A vote for the bill was a vote for the public interest.
See how the House voted
See how the Senate voted
S.289 – Voter Protection Act (Senate only): This legislation is one important step toward countering threats to our democracy coming out of Washington, D.C. The bill, now signed into law, establishes a state-level voter protection framework. It also prohibits the intimidation of voters and election workers and updates campaign finance rules, allowing candidates to utilize campaign funds for certain personal cybersecurity measures during an election cycle. A vote for this bill was a vote for the public interest.
H.R.12/S.R.21 – Resolutions on ICE/CBP Actions in Minneapolis Both chambers passed resolutions condemning the actions of ICE and CBP agents during the federal immigration enforcement surge in Minneapolis earlier this year. Legislators voting for these resolutions voted for the public interest.
See how the House voted
See how the Senate voted
PR.3 – Collective Bargaining Amendment: The Vermont Legislature voted to put this constitutional amendment before Vermont voters in 2026. If voters approve, this amendment would enshrine collective bargaining rights in the Vermont constitution. Legislators who voted yes, voted for the public interest.
See how the House voted
See how the Senate voted
PR.4: The Vermont Legislature voted to put this constitutional amendment before Vermont voters in 2026. If voters approve, this amendment would enshrine an equal protection clause in the Vermont constitution specifying that the government must not deny equal treatment under the law on account of a person’s race, ethnicity, sex, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or national origin. Legislators voting yes voted for the public interest.