Biography
I was born in Japan, in 1966, where my father was serving in the United States Air Force. After a brief stint in Ohio and Québec, my family moved to Vermont in 1972 and settled in South Burlington. I have a BA and MA from the University of Vermont and have called Burlington home since 1995.
I am a retired high school teacher with the bulk of my career spent at Essex High School and Center for Technology Essex. I taught French and English and served as Library Director in Vermont and overseas. I have served on the Burlington School Board since 2018.
My two children attended Burlington public schools and I am ever thankful for the wonderful education and opportunities the district provided my family.
I am extremely proud to serve my larger Chittenden Central community in the Vermont Senate, where I am Vice-Chair of the Senate Education Committee and Clerk of the Senate Health and Welfare Committee. I would be honored to represent my district for another term.
Candidate occupation
State Senator
Why are you running for office?
I am running for reelection to the Vermont Senate, because the work that I started in my first term is not done.
As Vice-Chair of Senate Education I sponsored a literacy bill that will help identify reading deficiencies in kids in the earliest grades. I co-sponsored a library bill that will ensure compliance with anti-discrimination laws, and that enhances public safety. This bill also protect schools from the practice of book banning. I have the knowledge and experience to help guide major changes to education in Vermont while both protecting our public schools and creating a more efficient and affordable system. As a member of the Health and Welfare Committee I would like to continue to work with my colleagues to lower the cost of health care while improving accessibility. None of this can be achieved without investing in housing and infrastructure. From manufactured home parks to modular homes and new zoning laws, I will prioritize housing in all our legislative work.
Issues in brief
Do you believe Vermonters are better off now than they were 10 years ago?
No
Do you believe Vermont needs a new education funding formula?
Yes
Do you support imposing new taxes on the wealthiest Vermonters?
Yes
Do you support the establishment of overdose prevention centers?
Yes
Do you support a ban on flavored tobacco products?
Yes
Do you support increasing penalties for property crimes such as shoplifting?
Yes
Do you believe Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election?
Yes
Issues in depth
What would you do to help grow Vermont’s economy?
We can only grow Vermont’s economy if we have ample housing for those already here and for new arrivals. The Act 250 reform that is part of H.687 is a good start. By reducing regulatory pressures, municipalities will have the opportunity to build housing, thereby increasing grand lists and generating more tax revenue while expanding a stagnant labor force.
Using the same strategies we’ve always used will not bring different results, and new investments must accompany an increase in housing, such as investments in childcare and universal pre-kindergarten. An efficient and high quality education system is a must to draw new talent and young families, and we must expand educational opportunities for New Americans and refugees.
Investing in clean energy and finding new ways to be climate resilient needs to be part of our economic plan. New energy technologies create jobs, increase revenue and drive down energy prices. Whenever possible, we should strive for new construction that is net zero.
Having a healthy population is key to growing the workforce, and Vermont’s health care system will require major changes in order to provide affordable and accessible care to all Vermonters.
What changes, if any, would you make to the way Vermont funds its schools?
Act 60 was landmark legislation that fundamentally changed the way Vermont paid for education. With its passage, we created a system that provided equity across the state and allowed for high quality education regardless of zip code. This statewide system placed tax money into the Education Fund so that it could be equitably distributed to towns. With Act 127 we recommitted to the idea that students require different investments to support learning by adjusting and updating the funding formula.
Vermont’s way of funding education is not simple but it does provide a level of equity and opportunity to children that many states don’t enjoy, while also providing approximately 60% of Vermonters with income sensitized tax credits.
I do not want to go back to a time when the quality of education was tied to the wealth of a town, however, I do understand that tying school funding to property taxes can result in the failure of school districts to pass budgets. But before we radically change the way we fund schools we must first dig into the hard work of right-sizing the entire system, examining the efficacy of local control and creating cost-effective systems that allow for shared resources and efficient buildings that run at capacity.
Is Vermont doing enough, too much or not enough to address climate change? Please explain.
Climate change is a global problem, and radical changes need to occur at the global level if there is to be hope of limiting its effects. A simple answer is that no one is doing enough to address climate change. That said, Vermont is certainly trying to do its part in a larger plan of global solutions. With the passage of the Renewable Energy Standard, Vermont will source all its power from renewable resources by 2035. Moving away from natural gas and other carbon-producing energy sources will improve air quality and lead the way for new innovation and a cleaner environment. The Climate Superfund Act will require Big Oil to pay its fair share of the staggering costs associated with climate change.
Along with these strategies, Vermont needs to invest in climate resilience that will protect communities from unpredictable and violent weather events. These must include rethinking where and how we build, innovative urban design that encourages multi-modal transportation and limits non-porous surfaces and allowing our rivers to flow in ways that mitigate flooding. There is much work to be done and we must innovate and choose creative solutions to protect ourselves from the effects of climate change.
Is Vermont doing enough, too much or not enough to regulate gun ownership? Please explain.
Vermont has made positive strides in gun legislation in recent years, and there is still room for improvement. We have passed legislation that raises the age to purchase a firearm to 21 and we have prohibited high-capacity magazines. Secure storage and waiting periods are other important strategies that Vermont has adopted in preventing gun deaths. Vermont should continue to examine legislation that exists in other parts of the country, such as requiring a permit to carry a concealed weapon. Keeping Vermonters safe from gun violence and reducing deaths caused by firearms must be a top priority.
What would you do to help ease Vermont’s housing crisis?
I voted in favor of H.687, a bill that includes Act 250 reform. This reform uses a tiered approach that will promote housing development in certain areas of the state while streamlining the environmental review process in these areas. This bill also aims to preserve green spaces and nature corridors across the state which are important to climate change mitigation, wildlife and to preserving the “Vermont brand,” which is an important part of our economy.
As part of housing reform, Vermont also needs to make concerted efforts and investments in the development of manufactured home parks, modular homes that are quick and easy to build and changes to zoning laws that allow for accessory dwelling units. A range of housing options must be provided including low-income housing as well as missing-middle housing for folks who do not make enough to buy a house but do not qualify for government assistance.
We also need a comprehensive plan that deals with both emergency shelter and provides housing with wrap-around services to those suffering from mental illness and addiction.
Because there are many renters throughout Vermont, we need to strengthen laws that protect renters and create clear expectations for both renters and landlords.
How would you address rising homelessness in Vermont?
Homelessness is a housing problem, so the way to address the problem is to build and provide more housing to Vermonters.
Currently Vermont has no comprehensive plan to deal with homelessness, and that is a huge problem that requires immediate action. With no plan at the State level, local municipalities are left to deal with the needs of the houseless and the effects of folks that have nowhere to live. With local budgets already stretched, the end of Covid-relief funds, rising healthcare costs, it is nearly impossible for our cities and towns to solve this problem on their own. Leadership at the highest levels must come up with creative and immediate solutions to house those with nowhere to live.
What would you do to increase access to health care services for Vermonters?
Recently, an independent healthcare system consultant has called Vermont’s system “badly broken.” From high insurance costs to long wait times and understaffed hospitals and facilities, we need major reform. To increase access to services, Vermont will need to invest in housing. Some hospitals and primary care facilities have been unable to hire staff because they have nowhere to live.
The creation of more housing will also allow us to invest in a well-funded and professional emergency-medical system. We currently rely on part-time or volunteer emergency-medical providers and they are struggling to provide necessary care statewide. Licensure policies need to be updated to increase the healthcare workforce and pharmacists should be a more integral part of healthcare delivery.
Upstream investments need to be made so that our most vulnerable have the necessary care to thrive. I sponsored a bill that will require Medicaid to pay for doula services. These services provide families with care and assistance before and during the birthing process as well as postpartum care.
Financial disclosure
Candidates for state and legislative offices are required to submit a financial disclosure when filing to run. These disclosures include each source, but not the amount, of personal income of each candidate, and of their spouse or domestic partner, that singly or jointly totals more than $5,000 for the previous 12 months. The information provided is an opportunity for voters to learn about candidates’ potential conflicts of interest.
You can find Gulick’s financial disclosure here.
Disclaimer
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