Biography
I’ve lived in Vermont for the last 31 years, and I’ve represented Chittenden County in the State Senate for the last 14. Over those years, I’ve served in many different capacities, and on a handful of committees — currently I’m the Senate President Pro Tem. More than anything, I see it as my job to help the Senate run smoothly, and to advance Vermont in housing, gun safety, public health and safety, climate sanity and economic prosperity.
Candidate occupation
Teacher
Why are you running for office?
Please see previous answer
Issues in brief
Do you believe Vermonters are better off now than they were 10 years ago?
Yes
Do you believe Vermont needs a new education funding formula?
Yes
Do you support imposing new taxes on the wealthiest Vermonters?
No answer
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?
No answer
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 have been working to increase both available housing and workforce, simultaneously. Our investments in housing over the last 5 years have been historic, helped out by the flood of federal dollars we saw after Covid. But this past year we added a modernization of Act 250, that should speed housing along by de-duplicating regulation in areas that already have robust zoning and infrastructure.
What changes, if any, would you make to the way Vermont funds its schools?
I think it’s time for a level of either budgeting or oversight on budgeting at the state level. As it stands, local school boards propose budgets and voters approve those locally — which leaves us without any way to manage districts that consistently overspend or underspend. We need some form of check on that unregulated spending, and the current study committee is tasked in part with considering that question.
Is Vermont doing enough, too much or not enough to address climate change? Please explain.
We are behind the curve on climate legislation — the world is warming far too quickly, and we’re already seeing catastrophic flooding, and other side effects. But that delay should not be laid at the feet of Vermont Democrats — we have brought forward significant, impactful legislation every session. But the Vermont Republican Party has made it their practice to forego creating policy in this space. Instead, they wait for Democrats to propose legislation, and then vigorously oppose it. We need their help — we need everyone on board — because although they have relatively votes in Montpelier, they control the Governor’s office and can stymie the rest of us effectively at moments.
Is Vermont doing enough, too much or not enough to regulate gun ownership? Please explain.
We have been making excellent incremental progress, and I take some pride in that. 15 years ago we had almost no relevant legislation. Today we have universal background checks, ERPOs, safe storage, waiting periods, ban on high capacity magazines, ban on paramilitary training camps, ban on guns in hospitals and polling places . . . but there is still much more to be done.
What would you do to help ease Vermont’s housing crisis?
See my earlier answer re: Act 250 Modernization
How would you address rising homelessness in Vermont?
We have been trying our level human best to manage the end of federal funds to the GA program, placing the entire cost on the State. We can’t maintain that program or others like it at the level we did during Covid. But we’ve increased eligibility for GA/emergency housing, and extended the periods during which it’s available. We’ll continue to monitor the Admistration’s handling of these crucial programs.
What would you do to increase access to health care services for Vermonters?
There are many facets to this question, but let me focus on nursing. We’ve been trying, over the last handful of years, to increase the level of subsidy, grants, and forgivable loans to nurses, in an attempt to grow their numbers quickly. In addition, I support nurses negotiating at our hospitals for increased wages — as things stand they are at a significant pay disparity with traveling nurses.
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 Baruth’s financial disclosure here.
Disclaimer
We emailed a questionnaire to every candidate with a valid email address. The responses provided by candidates are in their own words. VTDigger has not edited or fact-checked information provided.
If this is your candidacy and you’d like to fill out the questionnaire or report an error, please contact us at voterguide@vtdigger.org.
