SOUTH BURLINGTON — Lt. Gov. David Zuckerman said Monday that he expects Vermont lawmakers to affirm John Rodgers’ victory in the race for the state’s second-highest office when the Legislature convenes later this week.

Zuckerman, a Progressive/Democrat, won fewer votes in November’s election than Rodgers, a Republican. But neither candidate secured more than 50% of the vote, triggering a constitutional process whereby the Legislature crowns the winner.

In the days after the election, Zuckerman conceded the race, though he nodded in a radio interview to the possibility that legislators could, technically, still name him lieutenant governor — and that they might have good reason to do so. His comments drew sharp criticism at the time from current and former state political leaders. 

Zuckerman said Monday at a press conference in South Burlington — which he convened to offer parting thoughts, he said, before leaving office — that he had not been in contact with legislators about how they would vote “since a few days after” the election.

“The Legislature will make its decision. I suspect they will elect John Rodgers. I haven’t heard anything otherwise,” Zuckerman said in response to a reporter’s question.

Zuckerman has frequently criticized Republican Gov. Phil Scott — with whom Rodgers is a close ally — throughout his tenure in office. And he took aim again at the governor in his remarks Monday, calling on Scott’s camp to bring “real options” to the negotiating table with legislators on key issues, including reforming the state’s education funding system and making housing and other aspects of life in the state more affordable.

That hasn’t always been the case over recent legislative sessions, he argued. 

“The governor has hundreds of staff to develop policy proposals, and the Legislature has no individual staff and is part-time for less than half the year,” Zuckerman said. “It is up to the governor, after eight years, to lead — not by pointing fingers at the Legislature, but by coming up with policies that reflect Vermonters’ wishes for good local public schools and affordable housing.”

Zuckerman encouraged policymakers, too, to consider increasing taxes on the state’s wealthiest residents and many second-home-owners, highlighting aspects of progressive economic policies he has championed in the state for decades. 

In response to a question, the three-term lieutenant governor told reporters that he had not decided whether he would run for political office again. But he said that, at least in the short-term, he planned to stay active in politics by hosting a public-affairs radio show. 

“It’s not what I’m here to advertise,” Zuckerman said. “But I’ll be talking about issues every week with people, having Vermonters on to talk about what their struggles are, and trying to get out there what’s going on in the Statehouse.” 

The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department estimates that hunters in Vermont harvested more than 17,200 deer during fall 2024 — but the final tally won’t be released until March. 

That translates to roughly 3.4 million servings of venison, according to a Monday press release from the department. 

The buck harvest tally is expected to decline slightly in 2024, with hunters taking an estimated 9,200 bucks compared with 9,848 in 2023, and an average of around 9,500 in the previous three years. Officials attributed the drop to a slower November hunting season, which was down 10% from the previous year, according to the release.

Although the department relies on hunting data to assess the deer population, Nick Fortin, the department’s head deer biologist, said he wouldn’t conclude that the population is declining. 

“The change from one year to the next really doesn’t mean a whole lot,” Fortin said. “It’s the longer-term trends that will be important.”

Fortin said climate-related changes are playing a role in shaping deer populations and influencing hunting results. However, he emphasized that the decline in the buck harvest was likely driven by a combination of factors, with milder winter temperature only being one of them.

One other factor is that this year, the department prioritized harvesting more antlerless deer, issuing more permits than previous years. The total of harvested antlerless deer, a group primarily composed of females, is expected to reach around 8,000 — an increase from the previous three-year average of 7,188. 

The reason for that change: “We’re just trying to control deer numbers in response to those milder winters,” Fortin said, adding that mild winters are good for deer as they have better food availability.

Abundant housing is the cornerstone of an affordable, vibrant and inclusive Vermont. Yet today that vision of our beloved state is at risk as we face an unprecedented housing shortage that threatens not only our economy but the very fabric of our communities.

The statistics are stark: Vermont has the second-highest homelessness rate in the country. The median home price has soared beyond the reach of working Vermonters. Half of all renters are cost-burdened, and one in four spend more than half of their income on housing. Yet despite these intense demand pressures, for the past 15 years the state’s growth rate of new, permanent homes has only been about 1/3 the rate of the 1980s. These numbers point to a simple but painful truth: too many Vermonters cannot afford a place to call home.

The housing crisis doesn’t exist in isolation—it ripples through every corner of our state’s social and economic systems. With Vermont’s population aging, the lack of housing exacerbates challenges in health care and education, making these systems increasingly unaffordable and unsustainable. Unless we change course, we face the closing of more rural hospitals and schools, further hollowing out many communities.

Instead, we must step up with impactful solutions that rebuild and reinvigorate our state. Addressing the housing crisis isn’t just about shelter — it’s about creating a larger tax base, bringing more families into our state and children into our schools, and fostering vibrancy and diversity in our towns.

A report by the Vermont Housing Finance Agency (VHFA) last summer highlighted the scale of the challenge: Vermont needs 30,000 new homes by the end of 2029. To achieve this, we must double our housing production rate from the last decade and sustain it. This is a tall order, but it is possible — if we commit to decisive, sustained action.

We’ve seen what’s achievable when we make housing a priority. From 2012 to 2024, Burlington increased its housing production by 400%. This was no accident; it was the result of targeted regulatory changes, quadrupled investment in the local Housing Trust Fund, major infrastructure upgrades, and public-private partnerships like those at CityPlace and Cambrian Rise.

What worked in Burlington can work across Vermont, but it requires a statewide effort. This crisis is not an accident; it is largely the result of decades of overly restrictive land use and development policies that have made it far too difficult to build the homes we need. The HOME Act and Act 250 reforms of last two-years were important steps in the right direction, but that legislation is just a start. In the coming biennium we need bold reforms and investments in three key areas:

Infrastructure Investment: Only a small percentage of Vermont is served by adequate water and sewer infrastructure, and even in those areas, new housing often requires significant upgrades. Expanding this infrastructure is essential, and revenues generated by new housing can fund this investment. However, Vermont’s restrictive and convoluted tax increment financing (TIF) laws make it difficult to direct those revenues back into housing infrastructure. A new Housing Infrastructure Program could transform how Vermont funds the essential upgrades needed to support housing development.

Appeals Reform: Vermont’s current appeals system gives a single individual the power to delay, or even derail, housing projects our communities have planned for and need. This “vetocracy” drives up costs and kills projects before they can get off the ground. Public engagement must happen early in the process, during discussions about growth areas and land use policies. Once those policies are set, property owners and housing developers need the ability to move forward “by right,” without the threat of years of costly delays.

Act 250 Tier Maps that Enable Growth: Last year’s reforms to Act 250 represent a promising step, but the process of drawing tier maps is in early stages, leaving considerable uncertainty about whether the reforms will ultimately significantly expand housing opportunities or simply lead to more of the same. We need to finish the job and ensure that in the future Act 250 supports, rather than hinders, the housing development in established communities and targeted growth areas that Vermont desperately needs.

But policy changes alone won’t be enough. To truly solve this crisis, we must embrace a vision of Vermont’s future that balances our cherished natural beauty with the need for growth and diversity. A Vermont where everyone who wants to live, work, and raise a family here can do so.

There is a movement building to achieve this vision—a Vermont that is bigger, more dynamic, and more inclusive. It will take all of us to make it a reality. To learn more and join the effort, visit letsbuildhomes.org.

Together, we can create a future where everyone has a place to call home.

Miro Weinberger is a former affordable housing developer and mayor of Burlington (2012-2024), and is currently a visiting fellow at Harvard Kennedy School’s Taubman Center for State and Local Government. The opinions expressed by columnists and op-ed writers do not necessarily reflect the views of Vermont News & Media.