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Caleb Elder for Vermont House

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Vermont Conservation Voters Endorses Caleb Elder
Vermont NEA Endorses Caleb Elder
Sierra Club Endorses Caleb Elder

2022 Campaign

Caleb and family

Why I'm Running to represent Bristol, Lincoln, Monkton and Starksboro in the Vermont House

I'm currently running for my 3rd term in the Vermont House.  I have served on the Education Committee and then Ways & Means Committee during my first two terms. During this past biennium I was particularly focused on issues related to our statewide public education funding system. After many years of study, the legislature has passed a bill into law that will readjust the pupil weights used in our funding formula. The impact of this change, is that in communities educating a higher proportion of students living in poverty, or students learning English as a second language, taxpayers will receive additional capacity to support these students' needs. These change will go a long way to ensuring greater school funding equity statewide. Locally this change will slightly lower tax rates for the Mount Abraham Unified School District compared to the status quo. 

In the coming biennium I'm particularly focused on climate legislation. I believe we need to try again following the Governor's veto of the Clean Heat Standard. Additionally, I believe we need to revisit our Renewable Energy Standard and at the same time to reduce some unneeded regulatory roadblocks to green energy development in Vermont. I'm committed to connecting our local economy to our career and technical education centers. As a Board member for the Vermont Student Assistance Corporation, I'm very aware of the incredible programs and resources currently available to students pursuing a technical education in Vermont, but I think we can do more to prepare those students with relevant, transferable skills early in their careers. 

If re-elected, I'll continue to work on behalf of young Vermonters. Through our recent investments in childcare assistance, after school programs, career tech. education and the new Vermont State University, we are showing our young folks a path to live and thrive in the green mountains. I am proud to have work on the Child Tax Credit, which will further support families with young children in the coming years. 

 

 

Policy Priorities

Education

  • Support Career Technical Education
  • Continue reform of Vermont's education funding system, with implementation of revised pupil weights. 
  • Unify regulation for early education, and for primary education. Break down regulatory silos between AHS and AOE, while embedded more human services in our elementary school buildings. 
  • Explore the possibility of fewer, centralized Supervisory Unions and possibly even a statewide Supervisory Union. 

Health Care

  • Pass a Universal Primary Care bill as a first step towards Universal Health Care. Access to primary care can lower costs and improve outcomes over an entire population and over the long term. Our hospitals and insurers must help in this effort if we’re going to succeed.
  • Enable competition in the healthcare marketplace, where there is a clear need for  increased choice and pricing transparency.
Caleb at the Women's March

Energy

  • Provide streamlined regulation to enable and encourage high-efficiency affordable housing. Work with developers to understand how Vermont can support their work.
  • Revisit Net Metering rules following the 50% reduction in new permits in 2017.
  • Support existing farm methane projects and promote expansion of new biogas generation wherever possible.

Transportation

  • Reconsider road designations to provide safe, bikeable routes for all Vermonters not just “road warriors”.  It should be safe for kids to bike to school on public roads.
  • Identify ways to continue funding our roads and bridges as the gas tax diminishes over time.
  • Increase bus and train services for commuters.
  • Expand broadband services throughout Vermont to facilitate more remote working opportunities.

Experience

Solar Flower

Professional

  • I have enjoyed 14 years working in the Renewable Energy sector in Vermont, including solar project development for homeowners, schools, nonprofits and businesses. I currently operate Elder Energy Services, LLC as a solar sales consultant. 
  • I am a Musician, performing on violin, and viola with various Vermont groups for the past 25 years. During the summers, I play around VT in historic barns, churches, town halls and backyards at private events and municipal functions. 

Public Service

  • I'm an incumbent State Representative, serving Addison-4 since 2019
  • I represent the Vermont House as a Board member at the Vermont Student Assistance Corporation. I'm currently serving a 6 year term.
  • 7 Years of recent experience on local school boards, 2014-2021

Education

  • Bristol Elementary School
  • Mount Abraham Union High School
  • Patricia Hannaford Career Center 
  • Middlebury College