Amid Protesters, Gov. Shumlin Focuses on Environmental Issues in Inauguration Speech

MONTPELIER, Vt. - It was through chanting protesters that Governor Peter Shumlin walked to the podium for his Inaugural address to begin his third term.

The group of people from the Vermont Worker's Center was calling on Shumlin to enact single payer health care...once his biggest priority, pulled for financial reasons last month.

While it wasn't the entrance he planned, the Governor still invoked an enormous standing ovation by the legislators who elected him just a few hours earlier.

In his address, the Governor didn't talk health care, instead focusing on the environment and new energy initiatives.

"This new program will create over 1,000 additional jobs, put money in Vermonters' pockets,  create savings of hundreds of millions of dollars on energy bills and cut greenhouse gas emissions by 15 million metric tons by 2032," he said.

Plus, he emphasized more efforts should be put into cleaning our waterways including Lake Champlain.

"Which drives tourism and boosts our economy even as it cries out for us to do more. "Even as we keep dumping pollutants that are destroying it before our eyes," he said.

At the end of the speech, the chanting protesters grew louder....partially drowned out by the crowd cheering for Shumlin. Lawmakers were "shhh"ing the protesters, openly angry at the interruption.

The governor said he will pay for his proposals through increased federal dollars, money from the capital budget, Vermont Housing and Conservation Board (VHCB), and a new state Clean Water Fund.

Immediately after the speech, Republicans called a news conference to criticize the Governor's focus in the speech.

"The idea that he gave total lip service to property taxpayers I think he did not get the message of the election," Rep. Kurt Wright (R-Burlington) said.

Senator David Zuckerman, who is a farmer, said he'll have to look into some of the Governor's environmental proposals related to farming.

"I think focusing on energy issues and water quality are certainly important issues. There's no doubt everybody knows affordability and economics and property taxes are important," Zuckerman said.

In next week's budget speech, Governor Shumlin says he will focus on expanding Vermont's economy, containing health care costs, reducing education spending while ensuring quality education for Vermont kids, expanding the state's clean energy sector, protecting our lakes and waterways, continue to battle the opiate problem in the state, protect the state's most vulnerable children, and develop a balance budget that puts the state on a more sustainable long-term fiscal footing.

Vermont State Police escorted the Governor from the chamber during the protests.