Scott Milne in State of Vermont Archives
On Drugs:
Does not support the legalization of marijuana
Milne, who incidentally, does not support the legalization of marijuana, says his stance on some issues will put him at odds with national Republicans. He told students that he thinks
Congress should expand background checks for firearms, for example, and consider banning certain weapons. He also says he wants to improve upon the Affordable Care Act, not repeal it, as many Republicans have called for.
Source: Vermont Public Radio on 2016 Vermont Senate race
Sep 12, 2016
On Abortion:
Pro-life; and no free birth control
Q: What is your stance on abortion? Scott Milne: Pro-life
Q: Should health insurance providers be required to offer free birth control?
Scott Milne: No
Source: iSideWith.com Voter Guide on 2016 Vermont Senate race
Sep 9, 2016
On Civil Rights:
Opposes affirmative action
Q: Do you support affirmative action programs?
Scott Milne: No
Source: iSideWith.com Voter Guide on 2016 Vermont Senate race
Sep 9, 2016
On Crime:
Supports the death penalty
Q: Do you support the death penalty? Scott Milne: Yes
Q: Are you in favor of decriminalizing drug use?
Scott Milne: No, we should pass tougher drug laws
Source: iSideWith.com Voter Guide on 2016 Vermont Senate race
Sep 9, 2016
On Drugs:
Pass tougher drug laws instead of decriminalizing
Q: Are you in favor of decriminalizing drug use?
Scott Milne: No, we should pass tougher drug laws
Source: iSideWith.com Voter Guide on 2016 Vermont Senate race
Sep 9, 2016
On Foreign Policy:
US out of the UN, and UN out of the US
Q: Should the U.S. remain in the United Nations?
Scott Milne: No, and remove the U.N. headquarters from the U.S.
Source: iSideWith.com Voter Guide on 2016 Vermont Senate race
Sep 9, 2016
On Immigration:
No immigrant benefits; no DREAMers; no amnesty
Q: Should illegal immigrants have access to government-subsidized healthcare? Scott Milne: No
Q: Should children of illegal immigrants be granted legal citizenship?
Scott Milne: No
Q: Should working illegal immigrants be given temporary amnesty?
Scott Milne: No
Source: iSideWith.com Voter Guide on 2016 Vermont Senate race
Sep 9, 2016
On Education:
Rethink how government funds education
School spending. My property taxes are up more than 700 percent in 20 years, school enrollments are down, and spending continues to rise. The time has come to rethink how government funds education. It's a hard set of choices,
and together we can bridge the partisan divide and do what's best for Vermonters. Read "Investing in Vermont's Future," my plan for Education & Economic Opportunity in Vermont.
Source: 2016 Vermont Senate campaign website ScottMilne.org
Aug 8, 2016
On Environment:
Lake Champlain is a natural treasure we must preserve
I made a campaign promise to earmark $6 million a year for Lake Champlain clean-up with no new taxes. This is a good place to start. I look forward to working with law-makers on all ideas to address this problem. Goals:- Catalyze the cleanup of
Lake Champlain without raising new revenue.
- Amend the "Vermont Housing and Conservation Trust Fund Act" to allocate the part of the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board's funds used for conservation to cleaning up Lake Champlain.
Lake Champlain is a natural treasure we must preserve. Vermonters rely on the Lake not only for drinking water, but for recreation, tourism dollars, property values, and agriculture. Cleanup is not just an environmental issue. Our economic, social,
and bodily well-being are at risk. From Abenaki times to present day, Vermonters have relied on the Lake. The first European explorers came to Vermont through her. A piece of our heritage is suffering before our eyes.
Source: 2016 Vermont Senate campaign website ScottMilne.org
Aug 8, 2016
On Health Care:
Promises of cost savings are likely a pipe dream
The administration missed its Jan. 1, 2013 deadline to reveal the financial plan for our state's health care system, and 19 months later we are no closer to knowing how or whether it will work. The state is hiring more consultants to fix the problem,
and there is no end in sight. Promises of cost savings are likely a pipe dream. Vermonters deserve better than to be used as guinea pigs for an experiment that is likely beyond our means.
Source: 2016 Vermont Senate campaign website ScottMilne.org
Aug 8, 2016
On Jobs:
Focus on creating new jobs by changing Vermont's reputation
The real test of a healthy economy is its ability to create new jobs. In April of this year, our private sector grew by 50 new jobs. Vermont has a reputation for being unfriendly toward business, young Vermonters leave the state to get good-paying jobs,
and we see darker storm clouds on the horizon. Soon, without a more balanced government and a change in Vermont's reputation among businesses, we may look back on the days when we grew our economy--by even 50 jobs --as "the good old days."
Vermont should be known not only for its natural beauty and friendly people, but also as a great place to find a job or grow a business. It is not, and we are going in the wrong direction.
In today's modern, interconnected world, companies and jobs can move. There are many reasons people want to live in Vermont, let's make the economy one of them.
Source: 2016 Vermont Senate campaign website ScottMilne.org
Aug 8, 2016
On Tax Reform:
Cap the state-wide property tax in first two weeks
I will work with the Legislature to overhaul our education funding system. Ideally, we would decrease the system's reliance on property taxes. Such a fundamental change must be brought about by a close partnership between the Governor & the Legislature.
By getting our complex apparatus clarified and running efficiently, and re-allocating resources, together we can be the education state.As governor, I would make this issue a top priority. When the Legislature reconvenes in January,
I want to pass the cap in the first two weeks of the session. By capping the state-wide property tax, legislators would be pressured to work across party lines to Find a solution to rising property taxes.
Several municipal select boards have already expressed support of this proposal. Vermonters can help make this a reality and assist in this process by pushing their select boards and legislators to support the "Cap Our Rate" resolution.
Source: 2016 Vermont Senate campaign website ScottMilne.org
Aug 8, 2016
On Government Reform:
Washington gridlock results from too-long incumbency
The Pomfret businessman filed petitions to get on the primary and general election ballots, challenging Democratic Sen. Patrick Leahy, the longest-serving U.S. senator in history. Milne plans to make Washington gridlock and Leahy's 42 years in office
top issues. He said Leahy has "never held a private sector job," and contributes to DC partisanship. (Leahy, in fact, worked as a lawyer in private practice in the late 1960s.)Branding himself a "problem solver" who is fiscally conservative and
socially moderate, Milne says he will work with whomever is elected president.
But he acknowledges that he disagrees with many things his party's presumptive nominee, Donald Trump, has said so far in the campaign. President Barack Obama,
meanwhile, has "gotten better each year he's been in office" and says Obama's nominee for the Supreme Court, Merrick Garland, deserves an up or down vote. Were he in the Senate, Milne said he'd "probably vote to confirm him."
Source: WPTZ-TV NBC-5 on 2016 Vermont Senate race
May 26, 2016
On Immigration:
Opposed to the EB-5 program due to poor regulation in VT
In October 2009, Milne traveled to China and South Korea with then-governor Jim Douglas, Stenger and other Vermont business leaders to meet with potential EB-5 investors. At the time, Milne was considering raising money through the program for his
proposed Quechee Highlands development project, which has been stalled for years by land-use regulators. Milne returned sounding enthusiastic about EB-5, though he ultimately opted against taking part in the program. "To me, it is the perfect storm of
government policy capturing the best of entrepreneurial spirit," he told the Valley News a week after returning from Asia. Milne's tune has since changed. He said that federal officials who established EB-5 had been "naive" and "showed a lack of
'business 101" because they failed to "audit money coming in and out" of approved projects. Asked to explain his evolving position, Milne claimed that Vermont's regulation of EB-5 projects had been stronger back in 2009 when he traveled to China & Korea
Source: SevenDaysVT.com on 2016 Vermont Senate race
May 9, 2016
On Gun Control:
Rated 50% by Gun Owners of Vermont
The Gun Owners of Vermont, Inc. is a non-partisan pro-gun organization, committed to a no-compromise position on firearms ownership rights.
Gun Owners of Vermont's organizational mission is to supply facts to members about pro-gun and anti-gun legislation, legislators? voting records, statements, and to lobby on the state level."
Source: Gun Owners of Vermont ratings on 2016 Vermont Senate race
Nov 1, 2014
On Civil Rights:
Supported civil unions in 2000
His mother, Marion Milne, served in the state House. In 2000, she cast a vote in favor of civil unions. The controversial precursor to same-sex marriage divided Vermont, particularly in Orange County, where "Take Back Vermont" was the mantra blaring
from signs posted on barns. Fellow Republicans targeted her in that year's election, and she lost the primary. Marion Milne then ran as an independent in the general election, falling short by 1,000 votes.Scott Milne remembers that his mother knew as
she voted on civil unions that she was likely to lose her seat as a result. He supported her all the way, he said.
Scott Milne helped campaign door-to-door for his mother and saw firsthand the raw anger civil unions had generated. So did his
then-12-year-old son. At one door, he said, his son was treated to a string of expletives about his grandmother. "It's too bad what a divisive, traumatic time that was. How that ended up being a party issue on either side," Scott Milne said.
Source: Burlington Free Press on 2016 Vermont Senate race
Oct 28, 2014
On Abortion:
Pro-choice but exact positions are unknown
The Vermont Right to Life Political Committee released its endorsements for the primary election on Monday. The organization encourages its members to choose the Republican ballot. The committee chose not to recommend a candidate for governor.
Scott Milne, Dan Feliciano and Emily Peyton are pro-choice. "Scott Milne's exact positions are unknown at this time, though he has communicated a willingness to better understand the issues," the committee said in a statement.
Source: VTDigger.org on 2016 Vermont Senate race
Aug 26, 2014
Page last updated: Oct 14, 2021