In recent days, I’ve provided little bits of evidence that newly-minted VTGOP Chair David Sunderland — the guy who’s supposedly going to change the direction and tone of the party — is not, himself, at all moderate. I’ve also suggested that it wouldn’t be hard for someone in Vermont’s political media to do a little fact-checking. After all, Sunderland was in the Legislature from 2003-2008. During that time, he must have sponsored some bills, cast a lot of votes, given speeches, printed brochures, and raised campaign funds. Wouldn’t it be relevant, I thought, for news consumers to know the views and beliefs of the guy who now holds the top position in the state’s Republican Party?

Guess not, because if anybody’s gone digging, they haven’t seen fit to print or broadcast anything to speak of.  

Well, now we’ve got the goods — or at least some of them. Still out there somewhere, waiting to be uncovered: any speeches Sunderland might have made in the House or on the campaign trail during his five years under the Golden Dome; any campaign material he produced during his two runs for office; and any interesting names that might show up on his campaign finance reports.

But, thanks to a political wonk of my acquaintance with a lot of time on his/her hands, we can report some of the highlights of Sunderland’s legislative career. As you might expect, there’s no hint of moderation to be found. Indeed, Sunderland appears to be more conservative than then-Governor Jim Douglas on many issues. He was sometimes to the right of most Republicans in the House. In 2004 he got a 25% rating from the Vermont League of Conservation Voters, a measly 11% from VPIRG, and (of course) 100% from the state Chamber of Commerce. And he’s definitely got some toxic views on reproductive rights and other favored causes of the Christian Right.  

Speaking of which, Sunderland’s cause celebre was parental notification. He served in the Legislature for all or part of three sessions, and each time he introduced a bill requiring parental notification 48 hours before an “unemancipated minor” could have an abortion. Parental notification is the Right To Lifers’ fallback position in states where they know they can’t win passage of more serious restrictions.

A couple of other blots on Sunderland’s reproductive-rights escutcheon: He voted for a bill that would have imposed criminal penalties on doctors who performed abortions on a minor. And he supported a “women’s right to know bill,” which would have required women to undergo counseling before making a health decision. And we all know what that means.

And, in another sign of his Christianist leanings, he voted against a bill to add gender identity or expression to existing anti-discrimination laws.

Some other highlights and/or lowlights:

Health care: For a guy whose first press release as VTGOP Chair was an inaccurate attack on Governor Shumlin’s alleged plan to kill Medicare for Vermonters, Sunderland has a really bad record on health care reform. He sponsored a bill promulgating the free-marketeers’ favorite “reform” idea: opening Vermont’s health insurance market to policies sold in other states. In short, bringing all the benefits of credit-card deregulation to the healthcare sector.

He voted against funding for the Medicaid program and the office of Vermont health access. He opposed a bill to increase “transparency of prescription drug pricing and information,” which easily passed into law. According to Project Vote Smart, he voted against establishing Catamount Care in two separate session.

Education: Right out of the Ethan Allen Institute/ALEC playbook. He supported a bill to establish a school voucher program in Vermont. He sponsored a bill to force school-district consolidation: it would have set up 14-16 “supervisory unions.” The S.U. boards of education would have been in charge of negotiating teacher contracts. He sponsored a bill to create “a moment of silence in schools” — the Religious Right’s backdoor way of getting prayer in the public schools. And he was on the losing side on a bill to expand pre-K education.

Workers’ rights: In addition to the school consolidation bill that would have established S.U.-wide teacher contracts, Sunderland also sponsored a bill to reduce workers’ compensation benefits and require drug testing for all recipients. And he voted against a 2005 bill to raise the state minimum wage from $6.25 to $7.25.

Other:

— He supported a bill that would have sealed all records of internal police investigations.

— According to Project Vote Smart, he opposed a bill to establish same-day voter registration.

— He backed a bill to weaken Act 250 by increasing the minimum lot size triggering Act 250 review from 10 acres to 20.

This is just a sampling of David Sunderland’s public record. If anyone can point out instances of “moderation” in his legislative tenure, I’d love to hear it. From what I know of him so far, I’d have to say that not only is he not a moderate — he’s solidly in the right wing of the Republican Party. And he shows obvious signs of Moral Majority-ism, which definitely puts him out of Vermont’s mainstream.

Perhaps he can set all of this aside, and work toward a more inclusive VTGOP. But he’ll have to tamp down his own political views, including those that are faith-based. That’s a lot to ask of someone with opinions as strong as his.

It says something about the state of the VTGOP that this guy is the best the “moderates” could do. And it does, again, raise questions about how “moderate” they really are.