European Socialist/Progressive here. I feel your pain, but it's probably better that a progressive legislature doesn't just steamroll a Republican governor. Vermonters knew that when they were voting for Scott, they were voting for someone who wouldn't always agree with the legislature. That's his mandate, in a sense. If the legislature doesn't, to some degree, respect that (even though they too have a collective mandate) my fear is that it will backfire on them. If I were to speculate, I would say that Vermonters want a progressive state and legislature because we're largely (the majority) socially liberal, environmentally aware, determinedly secular and feel that the state is in better hands with Democrats and Progressives as regards those issues. We know we don't want the inane, race-baiting and big-government church & state Republicanism (and tax give-aways) that's poisoning the rest of the country; but that doesn't mean Vermonters want social programs without an awareness of their cost. And so we elect Scott as governor. We want a progressive Mommy with a fiscally conservative Daddy (as George Lakoff might put it). If the legislature is going to overrule Scott, it should be carefully considered and with a mind toward the mandate given to Scott.