IRV passes Senate!

A Democracy Program Update from Executive Director Paul Burns

VPIRG members and activists helped to push the Instant Runoff Voting bill over the top in the state Senate today by a vote of 16-13 with one absent. Thanks a lot for the phone calls, emails and letters you sent to senators on this one. Every vote mattered! Other groups pushing IRV include Common Cause, the VT League of Women Voters, Older Women's League and the Grange.

The vote breakdown is below. It played out exactly as we figured it would in the hours leading up to the vote. No surprises as the votes were cast. Senators White, Campbell, Ayer, Flanagan and Shumlin deserve special credit for helping to make this happen.

Click here to email your Senators and tell them what you think of thier IRV vote

Senators who argued on the floor against IRV included Mullin, Miller, Snelling, Doyle, Maynard and Scott.

The House Government Operations Committee will take up the bill once the Senate finishes with it tomorrow. Early predictions are that a vote in the House will also be close.

-Paul

VOTE COUNT on the IRV BILL (S.108) in the VERMONT SENATE
April 25, 2007

YES - 16
Ayer
Bartlett
Campbell
Carris
Collins
Condos
Cummings
Flanagan
Giard
Kittell
Lyons
MacDonald
McCormack
Racine
Shumlin
White

NO - 13
Coppenrath
Doyle
Hartwell
Kitchel
Maynard
Mazza
Miller
Mullen
Nitka
Scott
Sears
Snelling
Starr

ABSENT
Illuzzi