Town Meeting Day Resources
Democracy is alive and well in Vermont, demonstrated by the gamut of activity on municipal election ballots in cities and towns across the state. Read up on exciting issues and measures on the ballot.
Resources
View VPIRG’s Interactive Health Care Webinar
Over 200 people from 6 different states took part in VPIRG’s interactive health care webinar Health Reform 2012 – What’s Next and Why it Matters on Tuesday, February 7th. Click here to download a recording of this event.
Findings on Expanding Vermont’s Bottle Bill
A new study shows that expanding Vermont’s Bottle Bill will recycle almost 100 million additional beverage containers each year. Broadening this program to cover plastic water bottles and other beverage containers would also consume less energy, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, create jobs and generate more revenue for local businesses.
Study Finds Bigger Better Bottle Bill is Win-Win
Expanding Vermont’s Bottle Bill to certain non-carbonated beverage containers would be a win-win for our state’s environment and economy, according to a new study released today by the Vermont Public Interest Research Group (VPIRG). Among the specific findings in Understanding the Impacts of Expanding Vermont’s Beverage Deposit Return Program: an additional 96.7 million bottles and cans would be recycled each year in Vermont.
Important Information About Wind and Vermont’s Energy Future
Increasing the use of clean, renewable energy like wind and solar and encouraging conservation and efficiency is the responsible thing to do. Vermont is on the right path now. By the end of 2012 Vermont will get 10% of our electricity from clean, local wind power, helping Vermonters take control of our energy future, keeping our money working in our state and ensuring a positive legacy for future generations. We need to continue building clean energy, like wind, in Vermont today.
Report: Representation Without Taxation
Released on the second anniversary of the Supreme Court’s decision in the Citizens United vs. Federal Election Commission case—which opened the floodgates to corporate spending on elections—this report takes a hard look at the lobbying activities of profitable Fortune 500 companies that exploit loopholes and distort the tax code to avoid billions of dollars in taxes.
Bills to Watch in 2012 – A Bigger, Better Bottle Bill
Strengthening the Bottle Bill will take two main forms: updating it so that you’ll be able to redeem water bottles and other non-carbonated beverage containers (including hard cider and wine bottles), and closing the “unclaimed nickel” loophole. That way, the deposits from unredeemed containers will go back to the State to be reinvested in recycling programs.
Bills to Watch in 2012 – Environmental Health
Our advocates are following these bills and we’ll keep you posted on opportunities to take action. Find the bill language by clicking the title.
Citizens United Fact Sheet
On January 21, 2010, the U.S. Supreme Court unleashed a flood of corporate money into our political system by ruling that, contrary to longstanding precedent, corporations have a first amendment right to spend unlimited amounts of money to promote or defeat candidates. The decision in this historic case – Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission – overturned a century of campaign finance law and stands to deal a devastating blow to our democracy unless we act.
Bigger Better Bottle Bill Brochure
Vermont’s Bottle Bill is our state’s most successful recycling program. Thanks to the Bottle Bill, we recycle 85% of covered beverage containers, while states without Bottle Bills recycle, on average, only 24%.
Read how expanding the Bottle Bill can keep millions more containers out of landfills and off of roadsides.