Democracy

Perhaps the most fundamental, systemic problem confronting Vermont is the fact that the public interest is underrepresented in the political process.  Narrow special interests disproportionately influence public debate, often drowning out the voice, subverting the will, and harming the interest of the general public. VPIRG is fighting to make the government more open, responsive to and reflective of ordinary citizens by: Minimizing the influence of big money and special interests over elections; Ensuring that Vermont’s leaders are elected with majority support; Removing all unnecessary barriers to voting in order to maximize voter participation; And maximizing transparency and accountability in our voting systems.

State Legislature Fails to Override Governor’s Campaign Finance Veto by Just One Vote

Vermont suffered a major loss in the fight for fair elections when the Vermont House of Representatives failed to override Governor Douglas’s veto of [S. 278] on Friday, April 25th.  The bill would have set reasonable limits on campaign contributions in the wake of the divided US Supreme Court decision to strike down Vermont's landmark campaign finance law in 2006.  The 99-51 House vote fell largely along party lines, with all Progressives and all but one Democrat voting to override the veto, and the Republicans unified in their defense of big money in politics.

The Senate voted overwhelmingly in favor of the override, with all 23 Democrats joined by three Republicans. Just four Senate Republicans voted to sustain the governor's veto.  

One of the key votes in the House belonged to Rep. Daryl Pillsbury (I – Brattleboro), who, despite receiving an unprecedented outpouring of support for the override from his constituents, opted to sustain it.  After the vote, Pillsbury admitted to WCAX Ch. 3 that "As soon as I made that vote it's been unreal - but all of a sudden I have a lot of Republican friends."(1)  This was after he revealed to the Brattleboro Reformer that he supported the bill for “selfish” reasons. (2) 

Another disappointing vote was cast by Rep. Dennis Devereux (R-Windsor-Rutland 1).  He helped to craft the bill and voted for it in the House Government Operations Committee.  He also defended it on the floor of the House when it was initially passed.  But when it really mattered, Devereux lost the courage of his convictions.  Instead, he voted against what he knew was a good bill just to protect the governor he knew was wrong. 

Despite the House's failure to override, VPIRG is committed to continuing the fight for commonsense campaign finance reform, with the ultimate goal of establishing a voluntary system of public financing similar to what's working so well today in Maine.[MSOffice1]   Since the problem of money in politics isn't going away, neither are we.

1. http://tv3.wcax.com/n/fri6p.htm

2. http://www.reformer.com/ci_9010798?source=most_emailed

Overview

Almost a decade ago, Vermont lead the nation by adopting tough limits on campaign spending. Since then, special interest influence over election has only increased. And the Supreme Court's recent decision to strike down Vermont's campaign finance law has only put Vermont's fragile Democracy at greater risk. 2006 was Vermont's most expensive election in history. But despite all the money, tens of thousands of Vermonters did not vote, and some candidates were elected without majority support. S

Despite the obstacles Vermont's democratic tradition remains strong: The percentage of eligible citizens that vote is higher in Vermont than most states. And most of our candidates for local office and state legislature still run their campaigns with minimal spending, choosing instead the time honored traditions of canvassing voters and shaking hands at community events.

VPIRG seeks to foster these strong democratic traditions, and preserve our historic legacy of politics of, by making government more open, responsive to and reflective of ordinary citizens.

To achieve this goal we must:

Minimize the influence of big money and special interests over elections by placing new limits on campaign donations and fixing our public financing system so that it's more like Maine’s, where more than 74% of legislators are publicly financed.

Ensure that Vermont’s leaders are elected with majority support by enacting Instant Run-off Voting for statewide races to. The Secretary of State is scheduled to complete a report for key legislative committees on Instant Runoff Voting and potentially other methods of ensuring majority rule in elections by mid-February, 2007.

Remove all unnecessary barriers to voting in order to maximize voter participation by allowing eligible Vermonters to register to vote on Election Day . Legislation to accomplish this came very close to passing in 2006.  Bills were passed in both houses and a compromise was reached in conference committee, but were not sent to the floor for final passage.

And maximize voter confidence in our voting systems by ensuring transparency and accountability by having the Secretary of State conduct random audits of voting machines and protect the sanctity of elections by guaranteeing voter-verified paper trail for every ballot cast in vermont

Take Action Now!

Together, we can make elections in Vermont more fair, accurate and responsive. Every voice counts and you can make a difference. Here’s how:

Be part of the solution:
You can help by contacting your community leaders and legislators.

Write a Letter to the Editor:
VPIRG can help you write a letter, email or opinion editorial for your local newspaper. We can also offer tips for making sure your letter gets printed.

Host or attend a local lobby meeting:
VPIRG is organizing meetings between constituents and legislators in towns all over Vermont. You can take part by contacting Sean at 223-8421 ext.6383 or sean {at} VPIRG.org.

Attend a lobby day at the Vermont State House:
Stay in touch to find out details and join the campaign!