House fails to override campaign finance veto by one vote

April 26, 2008

MONTPELIER — For the second time in a year, the Vermont House failed by a single vote to override Gov. James Douglas' veto of a new campaign finance reform bill.Friday's vote of 99-51 came one vote shy of the two-thirds majority needed to override the veto of the bill, which would have set specific contribution limits for political candidates.

House Speaker Gaye Symington, D-Jericho, who made the rare move Friday of casting her vote to override the veto from the speaker's podium, said she was disappointed in the outcome and cast her blame toward Douglas, whom she is considering a run against this year.

After Douglas vetoed last year's campaign finance bill — a veto that House lawmakers also failed to override by a single vote during a special summer session — Symington said lawmakers sought a compromise with the governor.

"We'll be back here next year," Burns said. "And until then, the problem of money in politics will only get worse."

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Lawmakers will try to override vetoes

April 14, 2008

MONTPELIER — The Legislature will soon decide if two bills should become law even though they were rejected by Gov. James Douglas.

Since legislators would like to have those veto override votes completed before the end of the session, slated for early May, the state Senate may begin that process as early as this week.

One of the bills, establishing campaign-finance limits, is likely to gain most of the attention.
It is much less likely that the other, creating an instant-runoff voting system for Congressional elections in Vermont, would win the two-thirds majority in both the Senate and the House needed to override a veto.

The Vermont Public Interest Research Group, which has been a major force behind the campaign finance bill, has taken aim at Douglas' message on that veto.

In his veto message Douglas said the bill, by limiting how much money political parties can give to their candidates, protects incumbents.

"The proposed party contribution limits extend unfair political protection to incumbents by establishing an obstacle for challengers," Douglas said.

Not really, according to VPIRG. During the 2002, 2004 and 2006 election cycles — when Vermont's very strict campaign limits of $200 were in place — incumbent state House members were more likely to lose their seats than they have been in the years before or afterward, according to the group's research.

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Vt. lawmakers mull idea of same-day voter registration

March 14, 2008

MONTPELIER – With an eye toward boosting voter turnout in Vermont, some lawmakers are considering allowing residents to register to vote right up through Election Day.

At least nine other states, including neighbors New Hampshire and Maine, allow residents to register to vote on the same day as an election and advocates say that has led to increased voter turnout.

In Vermont, residents must register to vote six days prior to an election, usually the Wednesday prior to a Tuesday election. And while Vermont has a higher turnout than the national average, it still ranks 17th among the states, according to the secretary of state's office.

Allowing for same-day registration could boost statewide voter turnout by nearly 5 percent, according to Paul Burns, the executive director of the Vermont Public Interest Research Group, who distributed copies of a study on the issue released this winter by Demos, a New York City-based nonprofit group.

He added that turnout among young voters, typically the lowest among all the age demographics, could be increased by 10 percent, and turnout for low-income voters could be boosted by 6 percent.

"Vermont is very proud of its high voter turnout," he said. "But we can do better."

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Douglas still not happy with campaign finance bill

February 8, 2008

MONTPELIER — The House Government Operations Committee gave Gov. Jim Douglas half of what he wanted in a revised campaign finance reform bill — but it may not be enough to avert a veto.

“We continue to have serious concerns about the bill,” Jason Gibbs, spokesman for Douglas, said today.

The House panel weighed whether to give Douglas everything he wanted, but lawmakers decided they were comfortable with the bill as they had written it. They voted 9-0 to send the bill to the full House for a vote Wednesday.

The bill, as written, would take effect immediately. That’s a problem, said Rob Roper, chairman of the Vermont Republican Party. “You are changing the rules in the middle of the campaign season.”

Paul Burns, executive director of the Vermont Public Interest Research Group, sees minimal legal risk because the Legislature paid attention to the guidelines set out in the U.S. Supreme Court decision. He said, “It’s a common sense bill that allows fair participation in elections while preventing a few political action committees, corporations or individuals from dominating the process.”

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VPIRG works for the public

February 5, 2008

Jack McMullen criticized the public interest effort to prevent special interest money from taking over Vermont elections as it has elsewhere in America ("VPIRG's hold on Democratic Party," Jan. 30).

To his credit, McMullen noted that the Vermont Public Interest Research Group has a long history of success fighting in the public's interest for things like clear air, clean water and safe cars. He could also have added that in standing up for average Vermonters, VPIRG challenges some of the most powerful corporate interests in this country.

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VT Edition Interview: Paul Burns & Rob Roper on campaign finance reform

Friday January 25, 2008
Bob Kinzel
Colchester, VT

New campaign finance reform legislation is passing quickly through the Legislature. Is it too late for lawmakers to pass this bill and let it apply to this year election? VPR's Bob Kinzel talks with Paul Burns, the Executive Director of Vermont Public Interest Research Group and Rob Roper, Chairman of the Vermont Republican Party about the bill's chances.

Listen to the interview here
http://www.vpr.net/news_detail/79088/

Campaign finance reform bill moving quickly through Legislature

Friday January 25, 2008
Montpelier, Vt.

(Host) Supporters of a new campaign finance reform bill say their measure is needed to eliminate "the appearance" of corruption in Vermont politics.

The Vermont Public Interest Research Group is a strong supporter of the new campaign finance reform bill. VPIRG's executive director is Paul Burns:

(Burns)"There is an appearance of corruption that the court has also recognized as being a legitimate reason for putting some rational limits what individuals corporations PACS and others can give to candidates the limits contained in this bill are not the lowest in the nation and we are not trying to limit what candidates can spend in a race."

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Vt. Senate rushes to OK campaign finance bill

January 21, 2008

MONTPELIER — The bill establishing new contribution limits for Vermont political campaigns was hurried through the Senate last week with just enough time for a nearly party-line vote. It gained final Senate approval Friday and has now moved on to the House.

Paul Burns, the head of the Vermont Public Interest Research Group, gave members of the Senate advice in how to write the campaign finance law. It is legally defensible, he said.

"The bill has been changed in a number of ways that make it comport with all of the guidance given to us by the Supreme Court," Burns said. "The Legislature has listened and responded to all of the guidance the Supreme Court gave. It is as defensible as it can be and still have some meaning."

"They sought our advice and counsel on this," Burns said. The legislators also heard from the Vermont Republican Party and Bopp as well. "That is part of our process here," Burns said, pointing out that Vermont's citizen Legislature has a limited staff.

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Another crack at closing 'loophole'

January 6, 2008

MONTPELIER — Gov. James Douglas' veto of a campaign finance reform bill last year went largely unnoticed.

Now, as a new election year ensues, legislators are determined to push through a slightly modified version of last year's bill as soon as possible.

"I think people are sick and tired of the way wealthy interests affect elections and influence the legislative process. Vermont is better than that," said Paul Burns, head of the Vermont Public Interest Research Group.

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Strange Bedfellows?

FREYNE LAND

Monday, November 05, 2007

Yes, that is Lake Champlain Chamber Prez "Tommy Guns" Tom Torti on the far left; Ol' Bernardo, a.k.a Bernie Sanders, the only socialist senator America's got; former U.S. Navy submarine captain and Democratic State Rep. Al Perry from Richford; and "Save the Environment" Paul Burns, VPIRG's "Top Gun."

All on the same side on this one!

They want the Bush Administration to force Verizon Wireless to, among other things, provide 100-percent geographic cell phone coverage in Vermont when their purchase of Unicel inevitably goes down (Most likely next month.)

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Vermonters talk energy

November 5, 2007

BURLINGTON -- For legislators in Vermont, it's not so easy being green.

Vermont has the lowest carbon footprint and one of the most aggressive energy efficiency programs in the nation, and more than two-thirds of the state's electricity comes from contracts with the Entergy-owned Vermont Yankee nuclear plant and Hydro-Quebec in Canada. Those contracts are set to expire -- in 2012 and 2015, respectively -- leaving Vermont's energy future wide open for consideration.

Rep. Robert Dostis, D-Waterbury, chairman of the Natural Resources and Energy Committee and a member of the Joint Energy Committee, said legislation passed last year directed the Public Service Department to develop a public engagement process regarding Vermont's energy future, to encourage Vermonters to examine and make recommendations on ways to meet Vermont's electricity options over the next five to 10 years.

That's why more than 200 Vermonters gathered this weekend on the campus of the University of Vermont to participate in the state-sponsored Deliberative Polling Event on Vermont's Energy Future, the culmination of a series of workshops designed to educate the public about energy in Vermont. Combined, the studies constitute the largest energy sampling ever conducted in the United States, said Stephen Wark, consumer affairs director for the Public Service Department.

"Public policy here in Vermont does drive the marketplace," added James Moore, clean energy advocate for the nonprofit Vermont Public Interest Research Group. "And they're paying attention to what you all think."

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MY TURN: Finance reform is no boondoggle

By Kenneth W. Atkins
October 8, 2007

When I first saw Mr. Rob Roper's article (My Turn: "Election year politicking begins," Sept. 8), I hoped he was writing to help two parties reach consensus on a bill of importance. Unfortunately, this was nothing but a blatant attempt to politicize S 164. Mr. Roper's modifiers, "irresponsible, flagrantly, inexplicably, cavalier, boondoggle and jigger" are hardly words used to unify two parties. On the contrary, these are describes used to create antagonism. Is Mr. Roper part of the solution or is he trying to create problems?

Here are the facts and events that occurred during the passage of H 164:

The ACLU, VPIRG, Right to Life, Attorney General's Office, Secretary of State's Office, and the chairs of the three major political parties were all present. Everyone was allowed and encouraged to participate.

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Bill provided needed, reasonable limits to curb monied interests

September 23, 2007
By Paul Burns
Director, Vermont Public Interest Research Group

Bob Roper's partisan rant notwithstanding, Vermont legislators deserve credit for doing their homework, listening to their constituents and passing a bill to re-establish reasonable limits on campaign donations from individuals, corporations, PACs and political parties this year. It's unfortunate that Mr. Roper resorted to personal attack and political distortion in his defense of Gov. Douglas' veto of the bill. To be fair, it would be difficult for anyone to defend the governor's position on the merits. To understand why, it's useful to know what the legislation would have done.

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State to pay $1.4 million to resolve campaign finance lawsuit

September 6, 2007

The state of Vermont has agreed to pay nearly $1.4 million in legal fees to the victors' attorneys to close the book on an eight-year case that led the U.S. Supreme Court to declare key parts of the state's campaign finance law unconstitutional.

"It is a bitter pill to swallow," Attorney General William Sorrell said in confirming details of the agreement. "Every once in a while we're going to lose one, but on the other hand if you never rock the boat on policy reforms, I don't think Vermont is well served."

The defendants in the case included Sorrell, Secretary of State Deborah Markowitz, Vermont's 14 state's attorneys and intervening groups like the Vermont Public Interest Research Group and the state League of Women Voters chapter.

"We felt good about what we tried to accomplish," Sorrell said. "Obviously, we were disappointed we could not pick up another vote or two. If Justice Sandra Day O'Connor had still been on the court...

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Young Pakistanis at UVM Absorb Lessons About Vermont

July 25th, 2007

During the month of July, 20 Fulbright scholars from Pakistan are studying at the University of Vermont before returning to complete degrees in electrical engineering, journalism and bioinformatics. A bright, funny, sophisticated bunch, they were selected from a pool of more than 1000 applicants for this Institute for Student Leaders. It is one of seven such programs funded by the U.S. State Department and hosted by American universities. On a recent Friday the group takes time from a packed schedule to talk to a reporter — in perfect English — about their impressions of Vermont and their lives back home.

What lessons has the group learned about democracy? “Transparency and accessibility,” says Mustafa Haroon, 19. He notes they are also impressed by the volunteer work Vermonters do, such as for VISTA and VPIRG. McMahon says that’s another aspect of democracy to take home. “It is very possible that, as a result of this visit, a number of them will look towards careers or avocations based on community service or development,” he says.


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Vermont Limits on Political Gifts in Limbo

July 15, 2007

MONTPELIER – It seems like everything is going Rob Roper's way these days. The 38-year-old chairman of the state's Republican Party is on a roll. Last year, the Vermont GOP won a lawsuit before the U.S. Supreme Court, overturning the state's strictest-in-the-nation campaign finance law.

Paul Burns of the Vermont Public Interest Research Group:"The more wealthy individuals can give to candidates running for office the less the average individual's voice will be heard. Most Vermonters couldn't imagine giving even a $500 gift to someone running for office, much less thousands of dollars … we would be kidding ourselves to think that in exchange for giving large contributions like that you aren't getting something in return."

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Campaign Finance

July 9, 2007

Grips and grins, it's all part of campaigning. But those meet and greets are not just about collecting votes, they are also about raising cash. The money goes toward helping politicians get elected, but does it buy the donor influence?

"It is incredibly naive to suggest that money has no influence on politics in Vermont," said Paul Burns with the Vt. Public Interest Research Group.

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Douglas worried about campaign finance reform law

MONTPELIER, VT (2007-05-16)

(Host) Governor Jim Douglas says he has some serious concerns about a new campaign finance reform law that won approval in the final days of the legislative session. Douglas is worried that the law could be unconstitutional and might be overturned in court.
...
(Kinzel) Backers of the new law have a very different viewpoint. Paul Burns is the director of the Vermont Public Interest Research Group.

(Burns) "We have seen instances in the recent past where the national political parties for instance gave more than one dollar out of every two to the major party candidates running for governor in this state. That's a tremendous amount of influence."

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IRV protects the will of the voters

May 12, 2007
Letter to the Editor

Several years ago I would have vehemently argued against Instant Runoff Voting, but today I am of the opposite view. Three things changed my mind: the 2002 lieutenant governor's race where the winner received only about 42 percent of the vote; the avoidance of substantive issue coverage by the media and many politicians; and finally Burlington's successful use of IRV in their mayoral election just last year. And now I've been given a fourth reason thanks to Mr. Leader ("Instant runoff voting is a travesty," letters, May 7).

Mr. Leader uses an example with "45 percent Republican, 25 percent [Democratic], and 30 percent 'Out There.'" What he misses is with those numbers it's the Democratic politician who has become the "out there" candidate, and the previously "out there" has obviously become much more mainstream. This is a salutary effect of IRV as it allows the will of the people to guide the political process rather than the process being guided by the offers of the current established parties.

I'm a values/issues voter. I've done volunteer work for the Vermont Republican Party, and I've tried working with the Vermont Democratic Party. I've spent time with the Vermont Grassroots Party, the Vermont Green Party, and I've driven a Progressive candidate around. Nowadays I primarily vote other than Democrat or Republican from experience, and not, as Mr. Leader would label me, out of reflex. As I stated at the beginning of this paragraph: I'm a values/issues voter.

IRV is not intended to protect the political parties of any color: red, blue, green, orange or whatnot. IRV is intended to protect the will of the voters, and the fine example Mr. Leader provided is yet one more reason to support IRV.

Rama O.A. Schneider
Williamstown

Governor Douglas vetoes Campaign Finance Reform bill

Montpelier, Vermont - May 30, 2007

Douglas announced late Wednesday afternoon he is rejecting the new campaign finance bill -- saying it would have benefited special interests and disadvantaged political parties.

The Vermont Public Interest Research Group, which worked on the bill, calls the veto shocking and astonishing. "It seems to me the Governor is using pure politics as his rationale to veto this moderate campaign finance legislation. This bill was an appropriate response...

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MONTPELIER, VT (2007-05-30)

(Host) Governor Jim Douglas has vetoed a campaign finance reform bill passed by the Legislature this session.

The campaign finance bill places limits on contributions by political parties to individual candidates and it places a cap on overall contributions by a single individual.

Paul Burns is the executive director of Vermont Public Interest Research Group. Burns says he was astonished by the governor's veto and doubts that the bill is vulnerable to a court challenge.

(Burns) "This bill is nothing like the law that was overturned by the Supreme Court last year. The bill that was just passed by the Legislature, by contrast, doesn't have the lowest limits in the country...

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May 31, 2007

MONTPELIER – Vermont may continue on without new campaign finance rules after Gov. James Douglas on Wednesday vetoed a bill establishing new limits. Lawmakers, who approved the measure, could try to override that decision at a veto session expected to be held this summer.

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Douglas worried about campaign finance reform law

MONTPELIER, VT (2007-05-16)

(Host) Governor Jim Douglas says he has some serious concerns about a new campaign finance reform law that won approval in the final days of the legislative session.

(Kinzel) Backers of the new law have a very different viewpoint. Paul Burns is the director of the Vermont Public Interest Research Group.

(Burns) "We have seen instances in the recent past where the national political parties for instance gave more than one dollar out of every two to the major party candidates...

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House endorses campaign finance legislation

MONTPELIER, VT (2007-05-08)

(Host) The Vermont House has endorsed campaign finance legislation that raises the amount individuals can give to parties and candidates.The bill allows people to give $2,000 dollars to gubernatorial candidates for each election cycle. VPR's John Dillon has more:

(Dillon) The bill is designed to replace a campaign finance law that the U.S. Supreme Court struck down last year as an unconstitutional restriction on free speech.That law, first passed in 1997, set a $400 total limit for an individual's contribution to a gubernatorial candidate. The new legislation raises that amount by five times. The bill also raises the contribution limit for other statewide offices. Paul Burns is a director of the Vermont Public Interest Research Group. He says the legislation makes sense, given the Supreme Court's ruling.

(Burns) "This establishes reasonable limits and does the best job we can I think, given the court's decision, at reducing the powerful influence of money and politics."

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News Coverage of VPIRG's Work

News coverage since May 2007 will be posted on this blog.

Click here to view archives of earlier news coverage. We've had such great media coverage this year on our work that we're a little backlogged (not a bad thing!). Remaining 2007 coverage will be posted as soon as we can.