Resources
Legislative Accomplishments 2013
May 20, 2013
The legislative session is over, and the results are in. Here at VPIRG, we’re celebrating the victories that our members helped to bring about. Thank you!
Of course, we didn’t win every fight. The Legislature failed to commit the necessary resources to weatherize our homes and businesses, for example. But we’re taking the time to celebrate the wins, reflect on the losses, and get to work building the grassroots support to carry us forward again, next year!…
NEWS RELEASE: Vermont Receives a “C+” in Annual Report on Transparency of Government Spending
March 26, 2013
NEWS RELEASE
Montpelier, VT – Vermont received a “C+” when it comes to government spending transparency, according to “Following the Money 2013: How the States Rank on Providing Online Access to Government Spending Data,” the fourth annual report of its kind by a federation of public interest research groups that includes the Vermont Public Interest Research Group (VPIRG).
“State governments across the country – including Vermont – have become more transparent about where public money goes, providing citizens with the information they need to hold elected officials and businesses that receive public funds accountable,” said Paul Burns, executive director of VPIRG.…
VPIRG Releases 2011-2012 Legislative Scorecard
September 5, 2012
The Vermont Public Interest Research Group released its 2011-2012 Legislative Scorecard on public interest issues today. As the state’s largest consumer and environmental advocacy organization, VPIRG is involved in a broad range of policy debates in Montpelier, from health care reform to banning fracking.
The 2011-2012 Legislative Scorecard tracks votes on clean energy, health care, consumer protection, green cleaning, campaign finance reform, Bottle Bill expansion, a ban on fracking and more. Most of the votes included are on issues that VPIRG supported, but this year’s scorecard also has several votes where the public interest vote was a “no.” These include a proposed moratorium on wind power development and a proposed delay in health care reform.…
Town Meeting Day Resources
February 28, 2012
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.
Report: Representation Without Taxation
January 18, 2012
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.
Citizens United Fact Sheet
January 10, 2012
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.
Town Meeting Day: Find your Vermont Town Clerk
February 25, 2011
Town meeting is a rare instance of real, face-to-face democracy that only happens in special places like Vermont. Every year Vermonters gather to debate and make important decisions on everything from the roads we drive on to our energy future. We encourage everyone to attend their local town meeting and make their voice heard.
