Senate Votes to Close VT Yankee
February 23, 2010
By a margin of 26 to 4 the Senate voted to retire the aging Vermont Yankee nuclear plant as scheduled. This historic vote marks the first time a state legislature has been able to deny a nuclear plant a 20-year life extension. Find out how your senators voted here.
Health care bill S.88 becomes law
May 28, 2010
Gov. Jim Douglas deserves some praise for his decision today to allow Vermont to continue down the path of health care reform. Though he was unwilling to sign S.88, the governor also chose not to block the popular measure from becoming law. Vermonters will be well-served by that decision.
This health care law takes immediate steps to control rising...
Gov signs new BPA law -- new report shows why it's critically important
May 20, 2010
On Wednesday, May 19, Vermont became the second state in the nation (after Connecticut) to enact tough legislation restricting the use of the synthetic hormone bisphenol A (BPA) in a variety of consumer products. Gov. Jim Douglas officially signed into law S.247, the VPIRG-backed bill phasing out the use of BPA in products ranging from infant formula and baby...
Consumer Victory on Credit Cards
May 11, 2010
On May 5th Vermont state legislators gave final passage to a bill that will help to curb predatory practices by credit card companies and protect both Vermont businesses and consumers.
VPIRG Executive Director Paul Burns testified earlier in the House Commerce Committee in favor of the bill, S.138, An Act Relating to Credit Card Fees. “With...
Health Care Passes Congress
March 22, 2010
We just witnessed history being made.
For the first time ever, a comprehensive health care bill has passed both Houses of Congress. The bill will give health care to 32 million Americans and help to save over 30,000 lives per year. And it will finally put an end to some of the worst insurance industry abuses so that never again will they deny...
E-waste Passes the VT House
February 25, 2010
S.77 finally makes it possible for citizens to conveniently drop off the e-waste they’ve been collecting in their attics and basements to responsible collection centers for FREE. The e-waste will then be recycled to the greatest degree possible.
S.77 passed the Vermont Senate last year and cleared a major hurdle by passing the Vermont...
National progress on toxic chemical
December 21, 2009
VPIRG is thrilled to announce that the only two U.S. manufacturers of the toxic flame retardant Deca and the largest U.S. importer have agreed to a voluntary phase out of the chemical!
This is a huge victory for children's health and the environment. Under the agreement, the manufacturers will stop the production, importation, and sale of Deca for most uses in...
Vermont's most ambitious renewable energy bill yet
October 25, 2009
In the spring of 2009, VPIRG played an instrumental role in passing H. 446, Vermont’s most ambitious renewable energy bill to date. This bill puts Vermont on the map as a leader in the renewable energy revolution. It is the first statewide program in the nation establishing a fixed, fair rate for small scale renewable energy generation, allowing farms, business...
Reducing perscription drug marketing
October 25, 2009
S. 48, passed with VPIRG’s support in the spring of 2009, put patients over marketing and profit. It did away with a long-standing “trade secret” exemption that allowed pharmaceutical companies to hide most of their gifts to doctors in Vermont. By removing this exemption, the law allows more transparency of the financial relationships between drug companies and...
Protecting children and fire fighters
October 25, 2009
Toxic flame retardants are used in everything from TVs to mattresses and have been linked to cancer, liver damage, and other serious health effects. They are especially dangerous for children, who’s bodies are still developing, and fire fighters, who are often in danger of breathing in the fumes from smoldering products.
