Right now, the Vermont State Senate is considering how to invest the over $1 billion in federal stimulus funds the American Rescue Plan is delivering to Vermont. We need to make sure that they understand Vermonters see climate action investments as critical to our state’s ability to build back from…
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Late yesterday, Gov. Phil Scott released his proposal for the over $1 billion in funds Vermont will receive from the American Rescue Plan Act. Included in his proposal is $200 million over the next four years in energy affordability and climate investments. This is an important down payment on the…
Read MoreLast week, Governor Scott delivered his annual budget address. We’re happy to see that the Governor supports many of the programs spelled out in the Transportation Modernization Act. He also proposed a significant increase in weatherization funding and other climate initiatives. The Governor’s proposals and the Transportation Modernization Act provide…
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The Vermont Public Utilities Commission (PUC) on Tuesday issued an order halting all involuntary disconnections due to nonpayment of electricity, natural gas, and landline phone utilities until March 31st, 2021. We are overjoyed and thank the PUC for making the right decision to prevent Vermonters from going without heat or…
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No Vermonter, particularly in the midst of an ongoing spike in COVID-19, should have to worry that their heat, electricity or water could be disconnected this winter because they are unable to make bill payments due to the pandemic. That’s why we have joined Vermont Legal Aid and half a…
Read MoreLate last month, the Vermont Senate cleared the final hurdle to ensuring the Global Warming Solutions Act becomes law with the upper chamber’s 22-8 override of Gov. Phil Scott’s veto. I am thrilled to see the act pass, with both chambers of the General Assembly upholding overwhelming majorities in favor…
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For a few months now, we at VPIRG have been expanding some of our research, advocacy, and organizing to include issues related to criminal justice reform and public safety. And we’ve been following the shocking reporting of mismanagement coming out of the Mississippi prison that houses more than 200 incarcerated Vermonters. The prison is owned by CoreCivic, a private prison…
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Back in August, we joined the ACLU of Vermont, Justice for All, and over a dozen other organizations in proposing a 10-point platform for reimagining policing in Vermont. Now, Vermont has an opportunity to take an incremental but concrete step towards improving public safety with legislation governing police use of force statewide. This use of force bill, S.119, would promote peaceful, de-escalatory resolution while also providing clarity and uniformity around how and when police are…
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Update: You can find our take on Gov Scott’s veto below. As the House was preparing for its ultimately successful override vote on Thursday, however, the chair and vice chair of House Energy, Reps Tim Briglin (D-Norwich) and Laura Sibilia (I-Dover) spoke eloquently and in detail as to why, in…
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Today, VPIRG joined the ACLU of Vermont, Justice for All, and more than a dozen other organizations in releasing a letter urging Vermont leaders to fundamentally reimagine the role of police in Vermont communities and to commit to the ten-point action plan below. Police reform is just one component of…
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