The Vermont Senate voted today to adopt a number of temporary emergency reforms to facilitate the functions of government and democracy during the COVID-19 pandemic. These include changes to Vermont’s open meetings law and to elections, which could include a vote by mail process. The legislation (H.681) was negotiated during…
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The state’s leading government reform group is calling on legislators to establish a Code of Ethics in state law and make it enforceable by an independent Ethics Commission. Earlier this year, the Vermont Public Interest Research Group (VPIRG) criticized the lack of authority given the current Ethics Commission, and the…
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Today, we’re excited to announce the launch of a major new initiative. This month we are forming VPIRG Votes – a political campaign arm for our organization. Later this year, for the first time ever, we plan to support public interest champions running for the Vermont State House, Senate and…
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Just yesterday, in a big win for Vermont’s democracy, the state Senate officially voted to prohibit corporations from making direct contributions to political candidates in the state. This bill, S.47, introduced by Senators Pearson and Pollina, will be key to getting big money out of our political system – and…
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The results of this year’s midterm elections are in and there were many big wins for the health of Vermont’s families, environment and democracy in the mix — from the election of outspoken public interest champions to the passage of progressive local ballot measures. Leading up to the election, we…
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Conventional wisdom suggested that 2018 would be another year of very low voter participation in Vermont. After all, we didn’t have hot races for the US Senate or House, and in the last non-presidential election year – 2014 – Vermont experienced its worst voter turnout in more than 50 years.…
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Town Clerks all around Vermont have been excited to report that there has been a surge of early voting in the state, with over 17,000 Vermonters already having voted. With the upcoming Midterm elections on November 6th, Vermonters are submitting their ballots in a variety of ways — including voting…
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For the past few weekends, canvassers have been traveling all around Vermont engaging in conversations with Vermonters about the importance of voting. With election season here, VPIRG knows that it’s more important than ever to get folks thinking about how and when they’re going to vote. This is why VPIRG’s…
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With election season right around the corner, we realize that all the information about voting along with all the promotion and campaigning done by candidates can be overwhelming, especially when trying to stay active and informed in your community. To help Vermonters see through the commotion that comes before Election…
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Now more than ever, Vermonters need elected officials who are willing to take bold action towards reducing our dependence on dirty energy and fossil fuels. Despite broad consensus that we must transition away from dirty fossil fuels, Vermont’s greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise. From reduced snowfall, to extreme weather…
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