Vermont Attorney General T.J. Donovan announced a settlement agreement with Chittenden Solid Waste District (CSWD) today regarding the District’s improper dumping of approximately 18,000 tons of processed glass between 2013 and 2018. As part of the agreement, CSWD is required to make payments totaling $400,000, $178,000 of which will go to the State. The rest …
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 electricity because they can’t pay …
Good News: PUC Halts Involuntary Utility Disconnections! Read More »
The official rollout of the Transportation and Climate Initiative began last week, and already three states (Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island) have signed on. This cap and invest strategy would give participating states the ability to significantly lower carbon emissions from the transportation sector, and create a new revenue stream for Vermont and other states …
Climate Leaders Call for Equitable Transportation & Climate Initiative Read More »
Vermont’s Global Warming Solutions Act, passed in September, 2020, effectively requires that Vermont hit its climate pollution reduction targets. To do so, it established the Vermont Climate Council, which will work to create comprehensive and equitable solutions to both reduce our carbon footprint and ensure our communities are prepared for existing and potential consequences of …
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 dozen other Vermont groups in …
PUC: Reinstate Moratorium on Utility Disconnections Read More »
On Friday, Nov. 20, 2020 we learned that the Agency of Natural Resources (ANR) has chosen not to move forward with issuing after-the-fact permits to Chittenden Solid Waste District (CSWD) for several instances of illegal dumping of glass. This decision comes on the heels of a wave of public input to officials at ANR, urging …
ANR halts retroactive permitting process for CSWD illegal glass case Read More »
What an Election Week. More Vermonters, and more Americans, voted in these elections than ever before. Despite all the barriers – voter suppression, nonsensical voting laws, and the pandemic – the people have done our job to make our voices heard. And the people have chosen Joe Biden as the 46th President of the United States. …
As we collectively catch our breath (and breathe a sigh of relief!) following the election, we have a lot to be proud of as Vermonters. More than 365,000 Vermonters participated in the 2020 Vermont general election, blowing away the previous record by more than 40,000 votes. This record-breaking turnout is due to a variety of factors – …
Two of the major party candidates running for Vermont’s top offices (Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and Treasurer) have pledged to support the person who wins the most votes in their race. Incumbent State Treasurer Beth Pearce (D) has signed the pledge, as has Democrat Molly Gray, who is running for the open seat for lieutenant governor. …
Gray, Pearce Commit to Supporting Popular Vote Winners Read More »
Voter turnout is notoriously low among young people. However, the dominant narrative that young folks don’t vote because we are simply apathetic is largely inaccurate. Often, the primary barriers preventing young voters from voting are structural, not personal. For example, voters age 18-34 face higher levels of voting challenges than all other age groups with barriers such …
Lower Barriers to Voting Means Higher Youth Voter Participation Read More »
