On Wednesday, the Vermont House passed the finalized version of the Global Warming Solutions Act, officially sending it the Governor’s desk for final approval. The Solutions Act is the first major piece of climate legislation to pass in the VT legislature in years. It will effectively create a roadmap for Vermont to take bold climate action while creating …
Vermont Legislature Passes Groundbreaking Climate Bill Read More »
We believe that open channels of communication between Vermont citizens and their elected representatives are essential to a healthy, functioning democracy. And in a year like this one, that’s never been more critical. That’s why we’ve compiled the Vote Safe Vermont Candidate Information Toolkit. This comprehensive compilation of legislators’ websites, social media pages, and other …
Connect with the candidates on your ballot in the 2020 election Read More »
As you probably know, the U.S. Constitution requires the government to complete a census every 10 years. The goal is to count every permanent resident, regardless of citizenship status — and, despite President Trump’s wishes, there is no citizenship question on the 2020 Census.1 Why is this so important? Because census data directly determines federal funding …
Concerned about federal funding for you community? Read More »
Where are the youth? Our democracy works best when as many people as possible participate. Unfortunately, rates of youth voter participation have historically been significantly lower than older age groups. There are many reasons for this – lack of knowledge and time to learn about candidates, difficulties changing registration when moving frequently, not believing that voting actually makes a difference, and …
A new report released today by the Vermont Public Interest Research and Education Fund (VPIREF), Vermont Conservation Voters, the Mind the Store campaign, Toxic-Free Future, and other partners found that nearly half of all take-out food packaging tested from multiple popular food chains contains potentially toxic chemicals. The new investigation shows that all six food …
Toxic chemicals used in take-out food packaging from popular food chains Read More »
Vermont’s State Primary Election is on Tuesday, August 11. That means you have just a few days left to make sure your vote is counted! The Secretary of State is recommending Vermonters mail in their primary ballots no later than August 3rd to ensure that they arrive at the town clerks’ offices in time to …
We’re One Week Away From the Vermont August Primary! Read More »
According to the EPA, environmental justice is “the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income, with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies.” A goal which will be achieved “when everyone enjoys (1) the same degree of protection from environmental …
Here at VPIRG we’ve been working for months to ensure that no Vermonter is forced to choose between protecting their health and exercising their right to vote this year. Thankfully, the Vermont legislature recently passed bill S.348 granting full authority to the Secretary of State to mail all registered voters a ballot for this year’s …
On Friday, Governor Phil Scott allowed S.348 to become law without his signature. This law grants full authority to the Secretary of State to mail all registered voters a ballot for this year’s General Election in November. This law finally makes it possible for Vermont to move forward with a vote-by-mail system, which is the …
Gov. Scott Allows Vote-by-Mail Bill to Pass Into Law Without Signature Read More »
As of July 1, 2020, Vermont state law bans food scraps from the trash. Here’s what you need to know… What’s Act 148? In 2012, Vermont passed the Universal Recycling Law (Act 148), which had several waste-diversion provisions that would be phased in over the course of several years. The last of these measures, which …
