In the jam-packed final days of the legislative session, the House of Representatives carved out time to pass the nation’s strongest bill to protect children and fire fighters from unnecessary and harmful flame retardant chemicals (S.81, vote:141-0) by banning their use in childrens products and home furniture.
The House Judiciary Committee voted 7-4 to pass H.112, the Vermont GMO labeling bill. The bill will now go to the full House of Representatives where a full vote is expected later this week. If the bill passes out of committee it will be the furthest a comprehensive GMO labeling bill has advanced in any state legislature. With the legislature slated to end their session later this week the bill will be in a great position to be taken up in the Senate when lawmakers return to their work in January.
For Immediate Release: May 3, 2013 Montpelier, VT – After a long week of late night debates and close votes, the House Human Services Committee came together across party lines to approve a bill that bans toxic and ineffective flame retardant chemicals from children’s products and home furniture (S.81, vote: 10-0-1). The bill will be …
Ban on Toxic Flame Retardants Moves Another Step Closer to Final Passage Read More »
Over 5,000 children’s products contain toxic chemicals linked to cancer, hormone disruption, and reproductive problems according to reports filed with the Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology). An analysis of the reports by the Washington Toxics Coalition and Safer States found that makers of kids’ products reported using a total of 41 chemicals identified by Ecology as a concern for children’s health, including toxic metals such as cadmium, mercury, and antimony, and organic compounds such as phthalates.
Within the next 24 hours, a key House committee will vote on whether to give very wealthy individuals and corporations the right to pour even more money into Vermont elections. And at this moment, it looks like the vote will be bad – very bad. Help us to get Big Money OUT of Politics in Vermont! …
Key Committee Could Vote to Put More Money in Politics Read More »
This summer, VPIRG’s canvassers will be fanning out across Vermont to generate support for our campaign to label GMOs in Vermont. We’re aiming to knock on doors in EVERY town in the state to make sure Vermonters know about the presence, prevalence and potential dangers of the GMOs that are currently not labeled but present in nearly …
Minutes after debate over corporate influence, Coca-Cola wins out over public good in Senate Finance Committee MONTPELIER, VT—Just minutes after an extended floor debate about the possible influence of corporate contributions, the Senate Finance Committee opted against a publicly-supported proposal to have the state keep an estimated $1-3 million per year in unclaimed Bottle Bill …
NEWS RELEASE: Corporate Influence and Coke’s Win over the Public Good Read More »
Doing our part for clean energy and the climate means more than changing a light bulb. Vermonters have choices to make. • We could to ask others to generate most of our power for us, often relying on dirty energy sources like coal, oil, fracked gas or nuclear power. • Or we could take responsibility …
Vermont’s Energy Choices: Old Dirty Problems, Clean Energy Solutions Read More »
Corporations are not people. But for more than 100 years, federal law has prohibited corporations from contributing directly to candidates running for federal office. Here in Vermont, though, the law treats corporations just like you or me. Your help could fix the problem, but we need to get moving fast. Ask your senator(s) to vote …
Senate to vote on corporate cash and campaign finance Read More »
Today, representatives from co-ops across the state of Vermont gathered at the Hunger Mountain Co-op in Montpelier to announce their unified support for GMO labeling legislation currently under consideration in the State House. The co-ops are joined by 6,811 Vermonters and 175 farms and businesses from across the state who have signed on in support …
Vermont Co-ops Unanimously Support GMO Labeling Legislation Read More »
