Town Meeting Day in Vermont marked a milestone for the movement to take back our democracy. Sixty Vermont cities or towns passed resolutions calling upon Congress to amend the US Constitution to state that “corporations are not people” and “money is not speech.”
By passing PACE, your municipality agrees to let homeowners pay back investments on energy renovations to their homes over time through a separate assessment on their property tax bill. So if your town adopts PACE, and you want to make your home more efficient or install solar panels (for example), you’ll be able to pay for them by putting a little extra every month on your property tax bill, rather than going through the hassle of getting a personal or home equity loan. In many cases, your energy savings every month will more than cover your monthly payment. What’s more, if you ever sell your home, the cost of the energy upgrades stay with the house, so you can’t get stuck paying for someone else’s savings.
Thanks to the statewide constitutional amendment passed last year, 17-year olds due to turn 18 on or before the general election on Tuesday, November 6, 2012 may now register and vote in Tuesday’s presidential primary election (though you are not eligible to cast your vote on municipal measures that may be listed on the same ballot).
Cities and towns across Vermont have taken up the call to ask Congress to begin the process of amending the Constitution – stating that corporations are not people and money is not speech.
On Friday afternoon, after two days of grueling debate, the Vermont House of Representatives passed the health reform bill (H.559) with a vote of 88-38. The legislation marks the next big step towards high quality, affordable health care for every Vermonter.
Expanding Vermont’s Bottle Bill to certain non-carbonated beverage containers would be a win-win for our state’s environment and economy, according to a new study released today by the Vermont Public Interest Research Group (VPIRG). Among the specific findings in Understanding the Impacts of Expanding Vermont’s Beverage Deposit Return Program: an additional 96.7 million bottles and cans would be recycled each year in Vermont.
Co-sponsored by the Small Business Majority, Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility (VBSR) and the Vermont Public Interest Research Group (VPIRG), Tuesday’s webinar featured presentations from members of the Green Mountain Care Board, prominent Vermont small business owners and representatives from the State of Vermont Department of Banking, Insurance, Securities & Health Care Administration (BISCHA).
Over 200 people from 6 different states took part in VPIRG’s interactive health care webinar Health Reform 2012 – What’s Next and Why it Matters on Tuesday, February 7th. A recording of this event is available for download at VPIRG’s Health Care Action Center at vpirg.tempurl.host/hcaction. The event brought top state experts on health care …
Over 200 Individuals Participate in VPIRG’s Interactive Health Care Webinar Read More »
Countering a group of anti-wind activists gathered at the State House today, Vermont’s largest environmental and consumer advocacy group made clear that responsible development of our state’s renewable wind resources, both large and small, is an essential part of our clean energy future.
In the coming weeks, the legislature is considering taking big steps to realize Vermont’s clean energy future:
