Several hundred moms, nurses and cancer survivors gathered at the U.S. Capitol to demand action on toxic chemicals. The group rallied in support of Senator Frank Lautenberg’s (D-NJ) Safe Chemicals Act, a bill to overhaul antiquated laws governing toxic chemicals. Hundreds of moms, including VPIRG Environmental Health Advocate Lauren Hierl, flew or bused into Washington …
Gov. Peter Shumlin made Vermont the first state in the nation to ban the practice of hydraulic fracturing for natural gas when he signed H.464 into law on May 16, 2012.
Continuing progress to affordable care for all Vermonters Gov. Shumlin signed another major VPIRG priority into law. This one advances Vermont toward our goal of high quality, affordable health care for all. The bill, H.559, creates a consumer Health Benefit Exchange where individuals and businesses with fewer than 50 employees will get their health insurance …
Update from VPIRG Environmental Health Advocate, Lauren Hierl — May 10, 2011 I knew the chemical industry couldn’t be trusted, but it’s way worse than I thought. This week, the Chicago Tribune published a scathing series of articles about the underhanded tactics the chemical industry has used to stop regulators from banning toxic flame retardants. …
The 2012 legislative session marked another busy and successful year in advocacy for the public interest. We came into the session with ambitious plans – from taking on the Oil and Gas Industry to ban fracking to initiating a campaign to require GMO labeling to standing up to health insurers and making sure they cover the medical care they should. We take our role as “Vermont’s Voice” in the State House seriously – bringing research and policy analysis, strong partnerships and principled organizing and advocacy to the fore.
The Vermont House of Representatives voted 103-36 today to give final passage to legislation that will make Vermont the first state in the nation to ban the practice of hydraulic fracturing for natural gas.
The end of the legislative session is always lively. While things are changing by the minute, here’s a snapshot of where things stand with the public interest bills on the eve of the session’s close.
The Senate voted 19-9 to delay consideration of the campaign finance reform bill (S.20) for another year. The bill would have reestablished common sense limits on campaign contributions and required more disclosure from candidates (including the occupation and employer of their larger donors).
Vermont leaders took another step in the right direction toward our clean energy future. The Vermont House unanimously passed a bill (H.475) that improves the State’s net metering program and makes it even easier for Vermonters to power their homes and businesses with renewable energy.
VPIRG is talking to Vermonters from every corner of the state this summer to help make a clean, affordable heating future a reality. Keeping our homes comfortable in the winter costs over a billion dollars a year and nearly $800 million of that goes right out of the state to pay for dirty fossil fuels. Making Vermont’s comfortable, affordable heating future a reality wouldn’t only save money – it’s what’s right for our economy and the environment.
