Mad Fast Trains!
Our friends at USPIRG have teamed up with two actors from the hit TV show “Mad Men” to create a hilarious video about high speed trains. We hope you enjoy!
News and Updates
Health Care Hearings Postponed
The public hearing on state health care reform scheduled for this past Monday has been postponed until next Monday, the 14th, on account of the weather. It’s still being hosted by the House and Senate Health Care Committees from 6-8 pm, just a week later (hopefully we’ll all be dug out by then!). Join fellow activists, friends, and neighbors in showing your support for building a universal and affordable health care system at one of 15 Vermont Interactive Television sites across the state.
Health care needs to be open & transparent
As Vermont transitions from a private insurance system to one that is publicly-financed and universal, it is critical that the daily concerns of our families and small businesses are not swept under the rug. This is a real danger and we need your help to stop it from happening.
Thank you Senator Leahy for fighting on behalf of Vermont taxpayers.
In 1998, it became legal to patent various methods of filing taxes, which means you could be sued for simply filling out your taxes correctly. Fortunately, Senator Leahy has been leading the effort to fix this system and the bill is now on the Senate floor.
State Senate passes VPIRG-backed National Popular Vote bill
On Febuary 22nd 2011, the Vermont State Senate voted 20-10 on a bill (S. 31) that would have Vermont join a coalition of other states agreeing to give their Electoral College votes to whichever candidate won the national popular vote. The system would go into effect once enough states pass the bill to constitute a majority of votes in the Electoral College.
Entergy Louisiana continues its deceptive advertising campaign
On the first anniversary of the Vermont State Senate’s historic ‘no confidence’ vote regarding the problem-plagued nuclear plant owned by Entergy Louisiana, the company continues to blanket the state in false and misleading advertising in an effort to rebuild its tarnished image.
VPIRG launches Bigger, Better Bottle Bill Campaign
VPIRG has officially launched our Bigger, Better, Bottle Bill Campaign with the release of polling results revealing overwhelming support for the Bottle Bill, the state’s most successful recycling program. It turns out the Bottle Bill is right up there with motherhood and apple pie in terms of its popularity with Vermonters!
Gov. Shumlin releases ambitious health care bill
Tuesday, Gov. Shumlin laid out his plan for making dependable, affordable health care a reality in Vermont. This is an historic moment for our state and is the most ambitious plan in the nation for implementing the federal health care law passed last year.
Kicking off the Bigger, Better Bottle Bill website
We are proud to launch our new website for our campaign to build on the Bottle Bill’s enormous success and not only protect the Bottle Bill, but to update it to include beverage containers such as water bottles, juice containers, and sports drinks. As we move through the legislative session, we will be adding all the new developments here to this blog as they occur. Keep an eye out for what is happening in the State House and the ways you can get involved.
Vermont Yankee Contamination Details
On Friday Entergy executives reported that Vermont Yankee’s radioactive contamination is getting worse. A new test well is showing elevated levels of radioactive tritium and our state health department is worried that even more dangerous substances may be in the ground. This means that there is either a new radioactive leak or that the previous contamination is spreading dramatically in the ground water.