Last November, when VPIRG laid out a plan to force Super PAC contributors into the light of day, legislators of all political stripes took notice. The window for passing comprehensive elections reform legislation – which had been closed for years – appeared to open. In fact, the Legislature took steps toward that goal. The Senate …
Revealing Health Insurance Industry Secrets – Last year, VPIRG led the effort to require health insurers to disclose financial data and new information on the number and type of health claims they deny (click here to see what we found!). Thanks to the passage of another VPIRG-backed bill this year, Vermonters will soon be able …
As the national and international debate over the Keystone XL pipeline heated up, VPIRG and our partners successfully pressed for more state control over a plan to ship tar sands oil through a 63-year old pipeline in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom. VPIRG activists sent in over 1,000 comments to the District 7 Environmental Commission calling for …
Preparations are well under way to launch “Vermont Health Connect,” the virtual insurance marketplace required by the federal Affordable Care Act, so legislators and the administration spent much of the session considering how the transition would impact Vermonters who have subsidized insurance plans now. VPIRG urged policy makers to keep coverage consistent for those eligible …
In a historic vote, the Vermont House passed legislation to protect your right to know whether the food you’re considering purchasing contains genetically engineered ingredients (a.k.a. genetically modified organisms or GMOs). No other state’s GMO-labeling bill has gotten this far – Vermont’s bill to require labels on GMO food sold here is on track to …
The legislative session is over, and the results are in. Here at VPIRG, we’re celebrating the victories that our members helped to bring about. Thank you! Of course, we didn’t win every fight. The Legislature failed to commit the necessary resources to weatherize our homes and businesses, for example. But we’re taking the time to celebrate …
Today the House of Representatives passed H.112 , this year’s GMO labeling law, by a vote of 99-42! This is the furthest any such legislation has made it through the legislative process in the US. It was clear that hearing from Vermonters like you that gave them the courage to lead the nation on this important issue.
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.
On Tuesday, we sent out an email blast asking our members to urge the Senate to seize their one opportunity to pass commonsense rules on money in politics. We’d caught wind that some state senators were playing political games with this important legislation, and we weren’t about to stand by and watch. Guess what? Hundreds of …
NEWS RELEASE: Vermont Senate votes unanimously to ban toxic flame retardant chemicals March 29, 2013 Montpelier, VT – The Vermont Senate voted unanimously in support of legislation to ban toxic and ineffective flame retardant chemicals (S.81, vote 28-0-2). Chlorinated Tris, a chemical targeted in the bill, was banned from children’s pajamas in the 1970s because it …
Nation’s strongest bill to on toxic flame retardants passes Senate…unanimously! Read More »
