On March 24, the Vermont Senate gave its final approval by a vote of 22-8 to legislation (S.51) that would make important changes to state campaign finance law. Most significantly under S.51, only individuals, political committees, and political parties would be allowed make political contributions to candidates. The bill would increase transparency in campaign finance as well, by requiring political committees (a.k.a. PACs) to include the name …
H.175 is the best opportunity we’ve had in decades to modernize Vermont’s popular Bottle Bill. Recently, hundreds of our VPIRG members responded to our call to action and sent an email to their representatives in the Legislature. This added a burst of momentum to our campaign and apparently scared the bejesus out of the corporate opponents of the Bottle Bill. …
The Vermont Senate gave initial approval today in a voice vote to legislation that will make permanent the policy that was put in place as an emergency measure in 2020 to mail all active registered voters a ballot for the general election. In addition to making universally-mailed ballots permanent for all general elections, the bill …
More than 4 out of 5 also want it updated to cover more containers. Vermont’s Bottle Bill is not only one of the state’s most successful environmental programs, having recycling more than 10 billion containers since 1972, it also may be the most popular. The Vermont Public Interest Research Group released brand new statewide polling …
According to a new poll released Tuesday, Vermont voters are overwhelmingly in favor of keeping the practice of mailing a ballot to every voter, a policy that was put in place by state leaders on a temporary basis last year. The poll, conducted by the independent firm Lincoln Park Strategies on behalf of the nonprofit …
At VPIRG, we’re not generally in the business of urging people not to demonstrate or protest peacefully. These are time-honored tactics by which we make our voices heard and show the breadth of support for our campaigns. In fact, the day after the election in November we co-sponsored a State House rally aimed at making …
VPIRG Statement on Expected Protests in Montpelier Read More »
Vermont Attorney General T.J. Donovan announced a settlement agreement with Chittenden Solid Waste District (CSWD) today regarding the District’s improper dumping of approximately 18,000 tons of processed glass between 2013 and 2018. As part of the agreement, CSWD is required to make payments totaling $400,000, $178,000 of which will go to the State. The rest …
We applaud federal Judge Geoffrey Crawford for dismissing a lawsuit intended to derail Vermont’s plan for universal mail-in voting this year. It has been sad to see Republicans standing in the way of safe voting in Vermont at every turn this year. They voted against it in the legislature. The governor refused to sign off …
This is a strange time to be releasing our 2019 Annual Report. In some ways, it feels like a time capsule, a reminder of bygone days – before Trump’s impeachment, before the global spread of COVID-19, before we knew the names Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, or George Floyd. In recent months, as an organization and …
No voter in Vermont should have to choose between staying safe and exercising their right to vote this year. But there is no question that during this pandemic, in-person voting can be dangerous for voters and poll workers alike. This is especially true for the November general election, when voter participation rates are expected to …
