Building Power Together
We’re halfway through the 2023 Vermont State Legislative session. The Legislature calls this point “crossover,” since it’s the deadline for bills to cross over to the other chamber. Here’s what RAD has been fighting for this session and what we are excited to see moving!
Today, in a huge victory for climate action and addressing Vermont’s second largest source of climate pollution – the thermal heating sector – the Senate Natural Resources and Energy Committee voted 5-0 to advance the Affordable Heat Act (S.5).
This week alone, 14 Senate bills and 34 House bills were negotiated in Committees of Conference. If these committees do not reach an agreement before next Thursday’s session, then the bills will die.
Spring at Rights & Democracy has been off to a moving start. In our calls, conversations, and meetings across the state, there is a palpable sense of energy and renewal.
Last week was full of movement and community, and we are entering Monday with our energy high. What better way to celebrate Earth Day than calling on elected leaders to take action now for a livable planet for us all?
As we enter mid-April, it’s starting to really feel like Spring. The warmer weather is bringing us fresh energy, and we have a lot of exciting events on the horizon!
Thanks to everyone who has been testifying and reaching out to legislators, we saw a number of positive outcomes last week in the NH Senate.
This last week was a tough one, with the House Legislature passing bad bills including HB 1266, an anti-sanctuary bill, HB 1476, undoing bail reform, and HB 1393, relating to school district budget caps. The New Hampshire Legislature also decided to pass a resolution in support of Israel, even though they should not be taking on international issues. This resolution will now go to the Senate.
This past week was quite a week, with Legislative committees hearing testimony on priority bills around divisive concepts, school vouchers, housing justice, and abortion bans. Thank you to everyone who came out to make their voices heard. We are still waiting on the committees to issue vote recommendations.
Following the start of the New Hampshire legislative session, this is our first weekly legislative update of 2022. With last year’s assaults on public education, reproductive rights, racial justice and more, we are preparing for some challenging fights ahead, and we can’t do it without you!
We are all feeling deeply how much is at stake right now, and have been showing up in so many ways to shift the political landscape. So please: be gentle with yourself, and let’s take inspiration from all the powerful work we did together this past month.
We are in a troubling time, and the future of our democracy is at stake. We are headed into a historic election that will shape our communities and impact our rights for years to come, and we are simultaneously facing a right-wing attempt to rush through the confirmation of an anti-choice, climate science questioning Supreme Court nominee.
Candidate Tom Steyer did his homework and improved his climate test grade from a C+ to an A. Thanks Tom!
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